My first and last semester

[Paracelsus]

Dear friends:

I just finished up my first semester in medical school, and, unfortunately, it turned out to be my last. I came in as a non-traditional student, slightly older and with prior experience in a technical career. It was a difficult transition for me as I encountered so much unfamiliar material, and it took me a long time to find study methods which yielded results for me. By that time, it was too late - I had borderline grades throughout the semester, and finals finished me off, yielding two failing grades.

Last week was the final blow for me, as I had to appear before the administration to beg for the chance to start over. Although I felt that I had a good case and presented my position adequately, it ended with my dismissal from school.

Needless to say, I'm heartbroken. I've been waking up every day for the last three years telling myself that I'd be a doctor one day; I've pushed myself to succeed in the pre-med classes I took, and I worked very hard to gain admission. I could always go back to my old career, but I'm still convinced that my future should be spent in something that actually makes a difference in people's lives. I'm so angry and disappointed, and what probably hurts the most is that it seems no one was on my side at the end.

Despite the difficulties, I know that I would have made a good doctor ... but with this on my record, I may never have the chance to find out. Enough of my complaining, though. Maybe some of you have some insight that will help me plan my future. What do you think my chances are of finding a meaningful career in health care? Have my problems this semester closed the door behind me forever? What would you do if you were in this situation?

Paracelsus

"Thou art a full ship and homeward bound, thou sayest. Well, then, call me an empty ship, and outward bound."
--- Herman Melville, Moby-Dick

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[PimplePopperMD]

Wow, that is really harsh.

You should speak with your faculty advisor at your school. If you don't have one, pick somebody that people have said good things about, or someone you've had for classes that you respected.

With your advisor, appeal the decision. Every school I know of has an appeal process, and yours shouldn't be an exception. Don't give up on your school yet, because it will be very difficult to reapply to other schools with this tarnish; exhaust all possibilities (and i mean ALL); don't assume that you know them all -- find help.

Best of luck to you! Realize that there are other professions that allow for patient contact and "helping people" including pharmacy, nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, nutrition, yada yada...

tons of options.

 

[DrMom]

Sorry to hear that, Paracelsus.

Your school seems pretty harsh. At my school you can remediate over the summer if you fail 1 or 2 classes (as long as they are under 17 credit hours total) and you can re-do the entire year if you fail more than that. Of course, if you don't pass the 2nd time around you're outta there.

 

[Skip Intro]

Originally posted by Paracelsus
Despite the difficulties, I know that I would have made a good doctor ... but with this on my record, I may never have the chance to find out. Enough of my complaining, though. Maybe some of you have some insight that will help me plan my future. What do you think my chances are of finding a meaningful career in health care? Have my problems this semester closed the door behind me forever? What would you do if you were in this situation?

P-

I would suggest the following course(s) of action:

(1) Consider going to the Caribbean; you will have to likely explain your current failures to whichever schools you apply, but they are likely to give you a second chance. But, it will not be any easier, I can tell you. Many students starting in my class failed-out too. Plus, you have to add to the fact that you will be in a foreign country without the amenities of home... this works for some.

(2) Consider nursing. Nurses are make mad-sick amounts of money these days, as there is a tremendous shortage of nurses right. Once you finish your nursing degree, you can consider going the Nurse Practitioner route. Many NPs have a lot of autonomy and get to see patients much as a doctor would. Although the NP will have to have some level of oversite from the physician, I've seen instances where the NP (once he/she has "proven" him/herself) gets pretty much free reign on patient management and what is effectively a rubber-stamp from the physician.

(3) Consider going into pharmaceutical research. You'll have to start low and work up, but you can make a ton of money, travel, and interact with physicians as the "expert" in a lot of situations. I did that for years before going this route and will likely go back to the pharma industry once I complete my M.D.

Just some of the many ideas you could pursue. Don't give up hope. Life gives us challenges, and it's how we deal with them that tests our resolve, tenacity, and ability to persevere.

Good luck to you!

Skip Intro
MS2 Ross University
Miami, Florida

 

[shorrin]

Paracelsus,

I'm really sorry to hear what happened. I think ppmd is right. Find someone there who can help you appeal and if that's out of the question then at least give you some options.

I often thought that once you are in a program they'd do almost anything to retain their numbers.

I don't know where you go to school but there must be something. I have my fingers crossed and am wishing you the very best.

 

[I got in]

Dear P
I am in the same situation as you. I failed anatomy and one more subject miserably. I completely understand your situation and sympathize with you but I also understand that our results do not reflect our potential as future doctors.
I realize that you had a bad semester but things can and ought to be done to remedy the damage.
Personally, this past semester things happened that were beyond my control and I had to make my peace with my failing grades. Despite the fact, I was the prototype premed college student who got in med school her first time, I do realize that people like us can make mistakes and are also able to overcome difficult scenerios.
I hope I didnt offend anyone if you have any quesdtions or just need support feel free to email me.
j

 

[Chicago Doc]

Don't give up. I was dismissed from medical school three years ago for poor performance and was readmitted this year. I'm doing fine and I was just at the wrong school for me. If you think the school you are at is the right school for you then talk to someone in academic affairs about the appeal process. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you !!!

 

[Cody1MD]

Paracelsus

I hope things work out for you. Just remember that you have God on your side. With your record as a pre-med student, try looking into physician assistant, nurse praticioner, ect. All these positions are of great importance for patients. You can also look into a school of osteopathic medicine. Best of luck and have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Remeber things happen in life for good reasons. Find the positive in this and you will find what you are looking for.


=)

 

[IlianaSedai]

Originally posted by PimplePopperMD
Wow, that is really harsh.

You should speak with your faculty advisor at your school. If you don't have one, pick somebody that people have said good things about, or someone you've had for classes that you respected.

With your advisor, appeal the decision. Every school I know of has an appeal process, and yours shouldn't be an exception. Don't give up on your school yet, because it will be very difficult to reapply to other schools with this tarnish; exhaust all possibilities (and i mean ALL); don't assume that you know them all -- find help.

Yeah, I agree that is truly harsh. In spite of all the negative messages you're probably getting from your administration, I think you should pick yourself up off the ground and dust yourself off. PimplePopper has some good advice and I think it would be worth it to give the bureaucracy a good fight. Some people are just slow starters or just take awhile to figure out how to retain what they learn, but the first semester is a period of adjustment and many who start off slow end up doing great in the end. I don't know for what reasons your administration chose to dismiss you, but do not for even a moment believe that the messages you may be getting about yourself are true. You are a person of great worth, strength, perseverance and integrity-- your administrators may get their heads messed up and may even claim 'til they're black in the face that this isn't true-- but it is true, never forget it.

 

[Dodge This]

I don't mean to be insensitive, but someone has to play the skeptic. Getting expelled after 1 semester for poor grades sounds counterintuitive to the whole spirit of medical school. Your school selected you out of thousands of qualified candidates because they believed you would make a fine physician. Once you're in, they should have been doing everything in their power to make sure you attain that goal. Remediation is usually an option. Repeating a year is also not uncommon.

I apologize if this is not what you wanted to hear. Your situation just sounds rather unique, and I couldn't help but wonder if there's more to it you would care to share.

I agree with everyone who has said not to give up on your current school yet. You need to get faculty on your side and appeal the decision. Best of luck.

 

[Katie]

this school has a terrible policy, definitely appeal the decision. if they don't re-admit you, other schools may give you a chance. Tufts allows up to 5 failing grades before you are recommended for dismissal, and if you fail a class twice you get held back a year, and they take transfers if you're interested..

 

[KentuckySteve]

This post sounds a little bogus. Sorry if this is not right but the dramatization with the dear friends .... and all sounds a little fishy especially with no previous posts. I am inclined to believe someone posted this out of boredom.

 

[KentuckySteve]

Mabe a poll is in order bogus/ not bogus?

 

[Trek]

and a poll voted on by people who have no true idea of the situation will suddenly clarify everything? --Trek

 

[Katie]

Originally posted by Trek
and a poll voted on by people who have no true idea of the situation will suddenly clarify everything? --Trek

hey, give him a break..Kentucky Steve's 7 posts are pretty damn impressive!

 

[KentuckySteve]

This is could be more like a readers digest poll. While we are at it we can vote on whether chicks dig argyle socks.

 

[Trek]

Steve, your knowledge of "chicks" seems so vast, i'm surprised you don't already know the answers to your question. --Trek

 

[samenewme]

Originally posted by KentuckySteve
This is could be more like a readers digest poll. While we are at it we can vote on whether chicks dig argyle socks.

Well, it all depends on context. A pair of argyle socks in a drawer, well, no. But with a kilt, diced hose can be pretty cute if there's a good pair of legs in them.

 

[Paracelsus]

I'd like to thank all of you who took the time to post sincere replies to my message. I was really having a hard time with this, especially since it happened right before the holidays. There is, in fact, an appeal process, and I'm going to go through to the end, even if the only result is getting this all out of my system before moving on to the next phase of my life.

Incidentally, KentuckySteve, this makes two whole posts for me. Hope this adds to my credibility. As for posting out of boredom, I seem to have a lot of time on my hands now ...

I now return you to the debate over argyle socks.

--- Paracelsus

 

[strlght2348]

P-

I'm really sorry about what happened. Hopefully things will look up in the future for you! Never lose hope, and keep working hard!

 

[samenewme]

Originally posted by Paracelsus


I now return you to the debate over argyle socks.

--- Paracelsus

Sorry to participate in the hijacking of your thread. But you had already recieved the appropriate encouragement to appeal to the bitter end, and I was just dying to make a smartass remark to the silly person who thought you had nothing better to do than pretend to have a rough time in med school.

Good luck on your appeal! I'm REALLY glad you've decided to go for it, and I'm pulling for you, really.

 

[DrMom]

Originally posted by Paracelsus
There is, in fact, an appeal process, and I'm going to go through to the end

Glad to hear it! I wish you luck.

 

[DrZippy2b]

Nearly this exact thing happened to my best friend her "first" first year of medical school. She had lots of things go wrong at the same time, including getting sick and having her car stolen, but that's beyond the point. She appealed to her school and they allowed her to step into a Master's Program for the remainder of the year with the understanding that if she had passing grades in those, she could re-matriculate the following year. She's come a really long way and just completed her "second" first quarter of school. She had a lot of test anxiety and was really not studying the way she should have been. The upside to all of this is that she seriously re-considered whether or not she was cut out to be a doctor and whether or not this was what she really wanted. In the end, she decided that she couldn't imagine doing anything else.

Perhaps when you talk to the appeal committee you could offer up the idea (the grad level courses for the remainder of this year with acceptable grades) as an option and see what they say.

Best wishes and keep your head up. You will make it through this.

-Zippy

 

[CatsAreKillers]

P - What school do you attend? You said that you're non-traditional.... how old are you ??

I agree that it sounds rotten what the school is doing! Is this their policy for ALL students?? Or is it up to their discretion to kick someone out after only 1 semster?? If it's the latter, could there be a teacher that "has it out for you"? In other words, do you think one of the teachers isn't being supportive of you or has a problem with you? I'm only wondering that because this just sounds so very harsh what they're doing to you.

I think it's great that you're appealing!! Don't give up. But as a very, very, very last ditch effort, if you know that they're absolutely going to kick you out, you could ask them if they will allow you to resign, so it won't look bad on your record. This way, you'll have less trouble re-applying to other med schools. Good luck!

Originally posted by Paracelsus
Dear friends:

I just finished up my first semester in medical school, and, unfortunately, it turned out to be my last. I came in as a non-traditional student, slightly older and with prior experience in a technical career. It was a difficult transition for me as I encountered so much unfamiliar material, and it took me a long time to find study methods which yielded results for me. By that time, it was too late - I had borderline grades throughout the semester, and finals finished me off, yielding two failing grades.

Last week was the final blow for me, as I had to appear before the administration to beg for the chance to start over. Although I felt that I had a good case and presented my position adequately, it ended with my dismissal from school.

Needless to say, I'm heartbroken. I've been waking up every day for the last three years telling myself that I'd be a doctor one day; I've pushed myself to succeed in the pre-med classes I took, and I worked very hard to gain admission. I could always go back to my old career, but I'm still convinced that my future should be spent in something that actually makes a difference in people's lives. I'm so angry and disappointed, and what probably hurts the most is that it seems no one was on my side at the end.

Despite the difficulties, I know that I would have made a good doctor ... but with this on my record, I may never have the chance to find out. Enough of my complaining, though. Maybe some of you have some insight that will help me plan my future. What do you think my chances are of finding a meaningful career in health care? Have my problems this semester closed the door behind me forever? What would you do if you were in this situation?

Paracelsus

"Thou art a full ship and homeward bound, thou sayest. Well, then, call me an empty ship, and outward bound."
--- Herman Melville, Moby-Dick

 

[pathdr2b]

Paracelsus:

I wish you the best in getting your school to appeal it's decision. But if you don't mind, I'd really like to know which school that is. I don't want to apply this summer to a school with no means for students to redeem themselves academically.

 

[QHamp]

I had a cousin who was a surgical nurse making about $60 per hour. Even though you might not be cut for a OR postion; as a nurse you would still make a decent wage, and be able to work where your heart is.

You might also think of becoming a nurse practitioner. At least then you could prescribe meds.

And keep that chin up... We're rootin' for you!

($.02 from a premed who should be over in the pre-allopathic forum )

 

[roady]

Hey, Paracelsus!

You have got to be kiddin' me...I've checked for the next chapter in your sag-a like 10 times already. Please let all of us out here who are rooting (sp?) for you know what happened (and what that G-- awful school is so we can steer clear).

You will get through this. It might somehow be helpful in the bigger picture of your life.

Good luck, my friend.

roady

 

[maugham]

It's nice to see this outpouring of support, but something doesn't seem right about this story. I can't imagine any school would summarily kick out a first year student halfway into the first year for purely academic reasons. There's either more to this story or
we're being had. Speaking from experience, medical school is hard; but it's also very hard to flunk out, and actually impossible in this short a time span. I really don't buy that any medical school would expel a student for subpar academic performance after only a few months. And I wonder why anybody would want to perpetrate such a falsity.

 

[Dodge This]

Originally posted by maugham
It's nice to see this outpouring of support, but something doesn't seem right about this story. I can't imagine any school would summarily kick out a first year student halfway into the first year for purely academic reasons. There's either more to this story or we're being had. Speaking from experience, medical school is hard; but it's also very hard to flunk out, and actually impossible in this short a time span. I really don't buy that any medical school would expel a student for subpar academic performance after only a few months. And I wonder why anybody would want to perpetrate such a falsity.

Yep...you're not alone in thinking this way.

 

[Purifyer]

It sounds unreasonable I must admit; but why would anyone waste their time posting a 'fake' post like that?

Good luck pc _b

To the suprising amount of people posting about alternative careers in nursing etc. Would you be a nurse? We're all dreaming of being doctors here!

I'm in no way being pejorative of the nursing profession, merely saying we are medical students for a reason. If we wanted to be nurses, we'd be at www.studentnurse.com

 

[QHamp]

Originally posted by Purifyer

I'm in no way being pejorative of the nursing profession, merely saying we are medical students for a reason. If we wanted to be nurses, we'd be at www.studentnurse.com

Good point.