I didn’t do the calculations myself, but one of my classmates added up all the exams we had taken first and second years in medical school, and got 50. If that’s the case, then this week I brought my grand total up to 52!
I took the Step 1 exam on Saturday, and then I took another little exam that I was trying not to worry about until after my Boards. Faithful readers may recall that I failed my Hematology-Oncology exam this year (you can read the entry here). I’m not proud of this fact, and hesitated to make it public knowledge on my blog. However, I decided that this reality is an important piece of my medical school story. I am not a perfect medical student (even when I try my hardest) and the first two years have been challenging.
As I was studying for my Board exam during the past months, I spent extra time with Heme-Onc. The medical school supported me by providing tutoring, and even encouragement. I’m happy to say that Heme-Onc, including all the chemotherapy drugs that I once dreaded, are now familiar concepts to me. The make-up exam went well, and now it’s behind me. Thank goodness!
My Boards are another story. I still am filled with nagging feelings about my performance, and am slightly disturbed that nobody seems to know for sure when or how we get our score reports. I was under the impression that I would receive an online score in 4-6 weeks, but the printed sheet I received at the end of my exam said they would mail my results in 8 weeks! Another friend recently shared that she believes her older brother got his results by e-mail in 3-4 weeks. I guess I’ll find out soon enough, but right now waiting for the results feels like eternity.
Now the only test question you have to answer for a while is:
What drink do I want now?
A. Beer
B. Wine
C. Margarita
D. All of the above
i failed thorax and abdomen. i made it public in my journal for the same reason: i want to chronicle my entire med school life, the good and the bad. fortunately since all our classes were pass/fail, all that matters was the final grade for anatomy (a “P”!), but it was an important lesson nonetheless. congrats again on being done step 1! and good luck with upcoming rotations. what do you start with?
Thanks for sharing about your failures as well as successes. I think that both are an important part of our medical training because nobody is perfect all the time. I start my third year rotations with pediatrics, and I can’t wait. You remind me that I need to post about my upcoming rotation schedule.
Do you also have a blog like the impressive loveable Liz B about your Med school experiences??\\
Ifn so will you send me a link. I was never interested in being a Medical doctor and am far beyond that age but I am very interested in what motivations people.
That reply was meant for Robby. — Link to Med experiences Blog. Want also to send it ti a French 3rd year med student.
But more important Robby, you and Liz want the WHOLE TRUTH. You are willing to “let it all hang out”! If only more such were our politicians, there might be some hope.
Thanks, Art.
Yes, Robby has a blog that I follow. Here is the link: http://www.robbyswendiman.blogspot.com
you are not alone with the nagging feelings of doubt. I took my test on the 24th and it was brutal in my opinion. Everything I decided to not do or sort of not do was on the test. I felt miserable the first 3 days and only recovering now. I hope it works out for me as well but for now its an abyss of anxiety.
I guess it’s universal then! Thanks for letting me know about our shared feelings of doubt. 6-8 weeks never felt so long before, but hopefully we’ll get through this waiting period soon. And then, we’ll probably forget how difficult it felt.
It was never clear about how the step 1 test is administered. More below.
But first no matter how, I think it is absolutely sadistic to not provide the results to the test takers between immediately and several days. To not even know how, much less when you will be told such crucial results is about as insensitive as I can imagine.
To complete a second year of demanding and stressful med school and then take a career altering test, and have maybe a month off “to relax” till another cruel though fulfilling year of medical learning begins. That monkey is always n your back. Anxiety every time you check your e mail or snail mail — to learn did I Pass or Horrors FAIL!!. I cannot accept that such a system is necessary or testing.
Good question. The Step 1 exam is currently administered on computers at approved testing centers around the country. The entire test is multiple choice questions (no essay portion). I was the only person taking the Step 1 exam at my testing center on my testing day. In fact, sitting beside me at one point was a young girl who seemed to be in middle school. On one of my breaks I noticed she had some large font math questions on the screen. I wondered what test she could possible be taking. I didn’t take a test at a testing center until I took the GRE.
In any case, I’m taking 1 block off to have a little extra time to relax before jumping into 3rd year. I still haven’t gotten my scores yet. It is certainly a long time to wait for something that is computerized, but hopefully there is a good explanation out there. Maybe the testing company actually analyzes data from each question? Test-taking is evolving and becoming more computerized, so students can take the test on any day they want at any approved location (quite different from your experience with NTE).
Some years ago I thought it would be useful to pass the NTE National Teachers Exam. It is given 2 or 3 times a year throughout the USA at many centers on the same day, same exam. It was 6 or 8 hours long. Mostly multiple choice answers but there ws a half hour written essay also. [I hesitate to add but my scores put me inthe top 1% in all four categories. Big deal!]
I thought the Step 1 ewxam would be administewrd similarly. ie. All 2nd yr med students would take it on the same day, same time, SAME exam at centers through out the country.
I was very vague. But it seems Liz took her exam individyually as did other Step 1 takers. Maybe different exams. Seems strange to me.
But one of my major questions: if a med student fails it can the take it again?, when? how often?
There are some jurisdictions where if you fail a particular exam you can never take it again. You have lost forever.