I just received shocking news tonight. One of my close friends has been dismissed from medical school because he failed COMLEX 2 a third time. This is shocking because I know how hard he worked to get to medical school. He completed a rigorous SMP and then taught gross anatomy to medical students for a year before the medical school gave him a shot. He successfully completed his OMS1 and 2 years, crushed his COMLEX 1 and finished OMS3 and 4. I can’t imagine what it must be like to come all this way only to fall short.
Now my friend has to pick up the pieces. He called tonight asking for advice regarding how to use his masters to get into teaching; of course, I will pull every string that I can to assist. He is also considering transferring to a Caribbean medical school. I can’t imagine having to do four years of medical school ALL OVER. If he goes this route, maybe he can find a school that will allow him to complete the clinical years without having to redo all the biomedical sciences years.
Personally, I’ve been basking in the feel-good feelings of having been accepted to my top choice medical school and preparing to start the next chapter of my academic journey, but tonight’s call with my friend was a stark reminder that medical school is nothing to be played with. I have a couple of ideas why he failed COMLEX 2; I would never say this to him, but I will just say that staying focused and having supportive people in your corner is probably a key to getting through medical school. Like my PhD, my perception of medical school and its licensing exams, is that it’s a jealous mistress and if you don’t give it it’s time, it won’t treat you well.
To those reading this, if you have it in your heart, please pray for my friend. He sounded like he was holding up but I could also hear a lot of pain in his voice.
