PBL Muse #20: Students in academic difficulty

One of the biggest myths in the medical school process is that once you get into medical school, it is relatively easy to STAY in medical school. Each year, approximately 5% of those who enter fail one or more courses or fail out of medical school entirely. (These numbers are an average and are lower at McMaster) Why does this happen after being subjected to a selection process that is very stringent?

The biggest reason for students failing a course or failing out of medical school is an inability to put in the study time that a very competitive medical school curriculum demands. A sizable proportion of first year medical students may have been able to get through their undergraduate studies by the “last minute knowledge cram” method, only to find that they are in deep trouble fast.

Most of these students will adjust their time management skills and do well enough to pass their coursework but some are not able to make the transition from undergraduate to medical school. These folks find themselves behind their class very quickly and fail to catch up enough to learn the core knowledge required.

Another small proportion of students will have too many personal demands to keep up with their studies. They may be parents or spouses or they may have personal illness that actually prevents them from the mastery of their work. In these cases, a wise Dean of Students will offer a Leave of Absence before the student finds himself/herself in academic difficulty. It pays to alert Karl, Maynard or Kathy Swayze at the first sign of personal trouble. Often the Dean can alleviate the problem and get the student back on track. Again, sometimes the problem is so pervasive, that only a Leave of Absence will allow the student to take care of personal matters and return to academics without penalty.

Few medical students are intellectually unable to master the curriculum. While the amount of information to be mastered is massive, the difficulty of the material is fairly average. This means that the key to keeping yourself academically sound is disciplined study habits that enable you to digest this large body of information in a short period of time. Most students study daily and keep a rigorous study schedule even on weekends.

Many students will become caught in the “no one else is struggling so I must be stupid” trap. Every medical student from time to time will struggle with something. Most students figure out what they need, ask for help and get the task accomplished. Some students will become depressed and procrastinate. Procrastination is the enemy of good scholarship and leads to more depression. Again, chatting with a few classmates or the Dean of Students can often put your problems into perspective and give you new ideas that get you on your way.

Key message is if you see someone struggling please tell Karl, Kathy or myself as soon as possible.

Maynard