Withdrawal vs Failure

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JumanJi123

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Hey guys

So I am in a limbo regarding one of my classes. I am currently failing it by roughly 1.5 % and I am deciding whether to take the final or not. I can still withdraw from the class till Wednesday. My question is:
Are withdrawals and failures regarded differently in terms of your chances for residency?
If so, should I take a risk and take the final needing roughly 75% to pass? The final will be an un-customized subject NBME.

Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks

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Hey guys

So I am in a limbo regarding one of my classes. I am currently failing it by roughly 1.5 % and I am deciding whether to take the final or not. I can still withdraw from the class till Wednesday. My question is:
Are withdrawals and failures regarded differently in terms of your chances for residency?
If so, should I take a risk and take the final needing roughly 75% to pass? The final will be an un-customized subject NBME.

Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks

No. Withdrawals or failures don't mean anything for IMGs... A step 1 failure is the only thing that will kill you. At this pt try your best to pass to avoid having to repay for another semester.


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No. Withdrawals or failures don't mean anything for IMGs... A step 1 failure is the only thing that will kill you. At this pt try your best to pass to avoid having to repay for another semester.


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Thank You. I wasn't sure how it would be viewed differently but your answer makes sense. I am sure both withdrawal and a failure would be a red flag but I guess one is not better than the other.
 
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I disagree, withdrawals and failures mean a lot. I cannot speak for other admissions committees, but for ours any withdrawal or failure means the application is automatically rejected. There are too many risks associated with considering offshore applicants, and only those applicants with a spotless record are considered.
 
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I disagree, withdrawals and failures mean a lot. I cannot speak for other admissions committees, but for ours any withdrawal or failure means the application is automatically rejected. There are too many risks associated with considering offshore applicants, and only those applicants with a spotless record are considered.
I understand and that makes a lot of sense. I guess my question is specifically about the distinction in both. In other words, would you consider withdrawal as better than failing a course or would you consider both equally negatively?
 
would you consider withdrawal as better than failing a course or would you consider both equally negatively?

Normally, we would consider a withdrawal as better than a failure (as long as we know the reason for the withdrawal).
 
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Normally, we would consider a withdrawal as better than a failure (as long as we know the reason for the withdrawal).

Thank you for your input. Just found out that I passed!
 
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I disagree, withdrawals and failures mean a lot. I cannot speak for other admissions committees, but for ours any withdrawal or failure means the application is automatically rejected. There are too many risks associated with considering offshore applicants, and only those applicants with a spotless record are considered.

Well maybe at a big university program or a top 10 hospital


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I personally don't think you can win either way. People will look at the W just as bad as the F. In my opinion, some people will even sympathize with you if you get an F and do better the second time around as opposed to a W which I believe some people look at as quitting. Personally, I see taking the W as a smart move as it shows judgment.

an F will wreck your GPA so make sure the W is not factored into the GPA calculation. I've spoken to a PD who said she "looks at pre-clinical grades" in addition to STEP scores so do not believe anyone who tells you that pre-clinical grades as an IMG doesn't matter. Competition is stiff and if your scores are average, believe me, they will look at your pre-clinical grades and look for those F's.
 
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