Many pre-med students mistakenly believe the hardest part of becoming a doctor is getting into medical school. It’s true that med school admissions have become more competitive than ever, but seasoned medical students, residents, and doctors will all tell you that the act of actually getting through medical school is no easy feat.
In fact, it’s not uncommon for students entering into Doctor of Medicine (MD) programs to become somewhat shell-shocked by the true rigor of it all. If you fall behind, you’re certainly not alone—but rest assured that there are things you can do to help decrease the likelihood of failing classes in medical school.
If you want to improve your medical school performance, keep the following things in mind.
3 Things to consider if you’re struggling in medical school
A recent study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) revealed that half of all medical school dropouts did so in the first year. The transition into a fast-paced MD program can catch many students off-guard, leaving them unsure of where to turn.
“I’ll never forget how overwhelmed I felt during my first anatomy lecture,” medical student Sehr Kahn told the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). “The detail was unrelenting. I spent the first part of medical school in a haze and unsure of how to address what lay before me. Imposter syndrome was in full effect.”
Like the many students who find themselves failing classes in medical school, Kahn had to remind herself it wasn’t an indication that she wasn’t cut out to become a doctor. She simply had to reevaluate her approach to the MD coursework. Consider the following as you do the same.
1. There’s no shame in retaking classes
The reasons a student may struggle in medical school aren’t always clear-cut. It can be due to academic, personal, social, financial, or health factors—or any combination thereof. Studies from the NIH continue to note that first-year students are particularly susceptible as they adapt to new methods of learning.
Medical school is a rigorous, detail-intensive, and highly competitive training environment. Some med students may require longer adjustment periods than others. Failure can be an important part of learning and growth. If you’re determined to become a doctor and you find yourself in this situation, it’s possible to bounce back after retaking a course.
2. Lean on your peers
When Kahn began receiving failing grades on her medical school exams, she started to panic—but she kept her worries to herself. “I became convinced the admissions team made a mistake when they accepted me,” she recalled.
Once she opened up to some classmates about her struggles, however, everything changed. “Instead of making me feel incompetent, my friends met me with compassion and understanding,” Kahn said. “They were patient and ran through information countless times with me until I finally understood it.”
Different medical students will approach the course material in various ways. Sometimes, all it takes is learning how others are finding success and practicing some of those same methods. If you’re failing classes in medical school, take the initiative to interview other medical students to learn about the study habits that work for them.
“The most important thing I’ve learned is that I couldn’t address my failure alone,” Kahn offered.
3. Use all the institutional resources available to you
Finally, it’s helpful to keep in mind that while your medical school instructors are there to help you, they may not always be able to recognize when a student is struggling. It’s critical to reach out for help when you need it. Medical school moves at a rapid pace, so if you don’t seek assistance when you face challenges, you can quickly fall behind.
Reaching out to faculty and academic counselors is a great first step, but don’t forget to also make use of all the other institutional resources available to you. Every school’s student support services may look a bit different, but the School of Medicine at St. George’s University (SGU) strives to give aspiring physicians the tools they may need.
SGU’s Learning Strategies Program, for example, tailors performance improvement strategies to individual students who are seeking academic guidance. There are also faculty-led small groups, student-led group reviews, specialized coaching, language services, mental health sessions, and more.
“I used SGU support services mostly in my first term,” alumna Dr. Dina Jaber shares. “I utilized the peer review sessions and found that learning from my peers helped solidify concepts and made it easier to apply them.”
Find what works for you as a medical student
Even the most academically qualified students can face challenges in medical school if they don’t have access to adequate support. From the encouragement of cohorts to the resources at your institution, be sure to tap into every avenue available to avoid failing classes in medical school.
With proper guidance, there is a possibility for you to turn things around and continue on your path to becoming a physician. For more information on the dynamic suite of resources available to medical students at St. George’s University, check out our article “10 Student Support Services You Didn’t Know SGU Offered.”
