What happens if you fail med school finals?

Asked by: Noelia Hintz  |  Last update: November 9, 2025
Score: 4.4/5 (8 votes)

If you fail your finals a medical student, you either have to find time to repeat the course, which may or may not be possible in the short break you get between years 1 and 2 or years 2 and 3. But more often than not, you will repeat the entire year of medical school if you fail a class.

What happens if you fail the med school exam?

If you fail Step 1, all hope is not lost—you can retake the test. Technically, you are able to take Step 1 a total of four times, but only three times within a 12-month period.

Can you still be a doctor if you fail a class?

Yes. The most important thing you can do is to learn from the experience and do better going forward. Many students have been accepted to medical school after failing and retaking a course or two early in their college education. That said, three or more Fs might be considered a deal-breaker.

How common is it to fail out of med school?

The graduation rate after four years ranges from 81.7% to 84.1%, which leads some sources to suggest that the med school dropout rate is between 18.3% and 15.9%. However, these numbers fail to take into account the notable number of medical students who take more than four years to graduate.

What happens if you fail a school final?

If you fail the final, it could lead to failing the entire course if you don't have enough points from the rest of your assignments and tests. Retake Policies: Some schools allow students to retake a final exam or may offer additional assessments to help improve their grade.

What happens if you FAIL MED SCHOOL FINALS??!

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What if I fail my finals?

Course progression: Depending on your school's policies, failing a final exam in a prerequisite course could impact your ability to move on to the next level or sequence within a specific subject. In this case, you may need to retake the class or undergo summer school to complete the requirement.

Does the final grade matter?

So yes, your senior grades matter, both in a practical sense for college admissions and in a more meaningful way for how you may choose to live your life.

Can you try again after failing medical school?

Medical school does give you a chance to repeat your first or second year and they may also let you repeat a failed rotation in your third year. It is not terribly uncommon for someone to have needed an extra year in medical school due to class failure or personal reasons.

Do med schools care if you take a class pass fail?

How Will Pass-Fail Grades Affect Your Medical School Admissions Chances? Because premed students usually complete their prerequisite coursework over several years, medical schools will still receive a near-complete picture of an applicant's demonstrated academic capabilities.

What percent of med school students don t finish?

So, what percentage of medical students fail out? The variations are massive—between 7 and 35 percent—depending on years in school, single or combined programs, and personal issues. Most people who go to medical school will become doctors, even if they face challenges along the way.

Can I still be a doctor if I have bad grades?

While you can get into medical school without having a 4.0, you will at least need to meet the minimum requirements. Most medical schools have a strict minimum requirement of at least a 3.0 GPA. This means that your application will typically not even be considered if you have less than a 3.0.

Does retaking classes look bad on transcripts?

The first thing you need to be clear about is that retaking classes (in most cases) has a minimal effect on your GPA, because retaken classes don't replace your low grades – they average in with them. That's right: your low grade won't be dropped – the retaken class grade will be added to it and averaged.

Can you still be a doctor if you fail your boards?

They can wait ✋ a period of time and retake the board. They will not get a state license to practice medicine till they pass their board exam. They are not board certified. But if they have passed their state medical licensing requirement, they are allowed to practice medicine.

What should I do if I fail med school?

After answering those questions, one of three choices will emerge:
  1. Go to grad school and pursue something in healthcare or science.
  2. Go to grad school to pursue a totally different career path.
  3. Jump right into the workforce either in healthcare, science or something completely different.

How many times can you take the med exam?

You can take the MCAT up to three times in a single year, four times over two consecutive years, and up to seven times in your lifetime, according to AAMC rules. You should limit attempts to three times with score improvement each time to avoid negative impacts on your medical school applications.

What happens if you don't pass Step 1 med school?

USMLE Step 1: What to Do If You Don't Pass. If you didn't pass the USMLE Step 1, the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) allows you to retake the test, and you have many resources to help you improve your performance.

How common is failing medical school?

At present, about 82.5% of US medical students complete the requirement for graduation in 4 years and 97% complete in 8 years with an attrition rate of 3% [4]. In a survey, 11% of the 2222 medical students indicated that they have serious thoughts of dropping out of medical school each year [5].

Is it OK to fail an exam in medical school?

If you fail an exam in medical school, it's not the end of the world! Exams are there to test you on the material that you've learnt, not to trick you. So as long as you put in the necessary time and effort to study and understand it, you will pass. But, failing can happen, and that's okay.

What percent of medical schools are pass-fail?

Results. In total, 79 of 142 (55.6%) US allopathic medical schools use pass/fail grading for the entire preclinical curriculum. Of the 96 schools with USMLE data available, 56 (58.3%) use pass/fail grading, which is not significantly different (P=0.35, Table 1).

How many times can you fail a medical exam?

United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE)

You must pass USMLE Step 3 within four attempts pursuant to Business and Professions Code (BPC) section 2177(c)(1).

How common is it to reapply to medical school?

If you're worried about being a medical school reapplicant, you're not alone. In fact, since only roughly 40% of applicants matriculate into U.S. MD programs in any given application cycle, nearly 60% of applicants face the decision to pursue a different career or to reapply.

Do med schools look down on retaking classes?

While some advisors and schools may disapprove, most medical schools will not care as long as the student performs well academically.

Do final exams show up on transcripts?

Report cards often include marks for each quarter, or for midterm and final exams. In contrast, many transcripts just show a final year-end grade for each course.

Is a C+ on a final bad?

A C grade in high school is generally considered average, and while not ideal, it's not necessarily the end of the world. Since you mentioned that you mostly get A's and B's, this C grade might stand out on your transcript, but there are several factors that could influence how much it impacts your college application.

Does my senior year GPA matter?

Your grades in senior year are most important in the first semester. Colleges consider these grades (along with your junior year grades) as an essential clue about how ready you are for your college classes.