<p>Medical school sucks…I’m just glad I never have to go through the first year again and will probably feel the same about this year too…but the ends seem like they’ll justify the means (although stories like pencilpushers are worrisome at times).</p>
<p>But it’s hard to fail out, for several reasons. One it’s such a task to even get through the pre-med part. There’s a high attrition rate which is part due to difficulty and part (and in my opinion the greater influence) due to so many kids not having an idea of the great number of career possibilities. They are unsure but know that doctors make a comfortable salary and everyone’s been to the doctor so they have an idea of what doctors do.</p>
<p>Secondly, admissions is so intense and difficult (only about 45% of applicants last year received an acceptance to any medical school). So it’s hard to get in…</p>
<p>But once you’re in, like pencilpusher said, the faculty and the school will help you and they want you to graduate. My school and other schools I have friends at (so I imagine most if not all) allows you to remediate failed courses and even entire years of school. My class (now second years) had about 5 retake the first year. I’ve heard that part of this willingness to graduate students and give multiple attempts is because there is so much money invested in training future physicians. Part of that is because of the cost in healthcare in general, part the necessary equipment and facilities and part because the third and fourth years of medical school are essentially apprenticeships and that’s an expensive way to teach large groups of students…</p>