My STEP scores (. _ .)

SAK PASE!

Hey you guys. I want to talk about Step 2 on this post. Actually, I'm going to be revealing my step scores, boffum lol. In the beginning, I really did not know why I started this blog and until now I still don't know why I'm typing up these words for you. I don't know who's actually reading. I don't know who's actually benefitting from the words I type but if there's one thing I know, it's that medical school was not easy. A lot of people make it seem like it is and good for them because it might actually be for them but for me? For me that shit was hard. It was hard not only because of medical school itself but also because of all the extra stuff in my life. I had extra responsibilities, I had to take care of my mother like she was my child and that was no easy feat. But I made it. 

Anyway, the theme throughout this whole blog was how much I struggled lol, I made that very clear. But I also made very clear how I overcame through hard work and by the grace of God. I take pride in knowing that I put in work day in and day out to get to where to where I am today. But i'm also humbled by the mistakes I made and my failures which is why I am not afraid to share them with you all so you know that it's okay to make mistakes. Just make sure you don't let those mistakes define you. You make sure to get back up and try try again. Keep trying until you get it. But only take this advice if you REALLY WANT what you're going after. 

Blah blah blah, girl go on with it so your step scores, what are they?? lol Okay so for Step 1....I had a 204. OMG 👀 a what? Yes hunny. You read correctly. I can make tons of excuses why a 204 is not what I was expecting and not what I wanted but at this point I'm over it. I'M OVER IT lol. I'm a whole pediatric resident so who gonna check me now? I was devastated. I hated myself and I cried days oh gosh I cried for weeks actually. But eventually I had to learn to trust God instead of that test score. 

For Step 2 CK...I had a 231. It's funny because I prayed and asked for a 230. God said 'BET!!  I'LL GIVE YOU A 231' 😂  *Can we take a few seconds for a praise break* 💃 AMEN! I mean after the mess I went through with Comp right? lol I put in a lot of work for Step 2 so👀👀 I felt I was more confident to tackle Step 2 than I was with Step 1. I manifested a score of 230 since 2021 started because I knew that if I wanted to match I had to make a significant improvement in my step scores. God is good! 

More to come! :) 

TTYL 💜

My Clinical Comp Journey

Sak Pase!

Long time no write!! It's been a busy year for your girl. So I'm a doctor you guys!! I'm going to write a series of blog posts to update you on the sequence of events over the last year. I can't do it in one blog post because it's way too much to type. I'm going to focus this post on my comp journey. 

Remember when I was in 5th semester on Sint Maarten? It was my last semester on the island and I had a huge comprehensive exam my school required us to take and pass before we were cleared to sit for the USMLE Step 1 exam. Well yea, I failed that exam. Remember that post? lolllll. That comprehensive exam was basically testing everything we learned in our basic sciences in all of our 4 semesters on the island. 

Fast forward to the end of my third year as a clinical student, before I sit for the USMLE Step 2 CK exam, my school again required us to take and pass another comprehensive exam or else we can't take Step 2. Well I failed it again, TWICE! Talk about Deja vu lol. Honestly you guys my whole medical school career has been difficult and sometimes I sit here and wonder how I made it through but I did it. I'm about to be resident doctor and if I can do it, so can you. Anyway, what happened and how did I fail twice? Well the first time I was not ready. Plus I ran out of time in each block. I'm talking about I had 7-8 questions I didn't even get a chance to look at in each block. There are 4 blocks. The second try at the exam, my internet gave out at least TWICE. I was freaking out too much to count. I was flustered and anxious af and again I kept running out of time. I knew my ish because I did well in my practice exams and I was averaging well on Uworld too so damn it what was the problem!!!!??

The third time I took it, it was at a prometric center. THANK GOD! That time was my last chance to pass that exam. My step 2 exam was scheduled for two weeks later and I HAD TO PASS THIS COMP EXAM if I wanted to take step 2 and get my scores back so I can submit my residency applications on time. I took my comp exam and guys the scores took a whole week to be released. IT WAS THE LONGEST WEEK OF MY LIFE. I mean I was losing my mind. I was absolutely miserable. I stayed off social media that week. I prayed, I cried, I fasted, I continued studying and I blogged lol. As a matter of fact, I actually wrote this post during that week. 👀 I like to call it, SPEAKING THINGS INTO EXISTENCE. The tongue is powerful and well I guess the fingers are too since i'm technically typing this lol. Today is Saturday, August 21st  and it's 2:48am. I am typing this and saving it in my drafts to post after Match in March (or later lol). Anyway, I PASSED! I passed comp on the third try and all I can say is God is good! (Again this was all me manifesting my scores that night). 

So I actually received my actual comp scores on August 24 at 2:39pm and I did indeed pass lol. I don't know why God made me go through it three times but I won't ask questions.

I understand why AUC has us taking comp before Step 2 but man this was nerve-wracking. I did everything right. I finished cores on time. I planned my comp early, planned everything early but still had to rearrange everything at the end. I guess it's true what they say...your plans are not always God's plans lol. It's okay though, I rather go with His plans any day :) 

More posts to come!  

TTYL 💜

Season of Uncertainty

 SAK PASE!! 

Hey y'all! Some people asked me why I haven't updated my blog....as a matter of fact, one person specifically said "Bettyna you've been slacking on your blog posts" lol. See the thing is, I'm in a season of uncertainty. I mean life in general is uncertain but at least sometimes I know what comes next, but currently I feel blinded and uncertain about my future. Don't get me wrong, I am confident that things will work out for me but I still don't know how they will work out and because of that I just didn't have anything to share with you all until after the fact. I hope that makes sense. 

No? lol okay I guess I should be a little more clear. Last time I posted was in April and I think I was in my psych rotation then. From that time, I finished psych, started and finished my surgery rotation, passed and failed some exams, applied to residency and celebrated my BORNDAY. I mean it was probably one of the hardest summers of my life. During that time, I learned who was really there for me and who was not. Some people are there just to suck the life out of you but are never there when you need them. I def learned a lot of this summer, better late than never right? I learned to love some people from a distance. I still love you and care for you but i'm just not gonna give you my all anymore, simple. I'll give more details about my hard-ass summer after the Match lol.  

Anywhooo, I am currently a 4th year med student and doing my elective rotations. I am in my PICU rotation right now and mannn I'm learning sooo much, I LOVE IT! The only downside is the fact that I have to be up at 4:40 every morning. That def takes some getting used to lol.  I am also interviewing for my dream job and hoping that I get a match made in heaven when the third week of March rolls around. 

I think I explained it before so you guys should know how this whole dream job process works right? In a nutshell, a med student submits a bunch of applications to a bunch of residency programs. US med students can send about 15-20 apps and they'll be fine cuz they might receive 10-12 interviews (minus some outliers :)) International med students like myself? well, we have to send about 100 or more applications to receive the same amount of interviews. It's just the way life is folks and if you would like to come to a Caribbean school this is one of the things you have to come to terms with, K? cool cool. Anyway after you send your apps to these programs, they review your application and if they deem you worthy, they'll grant you an interview. That usually runs from October to January. In February, you start ranking those programs you interviewed at from 1 to whatever number, with number 1 being your top choice and then 2 your next choice, then 3 etc etc. The programs also rank the applicants they interviewed. Now programs and applicants send in their rank lists, then this computer algorithm put these lists onegether and tries to MATCH an applicant's preferred top choice with a residency program's top choice. Hopefully that wasn't too confusing lol. If it was, watch THIS. We find out where we MATCH the third week of March. And this is the uncertainty I was referring to in the first paragraph of this post. 

I HATE BEING UNCERTAIN OF MY FUTURE. But I'm choosing to trust my unknown future to a known God so that's also why I said above that I'm confident that it will all work out for me. Wherever I end up, I know it will be for the best!

I probably won't be updating this until after Match week so until then feel free to send me any questions or concerns you may have. 

TTYL 💜

Eras 2022 Timeline

SAK PASE!!

Hey ya'll! I'm sorry for the lack of posts these last few weeks. It's time to get serious so you're not going to hear from me as often this year. But I promise I will check in when I can and I will try to update you guys throughout the year. I finished my obgyn rotation and I passed that shelf exam about 4 and half weeks ish ago. I am now about two weeks away from being done with my psychiatry rotation. I am trying to focus on all the exams I have to take this year in addition to my rotations and shelves. These include the Kaplan CSPE that my school requires us to take as a graduation requirement so they can attest to our clinical skills, the comprehensive exam which we have to pass before our school clears us to take the Step 2 exam, the actual Step 2 CK exam and last but not least, the OET medicine exam that IMG's have to take to be eligible for the ECFMG certification which is required to match into residency. LOL, issa lot y'all. I promise i'll go into more details later on but right now yo girl has gots to focus!!

The main reason I'm writing this post though is to update y'all on the ERAS 2022 match timeline! They posted it on Thursday last week if I remember correctly. Residency applications are usually due on September 15th of every year but because of Covid 19, last year they postponed it to October 21st. This year, we were hoping that they would also extend the due date to October but they didn't. They did however give us 14 extra days and instead of applications being due on the 15th, they're due on September 29th this year!! So I'm still grateful!! You can see the timeline if you click HERE 

I'll be done with my psych rotation next week then i'll be starting 12 whole weeks of surgery lol. That should be interesting. Pray for me. But the good news is it will be my last core rotation then ill be a 4th year med student and I can start my electives woot wooot!! HOW EXCITING !!!! 

Time is literally flying but it's not over yet, there is still so much work to do and although I have been working HARD,  I've also been freaking out DAILY. But the God that has brought be to where I am today will get me to where I need to be next March. I believe it wholeheartedly.

TTYL 💜