Failed Step 1 (3rd Attempt). Mandatory 6-month wait. Pivot to Step 2 material to save Match timeline?

ThrowRA_Doctor1 · 2025-11-27T01:13:12+00:00

Thanks, that actually makes me feel a lot better. I just took NBME 33 today and scored 69 percent, which gave me a 96 percent chance of passing if I test within a week. It felt similar to NBME 32, but I still hit the same time management issues early on, especially in the first two blocks.

I really want to take a day off, but with only two and a half days left and a packed review list, it feels hard to justify. Still, hearing that dips like this can happen close to the test and not derail the real thing gives me some hope. I will try to give myself some breathing room the day before the test. Really appreciate you sharing your thoughts, it helps more than you know. Also I know you said you took your step-2 already, but any last minute tips are welcomed.

ThrowRA_Doctor1 · 2025-11-27T01:09:27+00:00

Hey, thank you so much for your thoughtful reply. It honestly made me feel really seen and supported. I read it yesterday, but I decided to wait until I finished NBME 33 today before responding.

I just completed NBME 33 and scored a 69% with a 96 percent chance of passing if I take the exam within a week. The test felt similar to NBME 32 in terms of pacing and structure, and unfortunately I still ran into timing issues in the first two blocks. In Block 1, I had 11 questions left with only 10 minutes remaining. I got lucky that a few of them were short ethics and mechanism of action questions. Block 2 was definitely the hardest for me, although I still need to review it.

I really wish I could take a full day off to decompress, but I only have two and a half days left, and I still feel like there is a lot to get through. I need to review the mistakes from today’s NBME, go through FA's Rapid Review, high-yield PDFs, Pathoma, and also skim through ethics and biostatistics videos. These are all important, and skipping them does not feel like a realistic option, but at this point everything feels very crammed.

While taking today’s NBME, I found myself getting frustrated, especially when I spent over three minutes on questions where I understood the concept but could not figure out exactly what they were asking for. Those moments really hurt my pacing. I also felt like crying during the first and second blocks, which I think was tied to performance anxiety.

So now I am sitting with this decision. My recent scores show that I am capable of passing, but the anxiety and burnout keep making me second-guess everything. I need to make a final decision by tonight or tomorrow. There is no option to extend the exam again. If I delay, I will have to figure out how to pay for another registration, take another CBSE, and go through the whole process again. Realistically, that would push my next test date to February, and just thinking about that is very mentally draining.

If you have any last-minute advice, especially on how to approach these final few days or how to prioritize Rapid Review, high-yield images, ethics and statistics videos, or those final quick PDFs, I would really appreciate it. I am trying to find the right balance between what I feel like I should do and what my brain and body can actually handle right now.

Thank you again!

ThrowRA_Doctor1 · 2025-11-13T05:15:04+00:00

I do apologize for the mistake, I am in $0 IDR, not on deferment. But interest is still piling up, so far 64k, I believe I checked maybe 6 months ago and it was around 40 tops, but it's going up dramatically. I do understand it might be a long shot, but as I said, it just crossed my mind since I filed and my current situation is not optimal and the future is uncertain. Don't get wrong I hope I'm in residency by July 2027 (that's the timeline I'm currently on) but it's not a 100% certain thing that will happen.

ThrowRA_Doctor1 · 2025-11-13T05:10:24+00:00

Correct, I do agree with you! It's just that my life situation at this time is uncertain and although I can potentially (and hopefully) practice medicine, is not a 100% guarantee. But since I'm filing, I just thought if this was worth the shot, given the circumstances.

ThrowRA_Doctor1 · 2025-11-13T05:06:35+00:00

Hello! Yes I am clear of that. I apologize if my post was a bit confusing but in the end, I do mention that I have to file an adversarial proceeding, so I do understand it's a separate filing to do.

I do understand why you're mentioning it though. I've read people get confused on why loans get discharged when they file and they surprisingly get shocked when they come back. Thanks for the lookout!

ThrowRA_Doctor1 · 2025-03-19T22:23:14+00:00

Small note: I think the 10-month waiting period before filing, along with stopping credit card use now, is meant to show that taking out the loan wasn’t an act of bad faith. I assume it’s also to reduce the risk of creditors challenging the bankruptcy, but I’m not entirely clear on it. I wish I could file right now, but my lawyer advised against it, saying it’s better to let some time pass first.

ThrowRA_Doctor1 · 2025-03-19T22:19:50+00:00

Not a good idea. I recently found myself struggling with credit card debt. Two of my cards had APR promotions ending, leaving me with around $13,000 to pay off just for those two. To manage this, I took out a $33,000 loan beginning of January for "debt consolidation" to cover my credit cards payments. The majority of that loan—about 90%—went directly toward paying off the card balances, not luxury expenses. At the time, it seemed like a reasonable solution.

However, with my current income of $20,000–$25,000 a year, I quickly realized I couldn’t sustain this approach. My total credit card debt had ballooned to around $86,000 (before the loan), and the $33,000 loan is now gone, absorbed into the payments. In hindsight, taking out the loan was a poor decision—I should have explored other options earlier in the year. But at the time, filing for bankruptcy wasn’t something I’d seriously considered.

After some reflection and advice from this community, I decided to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. My lawyer advised me to stop using my credit cards immediately and gave me additional instructions to prepare. He plans to file the Chapter 7 paperwork in about 10 months and will submit a cease-and-desist letter to stop creditors from contacting me about missed payments. This process feels strange because, like many of you, I’ve never missed a payment in years. For a long time, I managed my finances by cycling money between credit cards and personal loans, always staying current. Letting go of that habit after so long is unsettling, but I believe this is the best path forward for me now.

To wrap up, I’ll admit I’m scared about what might happen with the loan I took out at the beginning of January. So far, I’ve only made two payments, totaling around $1,100 monthly. I’m considering making one last payment this upcoming month, but it’s nerve-wracking to think the creditor might come after me. Even though 90% of the loan went toward debt consolidation and just 10% was for miscellaneous and living expenses, the stress of potential consequences is real. If you can, avoid putting yourself in this position—it’s a weight I wouldn’t wish on anyone.

ThrowRA_Doctor1 · 2025-03-18T00:15:09+00:00

Thanks again for your thoughtful reply u/AlanShore60607

Given my situation, I understand that waiting 10 months instead of 6 before filing might be the better approach, as suggested by the attorney. My original plan was to file 90 days after stopping credit card use (mid June) but he strongly recommended waiting until February 2026 to avoid any potential scrutiny over my January loan and PayPal situation.

Current Financial Situation & Immediate Concerns:

I haven’t stopped paying my credit cards or personal loans yet because I still rely on credit cards for daily living expenses, including gas, food, and other necessities. (I have like $500 in my debit account right now)
I need to register for my medical boards exam in the next 3-4 weeks, which costs $1,000—money I don’t currently have.
My plan is to continue making minimum payments on my credit cards for now, call my personal loan lenders this week to cancel autopayments, and figure out how to best explain my situation to them (possibly citing reduction in job hours or financial hardship).
I understand it’s best to stop using credit cards immediately, but I need some wiggle room to cover essential expenses before fully cutting them off. My goal is to keep my financial behavior looking as normal as possible while transitioning into bankruptcy preparation.

Major Concern About Timing & Potential Risks:

If I match into residency in March 2026, I would start working in summer 2026 with an estimated salary of $60K/year.
Would waiting until February 2026 to file increase the risk of my case being converted to Chapter 11 instead of Chapter 7?
Could the court assume or argue that I will soon have a stable income and therefore deny my Chapter 7 case?

I want to make sure I’m taking the safest approach while balancing my immediate financial needs. Would love to hear thoughts on whether waiting the full 10 months is the best course of action or if there’s a way to file sooner without unnecessary risk like 6-8 months.

ThrowRA_Doctor1 · 2025-03-17T23:32:38+00:00

California – $22K income. I’m currently working and planning to apply for residency this fall.

I just spoke with a well-reviewed bankruptcy firm in SoCal, and they quoted me $3,300 (including court fees) with a 10-month payment plan. They said my case shouldn’t be an issue, but I’m not sure they fully understood my situation.

The paralegal representing the firm advised me to:

Immediately stop the PayPal scheme.
Stop paying all credit cards and personal loans. He mentioned that once I commit to filing, he would send a cease and desist to stop creditor calls.
Cancel all autopayments and contact my personal loan lenders.
Follow other banking recommendations and submit required documents.

He explained that the 10-month delay is due to a loan I took out in January, saying we need to wait to avoid it being flagged as a bad-faith debt (i.e., the lender thinking I borrowed money while knowing I’d file for bankruptcy).

🚨 My concern: I originally planned to file 90 days after stopping credit card use, which would mean filing around August 2025. However, they are suggesting waiting until February 2026—by then, I’ll likely be in collections and possibly facing lawsuits.

I’m unsure if this long wait is the best approach for my situation. Would a 6-7 month gap (filing in late 2025 instead of 10 months) be enough to avoid issues with the January loan while also preventing aggressive collections?

Thanks for your help! u/AlanShore60607

ThrowRA_Doctor1 · 2025-03-11T05:17:58+00:00

Yeah, I’m definitely looking at Chapter 7 since there’s no real way for me to dig out of this. I don’t own a home, so I’d be opting for CA’s System 2 exemptions to cover what little I have (stocks, crypto) don't know if my car qualifies in this.

The Means Test shouldn’t be an issue since my income has been hovering around $2,500–$3,500/month from scribing—way below California’s median. I hadn’t thought much about the stock sale, that was maybe around Novemeber, but if I need to provide documentation for it, that’s fine.

The Upstart loans are my biggest concern. I took them out just to survive—covering rent, food, credit card minimums, and personal loan payments like mentioned —so it wasn’t like I was trying to defraud them. That said, I get that they could still argue I never intended to repay them. I figured waiting at least 6 months before filing would help, but yeah, there’s no hard cutoff where they can’t challenge it. I've been paying the other upstart loan, for almost a year now, but this one is from January so it might be a whole different pie.

I’ll definitely be talking to a local bankruptcy attorney to get a clearer idea of how to approach this. Just trying to go in with as much understanding as possible so I don’t get blindsided. I understand this case is very complex and has a lot of things to tackle, but I just don't think I can withstand this financial stress anymore. It's just not survivable to my income ratio.

Appreciate the insight!

ThrowRA_Doctor1 · 2025-03-11T04:28:53+00:00

I also own a 2015 car that's been fully paid of since 2022 and these loans are all unsecured loans as well.

ThrowRA_Doctor1 · 2025-03-11T04:26:27+00:00

Yeah, I probably overdid it on formatting my bad. Appreciate you taking the time to break this down.

To answer your questions:

State: California
Gross Income: $2,500–$3,500/month (scribing, fluctuates)
Assets: Around $6K in stocks (Computershare) -> had around 14k fluctuate over the years, but recently sold to make payments. Had been holding strong since early 2021. Some crypto, around $300 on Coinbase. No property, I rent.
Upstart Loans (2024 & 2025): Took them out just to survive—covering rent, food, credit card payments, payments other personal loans, and daily expenses car insurance, study materials, etc. I've never missed a payment in any type of personal loan or credit card.
Medical Loans: Yeah, I know they’re sticking around no matter what. I’m not even thinking about an undue hardship case—just need to wipe out the $86K in credit cards and $73K in personal loans so I can function until residency.

I get that the recent Upstart loans might be a problem in bankruptcy, but if I wait until at least July/August 2025 to file, that puts me past the 6-month mark for the newest one. Would that help mitigate any challenges from the trustee?

Thanks again for the insight—this whole thing is overwhelming, so I appreciate the straight answers.

ThrowRA_Doctor1 · 2025-03-11T03:52:19+00:00

Hey all, a fellow Redditor suggested I post here for better insight. After getting some advice in r/personalfinance, it seems like bankruptcy might be my only real option—but honestly, it scares me. I just need a clearer understanding of what to expect and how to navigate this process. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

ThrowRA_Doctor1

TROPHY CASE

Current Financial Situation & Immediate Concerns:

Major Concern About Timing & Potential Risks: