PASS ProgramReviews of pass-program.com

If I could I would not even give this program a 1 one star. I have matched into a good residency program but I can tell you 100% that it was not because of the pass program. I came to the program with the expectation that I would be supported by individuals who have taken the step or atleast passed it but no. Most of the instructors are still taking step 1 or have failed it multiple times ( nothing wrong with that) themselves so you could pretty much just gather your classmates or study buddies and do this by yourself instead of paying for “seminars”. The lectures themselves are pointless. They try to teach you “patterns” and a “different way to approach the step” but it’s medicine you need to know the concepts and some things u just need to memorize. Kaplan and Falcon atleast teach you the facts! Pass program spends the first day just congratulating themselves for coming up with some non-sense technique. They give you opportunities to do questions with staff but there is nothing you can learn from that since the explanations are given by UWorld and you just read them over with him!! DO NOT TAke this course! Take any other course or study at home. I get these review program are out to make money but atleast programs like Kaplan etc have qualified instructors unlike this program. Spend ur hard earned money somewhere else. I’m grateful to god I matched and all the people/ resources who helped me get there but definitely not this program! Do your research or even visit the site before paying up I wish I had! All the best guys !

If not for pass program, I would not have made it through medical school and I wouldn't have become the emergency physician that I am today! Pass program didn't just teach medical knowledge, it gave me encouragement, a passion for my career and purpose. I also made lifelong friends from the program. Dr. Francis is a wonderful teacher. I communicate with him to this day, 10 years later.If you want to pass your exams, I'm sure most of the programs out there are adequate. If you want to have a life-changing experience go to the PASS Program. THanks Dr. Francis!

The PASS program was imperative for my success with the USMLE Step 3 Exam. Upon Graduation 4 yrs ago, this was a necessary and much needed boost. Dr Francis was encouraging, warm and did not judge. His focus was my success. He worked with me on my weaknesses; I've become a great test-taker by utilizing his strategies. He refocused and rearranged and made a lot of medical concepts, and simplified them. I am so grateful for the Pass program. My only regret is not knowing about it sooner for my previous exams. Although it was a sacrifice, because I had to be away from my Husband and infant child, it was a worthwhile investment toward my future. Thanks Dr Francis

Amazing program and USMLE Step prep experience. I was a student at the PASS Program for both Step 1 and Step 2. When I first came to the program this year for Step 2, my initial diagnostic score was much lower than I liked, just barely borderline passing. At the end of the program, my practice scores were 20 points above my diagnostic and 2 weeks after finishing the PASS Program, my real USMLE Step 2 score was above my dream goal of scoring above 230+!! It was a long journey to get to where I am now, but the education from the PASS Program got me where I needed to go in life, and I am forever grateful for being empowered. Dr. Francis goes above and beyond for his students. He not only teaches the most essential concepts needed to pass your boards, but also inspires students with the breadth of knowledge from his own experience as a physician. If you go to the PASS Program, you will not only do great on your exam, but also become a better doctor for it. If you are struggling on your exams, please do yourself a favor. Get the help you need, and go to the PASS Program!

Let me start by saying this program is not average. It has high highs, but low lows... which results in an "average" rating, but one should not expect an average experience. The pros: The Pass Program team, led by Dr. Francis, has done the work to pull out the patterns and organize information in their lectures and printed material in a way that builds use associations and helps trainees retain and utilize the information. Typical medical school instruction relays an insane amount of information, of varying importance and relevance, and expects the trainee to sort through it and create the associations that matter (which often doesn't happen). Pass Program participants can expect to LEARN without such a heavy reliance on route memorization of facts. There is still a need to memorize, but understanding, synthesis and application are the foundation of the Pass learning process. Other pros are the herd effect you get by participation in the in-person program, which means you can share the energy of the team during preparation (as opposed to being independently responsible for your own pacing and motivation when preparing alone). This is of huge benefit for a number of reasons. Finally, the tutoring sessions, morning questions and other supplemental offerings can be helpful, though they are much more dependent upon who is providing the resource at the time. Overall, the pass rate for Pass Program participants in greater than 90%. For a program that takes students from all over the world and medical schools of various levels of sophistication and quality, this is an outstanding statistic. The CONS are significant and are what hold this program back from being a much more nationally recognized and respected brand. Generally, the cons are related to a lack of professionalism. Dr. Francis is incredibly knowledgable but can be surprisingly informal (bordering on immature), especially during lectures. There is an excessive focus on sex and sex-related discussions that is humorous at first, but quickly becomes add, and then disturbing and distracting at best. Rhetoric about the social roles of men and women, especially in romantic context, cause the classroom to feel more like a locker room than a professional environment. Mix this with a very clear imbalance in power (students are especially vulnerable - many have failed exams and are desperate for support with exam passing and securing a residency) and you have a number of students who are uncomfortable, but too afraid of the repercussions to speak up. Tutoring can be hit or miss. Some tutors have passed all exams, while others are still studying - while also tutoring you. Overall, this is not a horrible aspect of the program. Occasionally, however, one might get a tutor that is only moderately knowledgeable about the areas of your inquiry... some may admit it, while others may knowingly share what they think (but do not know). Still others are misinformed, but not experienced enough to realize it. The materials need professional editing. Period. There are errors throughout the text, some glaring, some just errors in consistency and organization, that bring the professionalism of the course down significantly. Because the program is geared towards those with much less expertise, and because the core content is so strong, the materials can "pass," if you will. But, put in front individuals who are more sophisticated in the topics, the concepts may be impressive, but the delivery is mediocre at best. Finally, the interpersonal dynamics can be disappointing. As has been shared in other reviews, the intimacy between Dr. Francis and the group (because of discussion topics and time spent one-on-one) and that he might have with specific students (because of the length of time they spend there, or because they are repeat program participants, or even because they invest a great amount of time building their relationships with Dr. Francis) can be alienating for some. Yes, there are obvious favorites, which is much more related to a lack of a professional distance. Dr. Francis gets a lot of gratification in the work he does, but also shows very clearly that working with some students is more gratifying than with others. The establishment of in-groups and out-groups is never a good thing, but intentionally or unintentionally, they do exist in this program and can leave some students unseen. This translates to classroom engagement as well - there are certain names all students recognize because they are called upon with such frequency, then there are others who you might rarely hear. Ideally, the program leader would exercise extreme caution to provide equal value and engagement to every student, given the program is a commercial prep course, not an academic institution where students are accepted or even evaluated based on merit. Overall, I would recommend this program to those who need to a clearly defined program to prepare for any level of the Board exam, and would say it is worth the financial investment, despite the cons (which are serious cons). No one should be subject to inappropriate conversations or discussions that border on (or step into) the harassment zone, but perhaps this is par for the course in medical education and training. I do hope that Pass Program, and its leader, will step it up a notch so that it and he might receive the respect and admiration the core program deserves.

Am pleased with the information covered. Dr. Francis paints a picture of the process that makes it so vivid, it sinks in permanent memory. I wish I had discovered The PASS Program prior to starting medical school. I will recommend it to students in their first semester of medical school to help organize knowledge. Thanks Dr. Francis for sharing what Dr. Shaw taught you.

Not what they say they are. There was zero interaction after the initial (I paid for the online course). The lectures are mediocre at best and all I can say is stick to Kaplan or some more trustable courses. There is no magic pill for USMLE, just work hard and study all the topics. This was a waste of money.

I came to the pass program after being out of school for 4 years. The structure the program provided enabled me to pass my Step2CK. The tutors were excellent!!!!! . Please book as many tutoring sessions as you need. The 1-one-1 tutoring is where i learnt the most and also during morning questions where Dr. Francis breaks down each question in depth. I will recommend pass program to anyone!