6 Steps to Bounce Back from Failing the BOC Exam

The turbulence of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected us all in many different ways. Many students’ education has been impacted — affecting some more than others. The athletic training BOC exam is a practical exam to assess a student athletic trainer’s knowledge across the five domains of athletic training.

Many students prepare long and hard for this exam, but when the final verdict comes in, it reads ‘F’ for Fail. This failure is disappointing, crushing, and embarrassing. A predominant culture in healthcare is to ‘show no weakness’ or to be viewed as perfect — meaning there is no room for failure at any moment. Failure is considered something to be ashamed of. Healthcare professionals fear this is an attack on their identity, reputation, and self-perception — many find it challenging to separate who they are from their profession. As a result, mistakes, errors, and failures are stigmatized. It’s only a matter of time before those thriving in this culture show signs of burnout.

But failure is a part of life. We all must be comfortable with losing occasionally. So many students beat themselves up, ruminate, or believe they have let everyone down when they experience a failure. Failure is not the end of the world.

Athletic training students tend to be highflyers academically. For many, the BOC exam was or will be…