Because what you define as a "good enough buffer" is an unacceptably high chance of failure for me.

Medical students are, on average, more neurotic and risk-adverse. Many of us - myself included - see a 5% rate of drastically reducing our match competitiveness - as too damn high. Combine with that the fact that there are several stories on Reddit floating around of people scoring similarly high, or even more so, on practice exams - and then failing - and you've got a recipe for panic city.

I see a lot of salt towards people who score well on practice exams and yet are panicked. I do not understand the snark. Isn't my anxiety and stress still valid? Am I not too someone who is allowed to feel emotion, even if it's about a different circumstance?