Applying for MD residency with only COMLEX scores?

[imari]

Hi Everyone,

I'm currently a 1st year in a DO program, and while it's still pretty early to make any final decisions, I'm hoping to do an MD psychiatry residency on the west coast. I'm trying to find information about which residency programs will accept COMLEX scores in lieu of USMLE. I'm hesitant to ask anyone at my school, since some of the faculty are less receptive to the idea of DOs doing MD residencies than others. I tried to find some information while doing searches on FREIDA, but didn't really find anything in the few programs I looked at.

I know there are some DO psych residents out there, any advice?

Thanks in advance!

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[jay dub]

Your best shot is to call programs of interest directly and ask. I'm a DO and this is what I did when I started looking into programs and applying. Many program coordinators can answer a simple yes or no with regard to whether COMLEX is accepted. If the coordinator seems uncertain or isn't clear on what you are asking (which can be a sign that they don't get many DO applicants or they are new to the job, etc., etc.), you can often shoot a quick e-mail to the program director as needed. For what it's worth, I didn't take USMLE. I got interviews pretty much wherever I wanted them with just the COMLEX (granted, I self-selected only programs that I already knew accepted COMLEX).

Good luck (and give yourself some time - don't spend too much time preparing for the match in your first year of med school. You've got lots of time and you may change your mind by your fourth year! )!

 

[imari]

This is great advice, thanks so much! The only reason I've even though about it this early on is because my school pushes us to focus on boards from day one, so I wanted to get a sense if taking the USMLE was necessary.

 

[flumazenil]

i am in the allopathic route (M3) ...but i would highly recommend you take the USMLE..since you stated you are a 1st year you have plenty of time to do well in classes and prepare. All my friends that took the usmle ( who are in DO school) said it was the best thing they did ( the ones that passed anyways)

cheers

 

[kirbyross]

i am in the allopathic route (M3) ...but i would highly recommend you take the USMLE..since you stated you are a 1st year you have plenty of time to do well in classes and prepare. All my friends that took the usmle ( who are in DO school) said it was the best thing they did ( the ones that passed anyways)

cheers

It really depends on what residency you're looking for.

One would think, 'it can't hurt'. But if you're a borderline student, it may hurt or help. If you do poorly on USMLE and well on COMLEX, MD schools are going to want both scores and will probably favor your USMLE score. You have to report every test you take.

Conversely, USMLE good and COMLEX bad, you've got the upper hand.

COMLEX bad, NO USMLE, you're down on your luck
COMLEX good, NO USMLE, it's that 'gray area' that will get you MD interviews (maybe not ALL your top 15 choices, but enough that you'd feel comfortable spending 4-5 years of a residency at)

Plus, it's the hassle of another test...and 600 bucks (not that 600 bucks means that much when you're over 200,000 in debt with school anyways)

Good luck!

 

[notdeadyet]

Good luck!

Probably no need. This thread's 3-1/2 years old, so everyone involved is either a resident by now or possibly an attending...

 

[kirbyross]

Probably no need. This thread's 3-1/2 years old, so everyone involved is either a resident by now or possibly an attending...

Thanks for reading my input. It's always nice to know someone else is following this 3-1/2 year thread, too!