Hey Italianstalion,
Do I have a story for you...
I am a path resident. Maybe we can help each other. My life is currently in shambles because of the COMLEX LEVEL 3. I had no trouble with comlex steps 1,2, and PE.
My scores for those respective tests:
Step 1: 473/78 (I was the last class to take the 16hr written version. Overall, I thought it was a terribly written test IMOP... but I passed, and I only studied about 3-4 weeks.)
Step 2: 439/78 (I was the first class to take the computerized version. Overall, I thought it was actually more poorly written than step one... then again, it was so much more "clinical" I think some of my trouble was the subjective nature of the protocol based clinical medicine which seemed to reward sheep, and punished thinkers. On this test, I actually studied longer... on the order of like 6-8 weeks and I did about 400 USMLE world questions)
Step 2 PE: Passed (no trouble.... other than having my GPS stolen in Phili-)
Step 3 x1: 234/70 (I fell for the proverbial "2 months, 2 weeks, 2 pencils" mantra) I completely underestimated/did not respect the test. I studied some crush, First-Aid, and about 300 Combank Questions before completely bombing it. I had some serious financial and personal issues the first year of residency and probably didn't take the test soon enough. But, nonetheless I still underestimated it.
Step 3 x2: 339/74 (I studied my a-- off for like 2 months. I completely rearranged my scheduled, put myself in a compromised situation at work/residency, and went into that test with a mind to spank it. I did Crush, First-Aid, Combank, Secrets, Savarsee, and Simmon's. I walked away thinking that I definitely passed, but certainly didn't spank it. I was certain that I was at least in the 60th percentile... but most def. passed. Wrong!
Step 3 x3: 307/73 (This time I really hit it hard... again for about 1.5-2 months. I studied USMLE world, and I did ALL 2,320 questions with a detailed review of ALL the questions I missed, and the ones I got right. I wrote a 60 page notebook front and back with high yield tid-bits. I was averaging about 62% on all questions. I also covered Simmon's and Savarsee in detail. I took the COMLEX LEVEL 3 in February 2010, and was the first of the "new batch" of test takers with the new raised standard. I walked away feeling terrible about the test. It seemed so hard. So random. I knew I had failed. I never expected to have so many random questions about concussions (WTF, nobody agrees about how to handle concussions), the same for PSA values (WTF, again! nobody agrees about when to biopsy which value...)
Step 3 x4: 343/74 (This time I got help. I got PremierReview and did exactly as instructed. I watched 93 hours of online video while taking detailed notes. I then went over those notes at least 3 full times.. the first time being very slow and taking almost 10 days. The next two times went faster. I also did Savarsee, and Simmons until I was blue in the face. It took me another 2 months to get through all of this. Again, I rescheduled my whole life in residency... putting me yet farther behind in my pathology studies. I took the test on June 24th and walked away with two thoughts:
1.) It is impossible to study for approximately 20% of that test because it is just so simply random... "sunblock on a 6 month old, vs. sunblock on a 6 year old; and some lady with a positive needle core biopsy and when to tell her modified radical, vs. conservative lumpectomy, vs. talk to her husband more and then come back???
2.) The other 80% of the test I felt that I destroyed. It was like the people from PremierReview were the writers... I had no doubt that I passed. I actually thought I would see a score around the neighborhood of 7-800... Again, I was wrong!
My life is destroyed. NBOME says it takes about 67-70% correct to pass. Dr. -- (who does the magical math that somehow takes 5 weeks) says that he cannot disclose any info... but that I am less than 5 questions away from passing. He tells me to study the "Performance Profile" that they send out. To me that thing as about as useful as a punch in the face.
Someone suggested that perhaps repeat test takers are graded against a cohort of repeat test takers? If this is true, than that would explain a lot.
So hopefully italianstalion; you won't have my experience ... because let me tell ya, NOBODY will understand.
<sigh> I'm currently considering the PASS program now... but really don't think at this point that my fund of knowledge is the issue. Seems to be the management section that keeps staying in the borderline zone, while the other categories continue to climb.
