Failed COMLEX. Passed USMLE

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rockscrubs

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So, I failed my COMLEX barely, but got a 250+ USMLE...I don't get it. Took my USMLE first and then took the COMLEX a few days later. My COMLEX was nothing like combank or the one comsae (B) that I took. I felt like I failed the exam after I took it and was semi-reassured that a lot of people feel that way. I have to obviously retake my COMLEX ASAP, but I'm not sure what DO surgical residencies will think...I was interested in rads, ortho and ENT and since I'm an average student, I was hoping my board scores would validate me.
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That seems really strange - did you study mainly for the USMLE and just find yourself at a loss with the poor wording on COMLEX?

How did your score compare to the COMSAE score?

I'm honestly not sure what programs will think, but your USMLE score is really good, so I would think that even the DO programs would look at that and agree that something weird happened with the COMLEX.

Good luck!
 
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sorry, but somehow i can't help believe this is a joke. you obviously knew the material well enough, even if you didn't study OMM, you still should've passed...
 
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rockscrubs said:
So, I failed my COMLEX barely, but got a 250+ USMLE...I don't get it. Took my USMLE first and then took the COMLEX a few days later. My COMLEX was nothing like combank or the one comsae (B) that I took. I felt like I failed the exam after I took it and was semi-reassured that a lot of people feel that way. I have to obviously retake my COMLEX ASAP, but I'm not sure what DO surgical residencies will think...I was interested in rads, ortho and ENT and since I'm an average student, I was hoping my board scores would validate me.
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Why do you care what the DO residencies care? with a 250 (or a 250+) you're above the mean for *every* residency out there among US MD students. You can apply to ACGME plastics and have a decent chance of getting in. :laugh:

not sure if troll or not, but still solid advice all around.
 
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I swear I'm not a troll. Situation blows, I know. Just was looking for some advice....didn't want anyone at my school to know my situation...med school "board failure" smack talking is pretty viscious
 
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rockscrubs said:
I swear I'm not a troll. Situation blows, I know. Just was looking for some advice....didn't want anyone at my school to know my situation...med school "board failure" smack talking is pretty viscious
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see previous comment by me. Stop trying to troll and/or be happy with the blessing you got on the USMLE as you "shame" yourself all the way to an ENT residency.
 
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I'm actually in the same situation so it's not that crazy. When applying to allopathic residencies will I even have to report my COMLEX score?
 
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rockscrubs said:
I swear I'm not a troll. Situation blows, I know. Just was looking for some advice....didn't want anyone at my school to know my situation...med school "board failure" smack talking is pretty viscious
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Does it blow? I don't think being pigeonholed into allopathic residencies would hurt you that much, unless there's a strong pre-interview bias among PDs for DO students (a la IMG's)
 
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This is very strange, COMLEX is easier to get high score than USMLE. If you got 250+ on usmle you are more than prepared. I would just read OMT review and take the exam as soon as possible, probably you just passed out during your first attempt. Honestly, I would not consider Rads, ortho or ENT with failing attempt, anything can happen, but have a realistic back up.
 
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in the time between my USMLE and COMLEX, I was struggling with issues pertaining to my father's health. Not trying to use that as an excuse, but more of a potential reason for what happened. Some might say I'm using that as an excuse, but whatever. I'm ridiculously close to my family and was really far away from them at the time. It sucks, but all is well now. I'm taking the COMLEX in about two weeks. I hope residency programs don't view me as emotionally weak and hope I can redeem myself with a decent score the 2nd time around. There were times during the exam that I would kinda drift off and think of what was going on with my family and then would go back into exam mode. Additionally, I have yet to really learn what I like whether it be ortho or IM and etc, but I'm still grateful for my health, family and the fact that I'm a US med student...a COMLEX failure is nothin compared to the things some people have to deal with.
 
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hey man,

sorry to hear that. seems like you had a legit reason. i wish you the best and hope you rock the comlex the 2nd time around.
 
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Wow KillaKane.......I barely post but just had to say something...way to go with that empathy. I am sure you're going to make a GREAT doctor.
 
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btw the only reason i said screw your dad is because this is an obvious troll. Trolling the troll, although goes against the internet ethics committee, is the only way to successful cage one.

1st post guy acing the USMLE but failing comlex when they have the same material = not probable/possible.
 
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agreed especially when you are talking about scoring in the 98% percentile on USMLE....and scoring bottom percentile on complex.

get a 200 on usmle and fail complex...possible....a 250+ ya right...


also if you got a 250+ why dont u just write your score??
 
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Trolling on the first post was a rookie error. I'm just luring people into a false sense of security with my 16 posts so nobody suspects a thing when I unleash the mother of all trolls.
 
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On the subject of COMLEX, may I ask why one would sit both the USMLE and COMLEX.

I'm from Ireland, and was surprised to see how widespread Osteopathic Medicine is in the US. I just read on the Wikipedia page that Osteopaths are licensed to function as Physicians and Surgeons.

This may seem controversial, but surely an Osteopathic Medicine degree is not as competitive/ doesn't hold the same value as a medical degree? Are there institutions that will only accept one or the other? Is entry into Osteopathic Med as competitive as Medicine? (surely not!)

Excuse my ignorance, and thanks in advance.
 
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Syncity said:
On the subject of COMLEX, may I ask why one would sit both the USMLE and COMLEX.

I'm from Ireland, and was surprised to see how widespread Osteopathic Medicine is in the US. I just read on the Wikipedia page that Osteopaths are licensed to function as Physicians and Surgeons.

This may seem controversial, but surely an Osteopathic Medicine degree is not as competitive/ doesn't hold the same value as a medical degree? Are there institutions that will only accept one or the other? Is entry into Osteopathic Med as competitive as Medicine? (surely not!)

Excuse my ignorance, and thanks in advance.
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and here we go...:corny:
 
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Syncity said:
On the subject of COMLEX, may I ask why one would sit both the USMLE and COMLEX.

I'm from Ireland, and was surprised to see how widespread Osteopathic Medicine is in the US. I just read on the Wikipedia page that Osteopaths are licensed to function as Physicians and Surgeons.

This may seem controversial, but surely an Osteopathic Medicine degree is not as competitive/ doesn't hold the same value as a medical degree? Are there institutions that will only accept one or the other? Is entry into Osteopathic Med as competitive as Medicine? (surely not!)

Excuse my ignorance, and thanks in advance.
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I'm not going to excuse your ignorance--I'm a DO student. Just to let you know about us: we practice witchcraft...we practice vodoo on our patients, which has been scientifically proven to lessen headaches, and we still do bloodletting from the 18th century. :sleep:

Come on...I'm not going to feed the troll, but if you really don't know...DOs from the United States are not the same DOs of European countries. We actually practice evidence-based medicine, perform surgeries, prescribe medications, and yell at nurses just like MDs do... :D (joke). The top two academic pathologists in the country teach at osteopathic schools (I'm sure I'll start an argument here). Pathology is the core foundation of MEDICINE, so no, DOs don't meet the equivalent of MDs...:laugh: (sarcasm)
 
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neuromaniac said:
I'm not going to excuse your ignorance--I'm a DO student. Just to let you know about us: we practice witchcraft...we practice vodoo on our patients, which has been scientifically proven to lessen headaches, and we still do bloodletting from the 18th century. :sleep:

Come on...I'm not going to feed the troll, but if you really don't know...DOs from the United States are not the same DOs of European countries. We actually practice evidence-based medicine, perform surgeries, prescribe medications, and yell at nurses just like MDs do... :D (joke). The top two academic pathologists in the country teach at osteopathic schools (I'm sure I'll start an argument here). Pathology is the core foundation of MEDICINE, so no, DOs don't meet the equivalent of MDs...:laugh: (sarcasm)
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I would destroy the COMLEX. All I'd have to do is answer 'not known' for MOA questions or 'insufficient funding to elucidate clearly' and 'it's good for you' for therapeutic benefits questions. This would serve me well for questions on Kombucha.

I was just aggravating a response, as I alluded to in the post above that. I was genuinely surprised when I started using this forum to see that Osteopathic students were so informed of the basic sciences that they could compete with medical students in terms of their USMLE scores. Osteopathic Medicine is still regarded as somewhat of a pseudoscience over here.
 
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Syncity said:
I would destroy the COMLEX. All I'd have to do is answer 'not known' for MOA questions or 'insufficient funding to elucidate clearly' and 'it's good for you' for therapeutic benefits questions. This would serve me well for questions on Kombucha.

I was just aggravating a response, as I alluded to in the post above that. I was genuinely surprised when I started using this forum to see that Osteopathic students were so informed of the basic sciences that they could compete with medical students in terms of their USMLE scores. Osteopathic Medicine is still regarded as somewhat of a pseudoscience over here.
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Now, getting into a more adult-like discussion (instead of being arrogant and saying you'll destroy standardized exams that people have failed before) you're surprised because we're medical students too. The majority of people have no idea what a DO is, and anyone who goes into DO school gets bitter by this. Some will say that they are not bitter but we all feel it. I, and most others, get pissed off at this lack of understanding about DOs that that makes me (and some others) work even harder to be the best physician I (we) can be. I'm glad you came to the realization that we practice witchcraft. Opps, I meant medicine. . .
 
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neuromaniac said:
Now, getting into a more adult-like discussion (instead of being arrogant and saying you'll destroy standardized exams that people have failed before) you're surprised because we're medical students too. The majority of people have no idea what a DO is, and anyone who goes into DO school gets bitter by this. Some will say that they are not bitter but we all feel it. I, and most others, get pissed off at this lack of understanding about DOs that that makes me (and some others) work even harder to be the best physician I (we) can be. I'm glad you came to the realization that we practice witchcraft. Opps, I meant medicine. . .
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I had a conversation with a very pleasant DO student over PM who actually cleared up a lot of misconceptions I may have had about DO students. For one, she explained that DO students are not necessarily Osteopathy students.

Having read a little bit more about the DO program, it looks varied and well balanced. What I didn't expect was the enormous red alert at the mention of the topic. It's not just me - ask any Irish medical student what a DO is, and they will not be able to tell you. Over here, as I've said, Osteopathy is a pseudoscience and the people who practice it are clueless as to the basic sciences. There are no college courses that teach a program similar to the DO program, so this is not surprising. Rather than proving the merits of their treatments using research or scientific evidence, they'll refer to isolated cases where the treatment worked.

Obviously, I was joking with my COMLEX comment, and it wasn't intended to be taken seriously. The main reason I asked was because I was curious (although I knew the way I had written it would provoke a response). The nature of this thread would be the equivalent me posting on a forum and asking about racial tensions in Harlem and a black person taking offense because the thing is foreign to me and I neither knew nor presumed.

OK, I don't have time to go back over this post for any potential sources of offense, so if any offense was taken by any DO students, it was not intended.
 
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I thought you were jabbing at DOs and I wouldn't appreciate that if that were the case. I'm glad you apologized and I am sorry, too. And, yes, DOs in the U.S. are very different than any other DOs. In fact, DO medical schools cover Anatomy, Physiology, Immunology, Microbiology, Behavioral Science, Epidemiology, Neuroanatomy, Pathology, Pharmacology, Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, Multicultural Health, Clinical Skills, Clinical Problem Solving, and Biochemistry. These courses are comparable to MD granting schools. I listed courses not to be a jack ass but to show you the merits of DO schools. Prince Edward Islands, France, Norway, S. Africa, and Zimbabwe do not allow DOs access to healthcare (but some of these specific countries will allow OMM). Those are the only countries I know of that won't give DOs full practice rights.
 
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Huh. How does that work for residencies? Do many of them see the comlex as well, even if they are an MD heavy residency?
 
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isoquin said:
Huh. How does that work for residencies? Do many of them see the comlex as well, even if they are an MD heavy residency?
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you have the option to release both comlex and usmle scores, or just usmle, to residency programs. There are ACGME MD programs and AOA DO only programs out there. Typically, Students release both scores, but MD programs only really care for the USMLE if you've taken it. I did poorly on the comlex and well on the usmle so i will likely only release my usmle scores to programs.
 
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I've asked a lot of programs across the country about comlex scores and the majority is that they want a 600 or greater. Most MD residencies want the usmle but there are a lot now that will take just the comlex which is cool
 
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noob1 said:
you have the option to release both comlex and usmle scores, or just usmle, to residency programs. There are ACGME MD programs and AOA DO only programs out there. Typically, Students release both scores, but MD programs only really care for the USMLE if you've taken it. I did poorly on the comlex and well on the usmle so i will likely only release my usmle scores to programs.
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Are you sure you can choose just to release the usmle and withhold your comlex score when applying to acgme programs? Thanks

Anyway, the USMLE and comlex are not the same exam. I know three people who scored 240+ on the usmle and average or below average on the comlex (505-480), and I know one kid who got over a 700 but a 210-215 on the usmle.
 
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Comlex and Usmle are two completely different tests and time should be spent on both. I took the comlex in june after comsae A/B score of 480s, no combank, no comquest. One day worth of OMM review. Then took the usmle a month later. Final results: comlex 418, usmle 240.

Lesson of the day: I learn that comlex requires some time too. I was fortunate to pass, but should have done a question bank. I took the comlex to get it out of the way and only did so because of the okay comsae score I got. Failing comlex and killing usmle can happen
 
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As a DO student in Harlem, I'll be happy to answer any further questions you have about the osteopathic medical degree or racial tensions in Harlem. feel free to PM me.
 
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rockscrubs said:
So, I failed my COMLEX barely, but got a 250+ USMLE...I don't get it. Took my USMLE first and then took the COMLEX a few days later. My COMLEX was nothing like combank or the one comsae (B) that I took. I felt like I failed the exam after I took it and was semi-reassured that a lot of people feel that way. I have to obviously retake my COMLEX ASAP, but I'm not sure what DO surgical residencies will think...I was interested in rads, ortho and ENT and since I'm an average student, I was hoping my board scores would validate me.
Click to expand...

Ouch...do you mind me asking how many days you took off in between the two? I am taking both in a few wks, and have gotten pretty decent scores on my practice USMLEs (NBME, Kaplan, UWorld etc.) but felt as though I bombed the COMSAE (was in the 'adequate' or 'acceptable' zone based on their printout but I just want to make sure I'm safely in the 'pass' zone by the time I get there)

Also I wonder if you got nailed on the Chapman points? I feel like even if you have a solid basic science prep you could lose a lot of questions that way and they're just straight memorization. I'm hoping a week is enough for that stuff. (again just talking from COMSAE and COMbank experience, so feel free to disregard)
 
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neuromaniac said:
I'm not going to excuse your ignorance--I'm a DO student. Just to let you know about us: we practice witchcraft...we practice vodoo on our patients, which has been scientifically proven to lessen headaches, and we still do bloodletting from the 18th century. :sleep:

Come on...I'm not going to feed the troll, but if you really don't know...DOs from the United States are not the same DOs of European countries. We actually practice evidence-based medicine, perform surgeries, prescribe medications, and yell at nurses just like MDs do... :D (joke). The top two academic pathologists in the country teach at osteopathic schools (I'm sure I'll start an argument here). Pathology is the core foundation of MEDICINE, so no, DOs don't meet the equivalent of MDs...:laugh: (sarcasm)
Click to expand...

I know Goljan teaches at the Osteopathic school in Oklahoma but whos the 2nd academic pathologist you speak of? just curious
 
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rockscrubs said:
So, I failed my COMLEX barely ... I'm not sure what DO surgical residencies will think...I was interested in rads, ortho and ENT and since I'm an average student, I was hoping my board scores would validate me.
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See http://data.aacom.org/media/DO_GME_match_2011.pdf charts 11 and 12 for scores (noting those below 400) based upon specialty. Then go to each respective specialty page and see "Percent passing on 1st attempt.' There is also a match report for 2009 you can check out.

Analyze your score report to the best of your abilities. Meet with your dean for a discussion on how to analyze it, because the way the NBOME categorizes the questions is rather confusing.
 
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