Should I take level 3 before internship year?

[83462]

My question is... which position is preferable (1) Taking the exam w/ relatively lots of time to spare and do practice questions BEFORE RESIDENCY STARTS OR (2) Take it after your first year of residency (with all that knowledge gained but no time to study. Which is preferable?

Regarding the question on whether you can actually meet the technical requirements to take it (which is not my question)... Please see below:

According to the COMLEX-US BULETON OF INFORMATION published July 1, 2014 these are the following requirements to take the COMLEX Level 3:

1. Passed the COMLEX-USA Level 1, COMLEX-USA Level 2-CE and COMLEX-USA Level 2-PE
examinations as determined by the NBOME; and
2. Graduated from an osteopathic medical school accredited by the American Osteopathic
Association’s Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (AOA COCA) with an earned
D.O. degree of which the NBOME has received confirmation from the Office of the Dean of
the candidate’s college/school of matriculation or a verified copy of his or her diploma from
an accredited osteopathic medical school.​

Now, how long does it take for your school to confirm graduation? According to the NBOME... (Phone call this morning) this event can occur instantaneously. All the school needs to do is log in and mark that you have graduated. Then you need to register to take your exam 5 days before actually taking it. So, you can finish the exam before starting residency. (Most forums have debated this back and forth - I have answered this question to my satisfaction)

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[Trogghunter]

Do NOT take it before you start. This has been discussed before. Internship is hard but you'll learn so much that you won't even have to study.

 

[83462]

I seem to be getting conflicting info. Seems like there are two camps on this topic.

Thanks Trogghunter for your input. Have you taken it yet?

 

[FutureInternist]

I took both USMLE & COMLEX (Step 1 & Step 2) and COMLEX (Step 3)
If you have taken USMLE or done UWorld Qs, then you know the level of those Qs, and you also know that the COMLEX Qs fall far, far below that
The Qs are very vague, have multiple answers that any reasonable person can argue for & has the same dumb-ass OMM Qs that you will never see in Residency
Just like Step 2 (USMLE & COMLEX) I did not find that the rotations helped me that much since different doctors have different ways of treating things & the clear cut answers that the Boards wants, rarely present themselves in real life
In the same way, I don't think intern year will add anything to your knowledge base that will make Step 3 any easier...this is specially true for the COMLEX with its stupidly written Qs.
Since you have no way of predicting your schedule, you would hate to be in an MICU rotation, when you are to take Step 3
I may be going against convention here but for me Step 2 & Step 3 were fairly similar & I would have rather just pushed on through & taken both within a month of each other
Depending on your residency there will be a whole slew of things that you will NEVER see, yet will be tested on (For me (IM), it was OB-GYN, Ortho, Peds) & it sucked having to re-learn all that crap over again just for one day

Good Luck

 

[Doctor Bob]

I think it depends on the kind of residency you are going into.
If you're doing a TRI, FP, EM... fields where you go through all different areas, then no. Wait to take it. Your internship year will be useful towards the exam.
If you're doing surgical stuff, or something where you don't revisit the breadth of medicine, then no. The sooner the better.

 

[83462]

Thank you very much. It seems to me that the various opinions are secondary to individual experiences. I tend to struggle with exams so I think having the time to review questions beforehand will be to my advantage. Thanks everyone!

 

[Trogghunter]

I think it depends on the kind of residency you are going into.
If you're doing a TRI, FP, EM... fields where you go through all different areas, then no. Wait to take it. Your internship year will be useful towards the exam.
If you're doing surgical stuff, or something where you don't revisit the breadth of medicine, then no. The sooner the better.

I agree with this. I also have not taken it bc per the acgme you have until like dec of pgy2. I can't moonlight at my program until then anyway