Usmle timing

[Dr Dazzle]

For people who took both usmle and comlex, when is the ideal time to take usmle?

Is there any benefit to just focusing on comlex by doing comlex specific prep and doing well, and then taking usmle at a later time with additional focused studying?

Is there even a need to take USMLE now, with the merging of DO and MD residencies?

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[scummie]

Dude.

Take the freaking USMLE if you plan on going ACGME and know that you are going to break at least 220. Merger or not, it will still play in your favor to take it.

Most people I know took within a few days, some the next day. USMLE first, then binge green Savarese for a few days, some OMT questions, boom COMLEX. Done. If you wait any longer between the tests your brain will spontaneously atrophy or hypertrophy to the point of explosion. Nasty clean up.

 

[SLC]

I took COMLEX first, studied for 7 days, then took USMLE.

 

[Postictal Raiden]

I took COMLEX first, studied for 7 days, then took USMLE.

How did you do? And in a retrospect, would you have done the opposite?

 

[dav86]

For people who took both usmle and comlex, when is the ideal time to take usmle?

Is there any benefit to just focusing on comlex by doing comlex specific prep and doing well, and then taking usmle at a later time with additional focused studying?

Is there even a need to take USMLE now, with the merging of DO and MD residencies?

Take USMLE if you want to go ACGME. I took the USMLE first for both step I and II. I knew I could pass both and I wanted to do well on USMLE since I was going ACGME. I don't think it matter which order to take but take them close together. The knowledge base is very similar. I would bet a good percentage of people who take a break between COMLEX and USMLE either don't end up taking USMLE or don't do as well as they could have. Just suck it up and get them both over with.

 

[Trogghunter]

What are you going into?

 

[MedicineMike]

Dude.

Take the freaking USMLE if you plan on going ACGME and know that you are going to break at least 220. Merger or not, it will still play in your favor to take it.

Most people I know took within a few days, some the next day. USMLE first, then binge green Savarese for a few days, some OMT questions, boom COMLEX. Done. If you wait any longer between the tests your brain will spontaneously atrophy or hypertrophy to the point of explosion. Nasty clean up.

This

study for the USMLE and do UWorld. Take USMLE, and then 3-5 days later take COMLEX after wanting to kill yourself by reading green book for that many days. I took COMLEX 6 or 7 days after my USMLE and I felt this was too much time. I didn't feel as fresh on real medical questions bc I only studied OMM in that time. Still did well though.

don't make the mistake of studying for comlex. Study for USMLE and you will do fine on COMLEX

 

[Postictal Raiden]

This

study for the USMLE and do UWorld. Take USMLE, and then 3-5 days later take COMLEX after wanting to kill yourself by reading green book for that many days. I took COMLEX 6 or 7 days after my USMLE and I felt this was too much time. I didn't feel as fresh on real medical questions bc I only studied OMM in that time. Still did well though.

don't make the mistake of studying for comlex. Study for USMLE and you will do fine on COMLEX

But don't you need to practice few comlex practice teststo get yourself accustomed to the style of the exam? I'm assuming that both usmle and comlex have different styles.

 

[MedicineMike]

But don't you need to practice few comlex practice teststo get yourself accustomed to the style of the exam? I'm assuming that both usmle and comlex have different styles.

Sure. So it in the few days in between! I read green book and prob did another 500 q's and a comsae in that time

 

[SLC]

How did you do? And in a retrospect, would you have done the opposite?

I did well on USMLE and on COMLEX.

In retrospect, the only thing different I would have done would be to study a bit harder earlier on for both exams. I was a late starter and I think it cost me 5-10 USMLE and perhaps 60-70 COMLEX points.

There were a couple of bonehead mistakes on the USMLE that I know I made. And one or two questions can make a huge difference in your score when you get up near the mean.

 

[Dr Dazzle]

Is Savarese book available as an e-book?

 

[scummie]

Is Savarese book available as an e-book?

Not that I know of. The official site links you to Paypal, but you can also buy through Amazon. The book is ~$40, but I can say that I have used it every year of my medical school education and it was totally worth it.

 

[Dr. Zombie]

I did well on USMLE and on COMLEX.

In retrospect, the only thing different I would have done would be to study a bit harder earlier on for both exams. I was a late starter and I think it cost me 5-10 USMLE and perhaps 60-70 COMLEX points.

There were a couple of bonehead mistakes on the USMLE that I know I made. And one or two questions can make a huge difference in your score when you get up near the mean.

How much earlier should we start?

 

[Melkor]

Like others above have said, just be sure to take them within a 3-7 days of each other. I liked (and used) the idea of studying strictly for usmle during dedicated study time, taking the usmle first and then studying only omm via savarese for the time in between. I scheduled my comlex 4 days after my usmle and for me I thought that was too long to wait but omm was significantly my weakest subject on comlex so I think I just was burnt out by that time. I didn't do any comlex specific qbanks and you don't need to in order to do well on comlex but I would recommend doing some omm specific questions especially if you haven't messed around with that stuff in the past few months.

 

[SLC]

How much earlier should we start?

After the holiday break, that's when I would start ramping things up if I were to do it all over again.

 

[Postictal Raiden]

After the holiday break, that's when I would start ramping things up if I were to do it all over again.

of first or second year?

 

[SLC]

of first or second year?

2nd year.