20% DO fail step 1?!

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Lol try taking step 1 twice, a week apart, but imagine it as two completely different styles tests. DOs have to take COMLEX. USMLE is gravy. And tbh, I'd take the USMLE any day over the comlex.

I agree. As much as I felt terrible leaving the USMLE, I felt much worse leaving the COMLEX. The outcomes overall were very similar, but the actual experiences were very different.
 
My school heavily discourages taking the USMLE, but this may have changed recently due to the merger. Even so, 60% of my school takes it, we have usually a higher or at least equivalent USMLE pass rate as COMLEX pass rate and according to the school admins, the USMLE average was in the high 220s (i.e. approximating the national US MD average).

Also, a lot of weaker students might take it for geographic reasons. There is a clear geographic prevalence of residency programs that are "USMLE only" in some regions vs. others. A lot of stronger students may similarly not take it because they knew they were applying to the competitive AOA programs only.

A lot of my classmates chose not to take it for one of 3 reasons: (1) They bought the claims of the school when it told students that 70% of ACGME residencies "accept" the COMLEX (accept maybe, but view as equivalent definitely not) or they already know they are applying only AOA, (2) They didn't want to pay and spend extra time preparing for 2 sets of exams (these people all talk about regretting their decision come the end of 3rd year), and (3) They are truly weak students that barely pass the COMLEX (<450) to begin with.

If I were to make a guess at how many would pass and what the average would be if all had to take it, I think the vast majority would still pass, maybe more like 85%-90%, and the average would still be in the 220s, but probably the lower 220s. The student population of the average DO school is not that academically different from low/no-tier US MD schools, so it wouldn't be a surprise for the averages to be similar. That said, I'm sure there would be a significant difference between the best DO schools and the worst/newest ones.
What exactly do they do our say to discourage you?

I agree with you about the regional thing. If you're in Ohio, Michigan, or Oklahoma, they have AOA programs in just about all the specialties you can imagine, and the seem to be good, solid programs.
 
What exactly do they do our say to discourage you?

I agree with you about the regional thing. If you're in Ohio, Michigan, or Oklahoma, they have AOA programs in just about all the specialties you can imagine, and the seem to be good, solid programs.

They tell us its really not necessary. They tell us that they don't teach to it, so we'll do worse than US MDs. They tell us that if we do worse it would be significantly worse for us compared to if we just take the COMLEX. They tell us that we wouldn't really want to go to a residency that wouldn't accept the COMLEX because it would mean that DOs aren't respected there. Some are not entirely unreasonable statements, but they just tell it to us so frequently.

With all that said, the funny thing is that for those who end up taking 4 weeks for dedicated study, they make us take an NBME to gauge our progress, and they make us take all NBME shelf exams during 3rd year, base a non-insignificant portion of our clinical grades on them and use a decently high cutoff for passing.
 
Wow, DOs have pass rates shockingly close to MDs these days. I'm sure the average scores are lower, but that's still impressive.
They may not be. As Ibn has alluded to, a lot of DO students don't take it. From what I know the curriculum of many schools are lacking in biochem, so I'm not surprised that students take an NBME and get discouraged.
 
Lol try taking step 1 twice, a week apart, but imagine it as two completely different styles tests. DOs have to take COMLEX. USMLE is gravy. And tbh, I'd take the USMLE any day over the comlex.
Really? I'd rather not have to spend a significant amount of time learning biochem, rather than review the green book in a day. If you prepare for the USMLE, you'll be prepared for the COMLEX.
 
They may not be. As Ibn has alluded to, a lot of DO students don't take it. From what I know the curriculum of many schools are lacking in biochem, so I'm not surprised that students take an NBME and get discouraged.
That's probably why we do okay- we've got a really solid biochem curriculum. But yeah, numerically, I'd be surprised if more than 70% of DOs took the USMLE.
 
That's probably why we do okay- we've got a really solid biochem curriculum. But yeah, numerically, I'd be surprised if more than 70% of DOs took the USMLE.


I'm not sure my school skips on any biochem tbh.
 
I'm surprised to hear that schools 'don't teach toward USMLE.' The USMLE covers topics that all second year medical students should know. That being said, the exam has become more robust over the years and now digs into the weeds on some topics, but for a school to make that kind of remark seems like a red flag. Furthermore, the COMLEX is so poorly written and as it focuses on topics that have yet to be proven by conventional research, I find it discouraging to think that a medical school spends two years teaching students and somehow does not prepare students to take Step 1.

At my school, it is highly encouraged to take both exams. It was specifically mentioned that only those students with extenuating circumstances (which translated to military students) should be taking only COMLEX. With the merger upon us, why would you not take both? AOA residencies are dwindling and we'll see fewer with AOA distinction over the next couple of years. I've reached out to several AOA residencies in the specialty that I'm interested in and most have told me that they will not be seeking AOA distinction. I understand that some students know that they want a specific specialty that's not competitive and will take COMLEX only, but when it comes down to it, if you want to keep all your options open, then you should prepare to take both exams. I've talked to a few program directors that mentioned that while they accept COMLEX scores, they are much more likely to give serious consideration to comparable USMLE scores. The exam is far superior to COMLEX and it's easier to compare apples to apples.
 
kind of a side question: if you go to this site and check the STEP 2 and 3 reports, much less DO students take these tests (27 takes STEP 3...). Is it because that we don't need to take these tests to get a residency? Even if we match an MD program?

This should be pretty obvious. Beyond the fact that each exam costs $600-$1200 and that DOs must pass all levels of the COMLEX to get licensed in all 50 states but don't have to take the USMLE, another reason why you wouldn't see DOs taking a lot of Step 3's is because you have to pass each previous step before you can take it. That includes Step 2 CK and Step 2 CS ($1275). As you said, the exams aren't necessary for residency or DO licensure, but taking Step 1 opens a lot of doors in ACGME residency programs.
 
Well that's depressing.

Yeah, it really is ....

but here's the disclaimer...I don't know what adjustments/changes/fixes they put in for your class after we went through the class, but I feel that at least my class didn't get the strongest instruction/foundation for usmle.


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You may have answered your second question with your first.

http://www.aacom.org/docs/default-source/data-and-trends/2012-15-matprofilerpt.pdf?sfvrsn=8
http://www.usmle.org/performance-data/default.aspx#2015_step-1

The first link shows that there are 6,184 matriculated students in 2013 and only 3,222 students of those same students took it in 2015 (there might have been some attrition, but only a small amount). So less than half of DO students actually take the USLME step I.

The reason why school faculty recommend taking the COMLEX is for two reasons. The first is that most DO schools are geared to teach to the COMLEX and not the USMLE. The second (then again I don't believe some faculty would admit this) is that the COMLEX is easier than the USMLE. Most COMLEX questions are first and second order while USMLE questions are second and third. If DO students all took it, they would be facing slightly greater attrition rates than currently (I am going to get slammed for this, but this would definitely be true).

The pass rate is greater now because the crop of student are far better than studying than before. This change happened around 2011, when scores went from 80% to 88% (so the matriculating class of 2009). Kind of leaves one dumbfounded as to what made DO all of a sudden so competitive that 2009 year. However, I highly doubt the percentage of people taking it in 2011 was that much less than it is now.

The economy tanked and suddenly a field where just graduating basically guaranteed you a six figure salary for life is what made DO suddenly so competitive starting in 2009


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With the merger predicted to be finalized in a few years, how do you all think this statistic will change?

Will all DO students be required to take the USMLE Step 1 as a result of the collaboration between allopathic and osteopathic residencies?

I haven't read anything that would imply that DO students would have to take the USMLE. My school and classmates believe the opposite in fact (I personally believe this comment to be totally false) but they are implying that a DO student would only have to take COMLEX since there is a merger. I believe this to be false simply because of how things are now, PDs at ACGME residencies just aren't super familiar with COMLEX scores. I've tried to explain this to friends but it seems like they think the PDs will understand them overnight.
 
With the merger predicted to be finalized in a few years, how do you all think this statistic will change?

Will all DO students be required to take the USMLE Step 1 as a result of the collaboration between allopathic and osteopathic residencies?

There is a good chance more DOs will take the USMLE to further increase their chances of matching. There maybe a very small amount of former AOA residencies only looking at the USMLE (since they could not do this as a former AOA residency). So the way DOs approach this game will change.

I doubt the second question will come true, unless their is an LCME take over. There are PDs who can interpret those scores just fine on the ACGME side, on top of the PDs from former AOA residencies. It is more of an issue for the competitive residencies and competitive programs in general, since they get really good MD applicants in general and probably don't look at DO applicants much.

This is more speculation on my part so take it with a grain of salt.
 
Yeah, it really is ....

but here's the disclaimer...I don't know what adjustments/changes/fixes they put in for your class after we went through the class, but I feel that at least my class didn't get the strongest instruction/foundation for usmle.


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I mean if that's the case, then I'm going to be legitimately cheesed. If our absurdist curriculum doesn't have anything to show for itself....
 
Really? I'd rather not have to spend a significant amount of time learning biochem, rather than review the green book in a day. If you prepare for the USMLE, you'll be prepared for the COMLEX.

Biochem was no problem. Even with the lack of emphasis. First aid plus a few extra resources. OMM is amorphous. The question writing on COMLEX is vague. I stand by it... And I took both, and did well on both. I'd rather take the USMLE.

Edit: I also don't disagree with your premise- 100%, prepare for the USMLE and then add OMM.
 
I'm surprised to hear that schools 'don't teach toward USMLE.' The USMLE covers topics that all second year medical students should know. That being said, the exam has become more robust over the years and now digs into the weeds on some topics, but for a school to make that kind of remark seems like a red flag. Furthermore, the COMLEX is so poorly written and as it focuses on topics that have yet to be proven by conventional research, I find it discouraging to think that a medical school spends two years teaching students and somehow does not prepare students to take Step 1.

At my school, it is highly encouraged to take both exams. It was specifically mentioned that only those students with extenuating circumstances (which translated to military students) should be taking only COMLEX. With the merger upon us, why would you not take both? AOA residencies are dwindling and we'll see fewer with AOA distinction over the next couple of years. I've reached out to several AOA residencies in the specialty that I'm interested in and most have told me that they will not be seeking AOA distinction. I understand that some students know that they want a specific specialty that's not competitive and will take COMLEX only, but when it comes down to it, if you want to keep all your options open, then you should prepare to take both exams. I've talked to a few program directors that mentioned that while they accept COMLEX scores, they are much more likely to give serious consideration to comparable USMLE scores. The exam is far superior to COMLEX and it's easier to compare apples to apples.

Its school rhetoric to push us to apply to primarily AOA programs, more specifically the programs directly affiliated with my school. A lot of actions the school takes are pointed towards a push for primary care, but more than that a push to fill their own residencies. Its not inherently a bad thing. Filled residencies means better teaching for the med students, but at times it can be a bad thing if your goals don't line up with that.

We are just as prepared for the USMLE as we are for the COMLEX. Everyone warned about biochem, but I found the biochem on the COMLEX to be worse (and more) than I expected, whereas the biochem on the USMLE was straight forward. We take primarily NBMEs (not NBOMEs), to the point where even our dedicated 4wk study course requires one before taking Level 1.

Everything you said is why 60% of my class ends up taking both and the USMLE pass rates are like 96% with an average approaching the national MD average. I have a feeling that the school may shift towards recommending taking both for anyone doing reasonably well in NBMEs. They're also basically the only school that opposed the merger, so it's possible my experience (from last year) was leftover from hopes that the merger would get dropped.

With the merger predicted to be finalized in a few years, how do you all think this statistic will change?

Will all DO students be required to take the USMLE Step 1 as a result of the collaboration between allopathic and osteopathic residencies?

My guess is more will take it because DOs will also likely be applying to more ACGME programs, since they no longer have to decide whether to potentially skip one of the matches.

DOs will not be required to take the USMLE anytime soon. They have their own licensing exam that is recognized by their state medical boards. Changing that would require a change in the laws in most (if not all) states.
 
Its school rhetoric to push us to apply to primarily AOA programs, more specifically the programs directly affiliated with my school. A lot of actions the school takes are pointed towards a push for primary care, but more than that a push to fill their own residencies. Its not inherently a bad thing. Filled residencies means better teaching for the med students, but at times it can be a bad thing if your goals don't line up with that.

We are just as prepared for the USMLE as we are for the COMLEX. Everyone warned about biochem, but I found the biochem on the COMLEX to be worse (and more) than I expected, whereas the biochem on the USMLE was straight forward. We take primarily NBMEs (not NBOMEs), to the point where even our dedicated 4wk study course requires one before taking Level 1.

Everything you said is why 60% of my class ends up taking both and the USMLE pass rates are like 96% with an average approaching the national MD average. I have a feeling that the school may shift towards recommending taking both for anyone doing reasonably well in NBMEs. They're also basically the only school that opposed the merger, so it's possible my experience (from last year) was leftover from hopes that the merger would get dropped.



My guess is more will take it because DOs will also likely be applying to more ACGME programs, since they no longer have to decide whether to potentially skip one of the matches.

DOs will not be required to take the USMLE anytime soon. They have their own licensing exam that is recognized by their state medical boards. Changing that would require a change in the laws in most (if not all) states.


Some schools are beginning to either encourage it or outright require it like RVU.
 
Some schools are beginning to either encourage it or outright require it like RVU.

My guess is more will take it because DOs will also likely be applying to more ACGME programs, since they no longer have to decide whether to potentially skip one of the matches.

DOs will not be required to take the USMLE anytime soon. They have their own licensing exam that is recognized by their state medical boards. Changing that would require a change in the laws in most (if not all) states.

Honestly, very, very school shows signs on budging on this issue. I think 60% is an overestimate.
At Rocky Vista, USMLE 1 is a requirement.
At KCUMB, Dr. Dubin would encourage students to take it but he is gone now and the school is planning on doing another curriculum overhaul soon.
I think 60% of LECOMers take it because they get so much open time to study for it. At Bradenton, most 1sts years were carrying around FA books already and it was November when I visited.
Outside of these schools and Touro-NY, AZCOM, and CCOM, no school mentioned a proportion close to 60%
 
Honestly, very, very school shows signs on budging on this issue. I think 60% is an overestimate.
At Rocky Vista, USMLE 1 is a requirement.
At KCUMB, Dr. Dubin would encourage students to take it but he is gone now and the school is planning on doing another curriculum overhaul soon.
I think 60% of LECOMers take it because they get so much open time to study for it. At Bradenton, most 1sts years were carrying around FA books already and it was November when I visited.
Outside of these schools and Touro-NY, AZCOM, and CCOM, no school mentioned a proportion close to 60%

We don't get a ton of open time to study unless we forego a rotation/vacation in 3rd year. There's officially 1-1.5 weeks of dedicated study at LECOM. It can grow up to 4 wks if you opt into the summer program. Compare that to the 4-8 wks most schools instantly get.

As has been stated on here already, about half of all DOs take Step 1. LECOM is right around the average for that (as it is with most things).

Also, I wouldn't take the prevalence of FA around campus as an indication that people have a ton of time to study or that they are specifically studying for Step 1. Basically every med student gets FA, and they usually have it by early 2nd year if not by 1st year (at my campus it was sold to us by one of the clubs in 1st year). Its a good review book for high yield material, and that includes for the COMLEX. Everyone has some version of it early on. Some people buy/acquire an older version, then get the new one for annotations when it comes out in Jan. of their 2nd year.
 
Honestly, very, very school shows signs on budging on this issue. I think 60% is an overestimate.
At Rocky Vista, USMLE 1 is a requirement.
At KCUMB, Dr. Dubin would encourage students to take it but he is gone now and the school is planning on doing another curriculum overhaul soon.
I think 60% of LECOMers take it because they get so much open time to study for it. At Bradenton, most 1sts years were carrying around FA books already and it was November when I visited.
Outside of these schools and Touro-NY, AZCOM, and CCOM, no school mentioned a proportion close to 60%

JHow do you know kcu is going to do another curriculum overhaul???


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I'm surprised to hear that schools 'don't teach toward USMLE.' The USMLE covers topics that all second year medical students should know. That being said, the exam has become more robust over the years and now digs into the weeds on some topics, but for a school to make that kind of remark seems like a red flag. Furthermore, the COMLEX is so poorly written and as it focuses on topics that have yet to be proven by conventional research, I find it discouraging to think that a medical school spends two years teaching students and somehow does not prepare students to take Step 1.

At my school, it is highly encouraged to take both exams. It was specifically mentioned that only those students with extenuating circumstances (which translated to military students) should be taking only COMLEX. With the merger upon us, why would you not take both? AOA residencies are dwindling and we'll see fewer with AOA distinction over the next couple of years. I've reached out to several AOA residencies in the specialty that I'm interested in and most have told me that they will not be seeking AOA distinction. I understand that some students know that they want a specific specialty that's not competitive and will take COMLEX only, but when it comes down to it, if you want to keep all your options open, then you should prepare to take both exams. I've talked to a few program directors that mentioned that while they accept COMLEX scores, they are much more likely to give serious consideration to comparable USMLE scores. The exam is far superior to COMLEX and it's easier to compare apples to apples.
My school tends to focus a lot of time on anatomy (far more than the boards require) in MS1 and clinical skills in both MS1 and MS2. The clinical skills are much appreciated, but my ability to do a full H&P, presentation, and SOAP note in 41 minutes total is not what most would consider board relevant, nor is my ability to know my way around the innards of a corpse. I hope that it pays off once the boards are done and I'm on the wards though.
 
JHow do you know kcu is going to do another curriculum overhaul???


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Right, I haven't heard anything about a curriculum overhaul here, yet. Though I wouldn't be surprised frankly. It seems like a lot of the faculty have the mindset that we were already doing very well and that the changes only made the education seem disorganized and discontinuous.
 
We don't get a ton of open time to study unless we forego a rotation/vacation in 3rd year. There's officially 1-1.5 weeks of dedicated study at LECOM. It can grow up to 4 wks if you opt into the summer program. Compare that to the 4-8 wks most schools instantly get.

As has been stated on here already, about half of all DOs take Step 1. LECOM is right around the average for that (as it is with most things).

What I meant with "open time" is that LECOM students have very little required class time because of PBL. This affords students the chance to study outside the class as early as they can/want. Compare this with Nova students who have a ton of required/mandatory classes throughout second year where most students get home after 5PM. Obviously LECOM will have a higher proportion of students that take the USMLE.

[Before you respond with "Yes, but we have to do a ton of reading outside of class to make for up for how short our PBL sessions are," yes, I recognize that, but LECOM students have a lot more "open" time to use if they want to take both exams. Plus, PBL students get tested a lot less frequently than more traditional students which also healps with preparing to take 2 board exams from what my friends at Bradenton say]

JHow do you know kcu is going to do another curriculum overhaul???


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Faculty and students aren't happy with the new curriculum. Too many changes too soon (Vacation time was cut in half for students and faculty, anatomy course is longer, biochemistry course covers more in less amount of time, department changes, etc.). Dr. Dubin is leaving due to personal reasons and many think the administration should go back to old curriculum in a year once a new appointment is made. Dr. Dubin thought that his curriculum is a "one size fits all" model because of the success at UNT and RVU but that's apparently not the case. This is actually a really controversial issue at KCU with people split 50/50 on what to do now that Dr. Dubin is leaving. It goes back to the whole "If it isn't broken, why did we try to fix it" theory. KCUMB is still awesome school and my friends that go there think it's an awesome school besides the large class size.
 
What I meant with "open time" is that LECOM students have very little required class time because of PBL. This affords students the chance to study outside the class as early as they can/want. Compare this with Nova students who have a ton of required/mandatory classes throughout second year where most students get home after 5PM. Obviously LECOM will have a higher proportion of students that take the USMLE.

[Before you respond with "Yes, but we have to do a ton of reading outside of class to make for up for how short our PBL sessions are," yes, I recognize that, but LECOM students have a lot more "open" time to use if they want to take both exams. Plus, PBL students get tested a lot less frequently than more traditional students which also healps with preparing to take 2 board exams from what my friends at Bradenton say]




Faculty and students aren't happy with the new curriculum. Too many changes too soon (Vacation time was cut in half for students and faculty, anatomy course is longer, biochemistry course covers more in less amount of time, department changes, etc.). Dr. Dubin is leaving due to personal reasons and many think the administration should go back to old curriculum in a year once a new appointment is made. Dr. Dubin thought that his curriculum is a "one size fits all" model because of the success at UNT and RVU but that's apparently not the case. This is actually a really controversial issue at KCU with people split 50/50 on what to do now that Dr. Dubin is leaving. It goes back to the whole "If it isn't broken, why did we try to fix it" theory. KCUMB is still awesome school and my friends that go there think it's an awesome school besides the large class size.

Is your info just word of mouth from your friends at KCU or do you have sources you can point us to? It doesn't seem like a well-founded statement. Your telling current students who haven't heard of this makes me skeptical.

Also, what proof is there that the curriculum doesn't work? The first class to go through the new curriculum hasn't even taken level/step 1..... Can you offer a reason that Dr. Dubin's curriculum doesn't work as well for KCU students as it did/does for RVU/TCOM students? What would be so different between the schools that a virtually identical curriculum wouldn't work at one place versus another? The reasons you listed are true at the other schools as well........

This seems like a rumor that doesn't need to be spread.
 
What I meant with "open time" is that LECOM students have very little required class time because of PBL. This affords students the chance to study outside the class as early as they can/want. Compare this with Nova students who have a ton of required/mandatory classes throughout second year where most students get home after 5PM. Obviously LECOM will have a higher proportion of students that take the USMLE.

[Before you respond with "Yes, but we have to do a ton of reading outside of class to make for up for how short our PBL sessions are," yes, I recognize that, but LECOM students have a lot more "open" time to use if they want to take both exams. Plus, PBL students get tested a lot less frequently than more traditional students which also healps with preparing to take 2 board exams from what my friends at Bradenton say]




Faculty and students aren't happy with the new curriculum. Too many changes too soon (Vacation time was cut in half for students and faculty, anatomy course is longer, biochemistry course covers more in less amount of time, department changes, etc.). Dr. Dubin is leaving due to personal reasons and many think the administration should go back to old curriculum in a year once a new appointment is made. Dr. Dubin thought that his curriculum is a "one size fits all" model because of the success at UNT and RVU but that's apparently not the case. This is actually a really controversial issue at KCU with people split 50/50 on what to do now that Dr. Dubin is leaving. It goes back to the whole "If it isn't broken, why did we try to fix it" theory. KCUMB is still awesome school and my friends that go there think it's an awesome school besides the large class size.


It's going to depend on boards with the second years and my class. If we blow it out of the water, they're not going to change it because they know medicine is heavily orientated around board scores.

Our curriculum no doubt has issues. We're overworked and we don't have nearly enough time to relax or cool off after tests. Ex. Our test is monday and we have class on Tuesday. But it's something you adjust to. It beats block tests in my mind.
 
What I meant with "open time" is that LECOM students have very little required class time because of PBL. This affords students the chance to study outside the class as early as they can/want. Compare this with Nova students who have a ton of required/mandatory classes throughout second year where most students get home after 5PM. Obviously LECOM will have a higher proportion of students that take the USMLE.

[Before you respond with "Yes, but we have to do a ton of reading outside of class to make for up for how short our PBL sessions are," yes, I recognize that, but LECOM students have a lot more "open" time to use if they want to take both exams. Plus, PBL students get tested a lot less frequently than more traditional students which also healps with preparing to take 2 board exams from what my friends at Bradenton say]...

Half of LECOM is not PBL based. As far as I know the only difference that I know of among the pathways is that Bradenton students are slightly more likely to take both, but I have a feeling that has more to do with the location and student makeup of the Bradenton class. As for all other LECOM pathways (other PBL vs. LDP), there's no difference in the ratio of those that take both exams.
 
It's going to depend on boards with the second years and my class. If we blow it out of the water, they're not going to change it because they know medicine is heavily orientated around board scores.

Our curriculum no doubt has issues. We're overworked and we don't have nearly enough time to relax or cool off after tests. Ex. Our test is monday and we have class on Tuesday. But it's something you adjust to. It beats block tests in my mind.
Not only that, we have assigned reading the day of the exam. Memorize CMMRS in 2 weeks. No big deal.
 
Not only that, we have assigned reading the day of the exam. Memorize CMMRS in 2 weeks. No big deal.

The MOD sequence kinda sums up a lot of what's wrong with our school. We're legitimately had no time to breathe and a lot of our learning has been inevitably cram heavy as we try to at least not fail...


MOD 2 in particular has so far been a train wreck and a half. I mean honestly I'm only done reviewing 1 out of 3 chapters right now and it's not chapter 7....
 
You'll soon learn that medical school is high school 2.0. Rumors abound. Do your best to smile, reply with a "damn, man, that's crazy." and then move on with your life. You'll save yourself some serious headaches.

As much as I hate that it is that way, I appreciate the candor and advice. Thanks for the soft intro to med school haha
 
Take both tests, kill the USMLE, just pass the KOTEX and be super helpful to everyone you meet along the way and you'll do fine. The formula for success is still the same UWorld, OMM ?s from at least COMQUEST, Pathoma and Savarese, don't get it twisted.
 
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