~500 on comlex 1 , am I too high risk to take step?

[tomi65463]

I received my comlex scores and considering buckling down and taking step 1. My school told me my score wasn’t that bad (whatever that means) but I need to improve on level 2 significantly. I want to do IM. I’m considering getting a tutor to help w/ step 1 and take in January. Any advice? Thanks.

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[EmilKraepelin55]

You might as well give it a try. Study up and take a good number of NBME practice tests and see where you average out. If you are getting >210s consistently then I don’t see a problem giving step a try since that can only help your case for matching. If you can get a score higher than that, all the better since a ton of programs don’t care about level 1 anyway as long as you pass.

 

[Hippocrates II]

I did better on step than comlex, percentile-wise, so I wouldn't write off step just yet. But you should really take a few NBMEs and see where you stand before you totally commit to the idea IMO.

 

[tomi65463]

Is my comlex score very bad for IM in your opinion? My goal was 500 and I made a few mistakes on questions I know that I feel could have pushed me there. I think I’m going to go ahead and take step. I did uworld already and know areas for improvement. I plan on doing USMLE Rx. Should I redo uworld or do Kaplan? What should be my goal score?

 

[hungrydoc710]

You'll still match community IM, although academic IM with a <500 score will be tough.
If you get 550+ Level 2, I think you can get low tier academic IM, even without Step.

That being said, I also am interested in IM and took both bc you have so many more options if you do, especially in the academic arena.
I think that a passing Step score, even like a 205+, will greatly broaden your options.

Remember that IM can be quite competitive at the top, but at the bottom it's one of the least competitive.

 

[hungrydoc710]

Is my comlex score very bad for IM in your opinion? My goal was 500 and I made a few mistakes on questions I know that I feel could have pushed me there. I think I’m going to go ahead and take step. I did uworld already and know areas for improvement. I plan on doing USMLE Rx. Should I redo uworld or do Kaplan? What should be my goal score?

I did Rx and UWx2, the latter was the most helpful.
Pathoma chapters 1-3 are gold.

Your goal score should be to pass with some wiggle room. A sub 500 Level 1 taker shouldn't be worried of anything beyond that.
Step is a much harder exam. Don't be fooled hearing the contrary.

 

[AceMedBoards]

This is definitely doable to improve on level 2. In terms of IM, you can match with your score--it's not holding you back alone except for some academic programs which may be a challenge.

 

[Blueprint Med School]

Even though COMLEX and the USMLE do share a lot of similarities, they are still very different exams. To really know where you stand on the USMLE, you would need to take an NBME practice test. The NBME website is actually offering a handful of free NBME exams right now during the pandemic that you consider taking. Now that the merger has happened, I think taking the USMLE is a smart move. It will give you the opportunity to apply to more programs. Hiring a tutor is also a great idea. If you are interested in tutoring, Med School Tutors offers wonderful one-on-one tutoring based on your specific testing needs. I used them to study for Step 1 and it was the best thing I ever did. If you are interested in finding out more information, please feel free to PM me. I would be happy to answer any of your questions!! Or check out our website at Med School Tutors | The First & Best 1:1 USMLE, COMLEX & Medical Test Prep.
Best of luck!
- Annette G, MD, MPH - USMLE Tutor and Residency Advisor at Med School Tutors

 

[Hopeful101]

I got 490-500 on COMLEX and 220 on USMLE. Happy I took the step. Similar percentile, but I think the same percentile step score has more bang for its buck. If you did badly on OM in COMLEX you should go ahead and take the step b/c that felt like the only difference to me.

 

[Hippocrates II]

You're probably good for IM, there a lot of programs out there for all sorts of scores to match. I would still take step if you can perform decently on a few practice tests.

I will disagree with the mantra on here that step is harder than comlex. I think it depends on your form. Comlex, for me, was significantly harder due to obscurities and piss poor questions, extremely long question stems, and long videos that sometimes literally only served to further waste your time. I did better on step. My questions on there were also long, but I didn't have many questions where I was confused about what was being asked. On comlex, I was straight guessing on at least a 1/3 of it.

 

[tomi65463]

The OMM on COMLEX brought down my score. Slightly below average in all. I have also heard that Step 1 is a better written test. I had lots of obscure questions where I thought I knew the information but had no idea what the question was asking. I scored above average on biochem of all things.

 

[phagocytosis41]

No you're not too high risk, I did sub 500 on Comlex 1 and got a 230 ish Step 1. COMLEX is a terrible exam.