This is my first post on these forums and will probably be my last, not because I do not wish to be helpful but because I don't want to think about Comlex 1-3 -- and especially 3 -- ever again. Here's the deal: I was one of those med students who had to work like mad just to get myself to the middle of my class rankings for the first two years, but then got all honors on every rotation the second two years, one of three at my school to do it. In other words, I'm not the best standardized test-taker. Give me oral exams or practicals any day.
Comlex 1-2 scores were mediocre. Was intern of the year and resident of the year two out of my 4 years in training at my hospital (total of about 80 residents over several programs). Then I failed Comlex 3...by three points. If you think I'm kidding, feel free to ask my 401(k), the student loan people in my state, my surprised (disappointed?) attendings, and my family. Study method was to read through First Aid 3, Crush 3, B&W, pretty much all the usual suspects. Like most people report on here, I skimmed Savarese, which is to say that I memorized the sympathetic/parasympathetic charts/diagrams that everyone on here says you MUST know. More on this in a moment. Was pretty sure my excellent training and that study method would carry me through, esp. since I had an extra 50 points to play with (350, cf. 400). It didn't.
Took test again on May 14 2012 after 6 more weeks of studying. Passed, with 190 point increase. The jump is attributable to two things, both important, but the second more important than the first:
1) Changed study method, obviously. Did not read review books and memorize facts like I did for Comlex 1, 2, and first attempt at 3. Review books, you see, give you the name of the disease entity you're studying then the complaints, etc, and how to diagnose it. The exam (and the real world, as you know), comes in the reverse order...you get the complaints, etc, and use your diagnostic skills/tests to come up with the disease entity. Then you treat. Put more succinctly, in a way, you are learning the material in the reverse order you will be using it. Believe it or not that actually crosses up a lot of bad test-takers, including me. Solution: I could not afford online question banks, so used borrowed question books in this way: read question, attempt to answer question, whether right or wrong, I would then go to FA, B&W, Crush, whatever, and read about disease process relevant to that question. Did this about 400 times. Made it more concept-relevant than abstract, to me, as if I were seeing patients in vignettes in my mind rather than (re-)memorizing. Began recalling patients I had seen with these diseases during training (this absolutely solidifies retention). I got through the material much faster, as well.
2) When it comes to Savarese, a lot of people on here say they "read over it" or "skimmed" it or "looked through it" the night before. Pure excrement. If you did, you either knew it from before and didn't need to read it for boards, you're a good guesser and/or wonderful test-taker, or you're lying. The BEST ADVICE anyone can give you for Comlex 3 (and probably any of them, but I am speaking only about Comlex 3) is to actually READ Savarese. First, do an internet search for errata in your edition of Savarese, mark them in your book, and then actually READ the book -- don't look through, go over, or skim. The OMT questions on Comlex 3 are the GIMMES. They're incredibly simple. The test-writers are GIVING you these points, and yes, there are a LOT OF THEM. I was an idiot for not reading it the first time. Even with what I remembered from medical school, my score report from my failed exam said I was on that borderline thing regarding OMT knowledge. After failing the exam, remembering how many OMT questions there were on the thing and hearing EVERYONE say that they had a lot on their tests, too, it seemed pretty simple that improvement in that area would give me the most bang for the buck as far as improving my score. Solution: Corrected errata, then read Savarese. Then read it again. Then read it chapter-by-chapter twice (meaning I would read a chapter then read it again before moving on to the next one). Then read it all the way through again. Reading Savarese can be done in one day, two for better retention, three if you're really taking your time. The point is that I was HOPING OMT questions would come up on the test because I knew I'd get them right. This reduced my test-taking anxiety, too. By test day I had read through it five times. My score report (which came back in just short of four weeks, I believe...right, my fellow May 14th'ers?) showed the bars denoting performance on OMT questions and general OMT knowledge to have moved to the extreme right as opposed to the borderline performance of before. Without question, reading (and reading and reading) Savarese was the key to increasing my score so much. And no, I'm not Dr. Savarese, nor am I affiliated with his text in any way except that I could probably write it backwards and forwards now.
I'm not saying all this stuff to gloat or to show off, because there are people who have done much less and gotten better Comlex 3 scores than me. I'm only writing this because I figure maybe it'll help someone who has failed this awful -- and it really is awful...poor grammar/punctuation, substandard pictures and audio components, etc -- exam. It has nothing to do with what kind of doctor you are or will be. During the time that I had failed and was studying for the retake, it cost me a lot of money, a couple of friends, and even an attending or two distanced themselves from me in their disapointment, plus a few family members (I could tell) were wondering if all my medical education was worth it. And all because of an exam whose writers take an aspect of medical diagnosis and treatment that has the least scientific evidence to support it...and make it the most important part of the exam, the biggest single subject that is tested. Anyway, now that I did the two things above, I get to tell my detractors that if they need me I'll be doing what I know I'm good at -- helping patients get better -- or maybe shopping for a new car (after paying back some debts, of course).
I hope this helps someone. Feel free to send me direct messages with questions, comments, or ridicule, but I don't plan on posting here publicly again. Thanks.
