Advice & thoughts regarding P/F step with scored COMLEX

[Rogue42]

Hey all,

I was signed up to take both COMLEX and USMLE during July. It worked out that i had about 14 days between my tests at the time.
Walking out of COMLEX, I felt defeated. And spent the next couple of days making a list of the easy questions I missed...came out to be like 30 really easy questions I missed that I could remember. Made me afraid to get my score back.

Got my score before my USMLE, and did not do as well on COMLEX as I had hoped. Now, I got pretty close to the average score for this year, but I was still upset with my score - especially knowing how many easy points I left on the board.

At that point, I decided to reschedule my USMLE (hindsight is 20/20 - probably should have just taken it) because I was terrified that I would drop the ball again on the USMLE.

So, now I am in this interesting predicament because I can take my USMLE this fall and have it scored or I can wait until after December for the P/F exam.

I was just wondering what advice people have about the situation. Come match in 2 years, will having a P/F USMLE and an average comlex close doors like it would if I only had a Comlex? Would it help me? Should I just take the scored board? But if I take a scored board and do poorly, would I have just been better off with the "Pass" on the board instead?

I am not looking to do anything too crazy; gen surg, gas would be the only competitive-ish things for a DO that I would want to do, otherwise I am looking into neurology, EM, IM

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[Ho0v-man]

An average/close to average step 1 will help you in all of those fields. If you can’t get that, then wait for the p/f.

 

[FutureDoctor5000]

Yea a 230 step will greatly help you in matching gas and gen surgery. Take it if you can get a 230

 

[drducky.]

Yea a 230 step will greatly help you in matching gas and gen surgery. Take it if you can get a 230

Definitely this. As DOs, we need to beat our MD counterparts to take their spots, not just merely pass. No one’s going to rank a DO with a pass higher than an equivalent MD also with a pass or maybe even a 220. It’s unfortunately just how things are. We have it better than IMGs though, some of my IMG friends have to score a 230 just to safely match FM....

 

[FutureDoctor5000]

Definitely this. As DOs, we need to beat our MD counterparts to take their spots, not just merely pass. No one’s going to rank a DO with a pass higher than an equivalent MD also with a pass or maybe even a 220. It’s unfortunately just how things are. We have it better than IMGs though, some of my IMG friends have to score a 230 just to safely match FM....

Ummm but the audition can matter a lot though a DO might match over a Md with lower stats but with audtions. I know several people with low scores who matched at MD places because of audtions

 

[drducky.]

Ummm but the audition can matter a lot though a DO might match over a Md with lower stats but with audtions. I know several people with low scores who matched at MD places because of audtions

I did say with an equivalent MD, so assuming everything else is the same.