all you usmle and comlex test takers..

[Lamborghini1315]

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I saw some amazing scores from DO's..so my question is if you rock the USMLE's does it matter how you do on comlex? Also can dual test takers suggest your strategies and how you guys did it?

 

[Army DOC DO]

the COM schools could care less how you did on the usmle, they just want a passing score on the COMLEX inorder to allow you to proceed on to 3rd year rotations. thats what I know. But I guess if you rock the usmle and want a competitive AMA residency then thats more important for you, (but you gotta pass the COMLEX even if it is with a 400) (oh yea 400 is pass, mean is 500)

 

[Taus]

It totally depends on the specialty and program that you are applying to. If you got a 99 on the USMLE and only just passed the COMLEX....then as far as a DO ENT, Plastics, Derm, etc program is concerned....you barely passed your boards....ie your usmle grade means jack $hit.

Vice versa...I doubt (but can't say for sure) that an AGCME program director would be worried if you rocked the USMLE and only just passed the COMLEX.

I could go on about specific situations all day....but the bottom line is that you should try to do your best on both of them (if taking both). Most of my friends who took both this year had very similar scores on both tests and the majority seem to have a higher 2-digit score on the USMLE (though the 2 digit scores are not necessarily equivalent...but thats a discussion for another time)

 

[Army DOC DO]

It totally depends on the specialty and program that you are applying to. If you got a 99 on the USMLE and only just passed the COMLEX....then as far as a DO ENT, Plastics, Derm, etc program is concerned....you barely passed your boards....ie your usmle grade means jack $hit.

Vice versa...I doubt (but can't say for sure) that an AGCME program director would be worried if you rocked the USMLE and only just passed the COMLEX.

I could go on about specific situations all day....but the bottom line is that you should try to do your best on both of them (if taking both). Most of my friends who took both this year had very similar scores on both tests and the majority seem to have a higher 2-digit score on the USMLE (though the 2 digit scores are not necessarily equivalent...but thats a discussion for another time)

hey Taus,
you read the article in the JAOA about the "equation" some guy came up with for the AT Still university medschool students to figure out equvalent USMLE scores with only a COMLEX score? it was interesting, but the kicker was it was only valid for the AT STILL university school😕

 

[Taus]

hey Taus,
you read the article in the JAOA about the "equation" some guy came up with for the AT Still university medschool students to figure out equvalent USMLE scores with only a COMLEX score? it was interesting, but the kicker was it was only valid for the AT STILL university school😕

without going off about the quality and real-world validity of research in the JAOA....
I have a much simpler and more valid solution then trying to equate the scores by a formula: Take the actual USMLE

 

[Lamborghini1315]

without going off about the quality and real-world validity of research in the JAOA....
I have a much simpler and more valid solution then trying to equate the scores by a formula: Take the actual USMLE

hehe i agree, I have heard DO's being pretty adamant about taking the USMLE's and how comlex should be fine to accomplish their goals. Although i dont disrespect these folks opinions but i clearly disagree due to one simple fact that is i dont want to be questioned in the future if my comlex is good enough?!? In order to be considered on the same level as MD's one has to take USMLE's and give themselves a fair chance. Some people dont understand that end of the day its you who will suffer by choosing not to..all the talk about it's ok will eventually burn you! Good luck to everyone who is willing not to dedicate an extra 8 hours toward a test that could possibly determine their chances to get into a good residency.

 

[predodoc]

For any DO not sure about taking both test do this:
1. Sign up for both
2. At about 1 month before the USMLE take either NBME 2 or 3.
3. Decide what you want to do from your score.
4. If you decide not to take USMLE I think you only loose like $50 by canceling within a certain amount of time.

Now, I will tell you that some people can increase their score alot in a little amount of time. A classmate of mine raised her NBME #3 score 48 points in 7 wks. On the other hand, I started at 224 and only raised it 15 points in 6 wks. So I would probably make your cut off at 1 month be about 190-200 to be safe with a worth while score.

 

[Scaredshizzles]

Do most DOs go into DO residencies?

 

[Taus]

Do most DOs go into DO residencies?

its roughly 50/50

 

[Taus]

For any DO not sure about taking both test do this:
1. Sign up for both
2. At about 1 month before the USMLE take either NBME 2 or 3.
3. Decide what you want to do from your score.
4. If you decide not to take USMLE I think you only loose like $50 by canceling within a certain amount of time.

Now, I will tell you that some people can increase their score alot in a little amount of time. A classmate of mine raised her NBME #3 score 48 points in 7 wks. On the other hand, I started at 224 and only raised it 15 points in 6 wks. So I would probably make your cut off at 1 month be about 190-200 to be safe with a worth while score.

I think that is excellent advice

 

[Terpskins99]

hey Taus,
you read the article in the JAOA about the "equation" some guy came up with for the AT Still university medschool students to figure out equvalent USMLE scores with only a COMLEX score? it was interesting, but the kicker was it was only valid for the AT STILL university school😕

I read that article. Complete baloney.

Like a lot of the DO-candidates in studentdoctor, it wouldn't apply with students at our program either since almost everyone that took both boards took USMLE first and basically just went through the motions on COMLEX a week after.

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

It totally depends on the specialty and program that you are applying to. If you got a 99 on the USMLE and only just passed the COMLEX....then as far as a DO ENT, Plastics, Derm, etc program is concerned....you barely passed your boards....ie your usmle grade means jack $hit.

Vice versa...I doubt (but can't say for sure) that an AGCME program director would be worried if you rocked the USMLE and only just passed the COMLEX.

I could go on about specific situations all day....but the bottom line is that you should try to do your best on both of them (if taking both). Most of my friends who took both this year had very similar scores on both tests and the majority seem to have a higher 2-digit score on the USMLE (though the 2 digit scores are not necessarily equivalent...but thats a discussion for another time)

I took both and my two digit USMLE score is higher than my two digit COMLEX score even though I feel like my COMLEX score is significantly better.

 

[mocheese]

I saw some amazing scores from DO's..so my question is if you rock the USMLE's does it matter how you do on comlex? Also can dual test takers suggest your strategies and how you guys did it?

If you rock the usmle you have no excuse for doing poorly on the comlex unless you completely blow off omm. What I did (on the advice of some others who had done well) was prepare for the usmle, take it, then look over the savarese omm book for 2 days and take comlex. After going through it, I wouldnt have done it any other way.

 

[Taus]

If you rock the usmle you have no excuse for doing poorly on the comlex unless you completely blow off omm. What I did (on the advice of some others who had done well) was prepare for the usmle, take it, then look over the savarese omm book for 2 days and take comlex. After going through it, I wouldnt have done it any other way.

thats exactly what I did and I wouldn't have changed a thing either

I took the USMLE on a Monday...went out that night and woke up sometime late tues afternoon... studied Savarese for 3-4 hours on Wednesday and did nothing on Thursday...the OMM really isn't bad if you know the basics well

 

[predodoc]

If you rock the usmle you have no excuse for doing poorly on the comlex unless you completely blow off omm. What I did (on the advice of some others who had done well) was prepare for the usmle, take it, then look over the savarese omm book for 2 days and take comlex. After going through it, I wouldnt have done it any other way.

I did the exact same thing also. But If I did it again I would have done 3 days between. I was really burned out and probably needed a little more time to review OBGYN and micro for a 1/2 day or so. But definatly no more than that.

 

[misery]

I did what the above guys did and highly recommend it. But no more than 3 days between them. I had 8 days, spent one on saverese and 7 wasting time, completely burned with no pressure to stay at it. Just my recomendations if you are more concerned about your USMLE score than COMLEX. I put all my eggs in that basket and pulled a 235 on USMLE and 577 on COMLEX, both respectable scores. The truth is if you study for and pass USMLE I highly doubt you'd fail COMLEX, do well on USMLE and you'll do well on both. My .02

 

[strongson]

what is it about comlex that makes it so difficult to score in the 99th%ile? does anyone know what 3-digit score corresponds to the 99th%ile?

 

[Army DOC DO]

what is it about comlex that makes it so difficult to score in the 99th%ile? does anyone know what 3-digit score corresponds to the 99th%ile?

being able to figure out WTF they are asking in the ambigious questions on that test, mine was poorly written, spent more time trying to figure out what they were trying to get me to think about then choosing the actual answer. very hard to rationalize answers on that exam.. the questions to me are way open to interpretation..

Honestly if I wasn't in the HPSP military scholarship program, I would have taken both exams, but the HPSP doesn't care what exam you take, as long as you can be liscensed, and plus they only pay for one exam.. so took the Comlex to fullfill the school requirement. 🙄

 

[Terpskins99]

being able to figure out WTF they are asking in the ambigious questions on that test, mine was poorly written, spent more time trying to figure out what they were trying to get me to think about then choosing the actual answer. very hard to rationalize answers on that exam.. the questions to me are way open to interpretation..

Honestly if I wasn't in the HPSP military scholarship program, I would have taken both exams, but the HPSP doesn't care what exam you take, as long as you can be liscensed, and plus they only pay for one exam.. so took the Comlex to fullfill the school requirement. 🙄

I noticed that with all the HPSP students at our program as well. None of them took USMLE.

But I was wondering... most of the HPSP people are interested in matching at a military residency, and supposedly those residencies are a little competitive because everyone in military medicine prefers it over a civilian site (where they wouldn't receive O-3 salary and such). Since most of those residencies are still run by MD's (and most military doctors competing for those spots are MD's as well), wouldn't it make sense to take the USMLE?

 

[kosmashang]

I took comlex first on a wednesday, did mostly nothing the day in between, then took USMLE on the friday. At first I had it like you guys but then I thought, I gotta get this damn comlex out of the way, besides, I didn't want USMLE to serve as a warm-up exercise for comlex but the other way round, because I new I would definitly pass comlex and get a good grade at it, but I was kinda petrified of USMLE. So by taking comlex first my mind was clear.

result:

241/99 USMLE

669 COMLEX

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

I took comlex first on a wednesday, did mostly nothing the day in between, then took USMLE on the friday. At first I had it like you guys but then I thought, I gotta get this damn comlex out of the way, besides, I didn't want USMLE to serve as a warm-up exercise for comlex but the other way round, because I new I would definitly pass comlex and get a good grade at it, but I was kinda petrified of USMLE. So by taking comlex first my mind was clear.

result:

241/99 USMLE

669 COMLEX

If I would have taken the COMLEX first, I would have been waaaaayyyy to lax when the USMLE came around.

 

[treasurefull2]

If I would have taken the COMLEX first, I would have been waaaaayyyy to lax when the USMLE came around.

agreed, big time!