Allopathic programs accepting COMLEX

[drox]

---

Members don't see this ad.

So when an Allopathic program says that they "accept the COMLEX" does it mean that they could be saying "yeah we accept the COMLEX, but you better have a USMLE to stand a chance to get accepted."
One Allo prog director (who was a DO) told me that they accepted the COMLEX and had people with the COMLEX who got accepted but preferred to see the USMLE. Not sure what is being implied here..

 

[SepulvedaMD]

don't have much experience here. Many allo programs will accept DOs, but many will want USMLE. Maybe its a way to compare apples to apples.

From what I have seen on this board, it probably on you to contact programs to find out directly.

 

[MSmentor018]

don't have much experience here. Many allo programs will accept DOs, but many will want USMLE. Maybe its a way to compare apples to apples.

From what I have seen on this board, it probably on you to contact programs to find out directly.

I have some exp with this. true they would like to compare apples to apples. but if you didn't take it, you didn't take it. it may hurt you when they have to compare you with an MD student. or they'll ask a current DO in the program what does x score mean. there's a conversion score but rarely allo PD's used or even heard of it. people do get in without taking usmle. there are few places where USMLE is absolutely required and you won't get an interview without it. call the programs. I remember UAMS was one of them.

 

[ooitsamonkey]

To OP,

apples to apples seems to be what most allopathic programs have stated. They will INTERVIEW with only a COMLEX, does not mean they will rank. Also, one program director informed me that if they had a MD student and a DO student with only the COMLEX with similar credentials, they will take the MD student. The reason being is that it is very hard for them to get a gauge on what is going to correlate with the USMLE scores. The study that converts COMLEX to USMLE scores is absurd. It is a very poor conversion tool. I plugged in a couple of numbers earlier in the year to see what the correlation was and this is what I got. a score of 700, which is 2.5 SD above the mean is equivalent to a 235 or so which is less than 1 sd above the mean for the USMLEs. In the osteopathic world we know how challenging it is to get a 700, but it is not translated into a fair USMLE score. Similarly a score that is 2.5 SD above the mean with the usmles would be a 270+ which is an even more challenging task. I don't think the scores can really be compared and as a result, allopathic directors like to go the safe route and compare the same scores for applicants.