COMLEX biochemistry

[stretch210]

How much biochemistry does the COMLEX contain? Is first aid enough/too much? The only COMLEX specific review source I know of has VERY little biochem, but that may just be the highest yield material.

Any thoughts on this would be great...thanks!

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[Terpskins99]

...even for COMLEX.

The one thing that FA doesn't have are nice layouts of all the pertinent pathways. I guess you could get away with buzz-wording it for boards (and frankly, its doubtful that you'd be in any danger of tanking COMLEX if you don't crush biochem). But I think it sticks a lot better if you understand the pathways from beginning to end. And I don't think it takes that much effort either. 3-4 days tops... you have ALL of biochem down. I'm willing to bet you'd get it done in even less time.

My rec: go to your school library (or probably even your local public library) and borrow Lippincotts. Flip to the diagrams so you get the big picture (photocopy one of every major pathway). A lot of people have been (unfairly) blasting Lippincotts for being too wordy... it really depends on how you use it. I've noticed that there are a lot of potential path and pharm questions could tie-in with Biochem.

Example: folic acid/vit b12 deficiency. I never realized how many fricking questions they could ask about this until I started diagraming it out... homocysteinemia and risk for MI, methotrexate MOA, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole MOA, 5-FU MOA, why B12 def causes neural deficits and folic acid def doesn't. If you just diagram that bad-boy, you can see the answers to all of those questions at once.

 

[polynikesdb]

Is cell and molecular bio tested in the same way/emphasis as on the USMLE?

Wondering about study materials. I'm thinking about getting HY Cell/Mol Bio.

 

[DOCTORSAIB]

Is cell and molecular bio tested in the same way/emphasis as on the USMLE?

Wondering about study materials. I'm thinking about getting HY Cell/Mol Bio.

I had only 1 Biochem question on my COMLEX exam. Question about a newborn with jaundice and they wanted to know the enzyme. Simple.

Embryology was also VERY low-yield. Maybe 1-2 questions total!

Molecular bio was practically non-existent, so I wouldn't go to crazy on HY Cell/Mol bio for COMLEX-only purposes (for the USMLE, yes, many consider it a "must have").

Realize, however, that the distribution of the questions changes from person to person. Even then, I find it hard to believe that the COMLEX would all of a sudden load up on Biochem or Mol. Bio questions. You get the most bang for your buck by hammering in Pathophys, Micro (big time! In the words of Dr.Goljan), Pharm, OMM, and for some odd reason Ob/Gyn.

Speaking of Ob/Gyn, I read somewhere last year that using HY Ob/Gyn for COMLEX-I may not be a bad idea. I didn't and still did well. I'm on my Ob/Gyn rotation now and using the HY book. It's loaded with great info (much of which is probably overkill for COMLEX-I, but money for COMLEX-II) but I definitely could have gotten a few more points had I glanced at it before taking COMLEX-I.

 

[Idiopathic]

One direct biochem question out of ~750 on COMLEX I.

Not even worth looking at the cover of a biochem text for. All the important stuff is from path

 

[pleaseletmepass]

>I had only 1 Biochem question on my COMLEX exam. Question about a newborn with jaundice and they wanted to know the enzyme. Simple.>

Just wondering what the answer to that was...

 

[Nicola1926]

I believe the enzyme is UDP-Glucuronyl Transferase defieciency

 

[pleaseletmepass]

Why not G6PD or pyruvate kinase deficiencies?

 

[SOUNDMAN]

Wouldn't those cause the hemolysis perse then leading to jaundice via the "UDP gluconuryl transferase" enzyme. BUT the question asked for jaundice not what causes hemolysis that can lead to jaundice. Just my 0.02.