COMLEX Scores

[cliquesh]

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While I haven't taken either, my experience with QBanks mirrors this.

I'm sitting comfortably in the 90th percentile on UWorld, but my average on COMBANK is just under 70%.

Sure, I think Uworld (and therefore I assume the USMLE) tests to a deeper level on the sciences, but anyone who is in medical school should have the ability to master the sciences well enough to do well there.

COMLEX on the other hand...my COMBANK questions are much more clinically oriented, and the writing is very vague. You don't know how many times I've read the explanation to a question and realized that I was dealing with a tri-morbid patient or something.

"Homeless man with dyspnea, pulmonary opacity on CXR, and rose colored spots on abdomen?" That's all they give and I'm supposed to "just know" that he must be an AIDS patient and has Pneumocystis pneumonia and Kaposi's and answer microbiology and pharm questions accordingly?

If that's representative of how the tests compare then I completely expect to do much better on USMLE than COMLEX.

I thought the usmle was an easier verison of Uworld. I finished uworld with an upper 70% and I got in the 250's on the real thing. You should be in good shape.

The comlex level 1 has random stuff on it, so its kind of hard to study for. I had questions about law, insurance, obscure microbiology...it was a strange test. I think they use Comlex level 2 and level 3 questions for comlex level 1. My comlex 2, however, was pretty fair.

 

[james2333]

MY EXPERIENCE

I thought that UWorld did a good job of prepping you for the exam as far as getting you to think the way they do, but their assessments over predict your scores. Combank and Comquest do the same for COMLEX but the actual questions on exam are worse than then the practice questions you'll take. remember you cant take a Q bank and say that it will accurately depict your score. There is the added stress of the ACTUAL exam and sitting in a room for 9 hours that definitely takes it toll.

The MOST accurate assessment of your knowledge is NBME exams for the USMLE and COMSAE for COMLEX.

I finished my UWORLD Q bank with > 90th percentile and COMQUEST > 90the percentile, I came out of the exams last year with indifferent feelings.

As great as UWORLD was the actual USMLE exam was much more difficult and time consuming. The questions were much longer than UWORLD and I barely finished each section. I came out of the COMLEX Feeling like I failed the exam. Honestly the COMLEX is so poorly written there is nothing you can do to prepare for it. Just study for the USMLE and read Saverese. I took COMLEX the day after my USMLE. I ended up with >245 on USMLE and >600 on COMLEX

 

[The kitchen sink]

MY EXPERIENCE

I thought that UWorld did a good job of prepping you for the exam as far as getting you to think the way they do, but their assessments over predict your scores. Combank and Comquest do the same for COMLEX but the actual questions on exam are worse than then the practice questions you'll take. remember you cant take a Q bank and say that it will accurately depict your score. There is the added stress of the ACTUAL exam and sitting in a room for 9 hours that definitely takes it toll.

The MOST accurate assessment of your knowledge is NBME exams for the USMLE and COMSAE for COMLEX.

I finished my UWORLD Q bank with > 90th percentile and COMQUEST > 90the percentile, I came out of the exams last year with indifferent feelings.

As great as UWORLD was the actual USMLE exam was much more difficult and time consuming. The questions were much longer than UWORLD and I barely finished each section. I came out of the COMLEX Feeling like I failed the exam. Honestly the COMLEX is so poorly written there is nothing you can do to prepare for it. Just study for the USMLE and read Saverese. I took COMLEX the day after my USMLE. I ended up with >245 on USMLE and >600 on COMLEX

What are you using to study for Step 2 james?

 

[ensuii]

I think it's common knowledge in the DO community that the above formula dramtically underestimates your USMLE score from COMLEX. I certainly don't know anyone who scored lower than what the formula would have predicted. Anecdoctally, they underestimate my USMLE score by 20 (Step 1) and 47 (Step 2) points.

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

You people and your >90%...I feel like I'm the only guy not shooting for a 250+, at least not realistically.

 

[oceanillusion42]

You people and your >90%...I feel like I'm the only guy not shooting for a 250+, at least not realistically.

Amen brother

 

[HooliganSnail]

This thread is gotten into something it was not intended.

COMLEX over 500 = Good!
COMLEX under 500 = Just Fine

Remember 50% are below average!

 

[koojo]

Yeah.. that's why like 70% of DO students opt not to take the Step 1 right?

They know it's a harder exam, we all do.

Well that's a false statement.

 

[Everglide]

Based on the 2011 data:

500 is fine for most "middle of the road" specialties
575 for everything but ENT (83 %ile that year)
600 for ENT (89 %ile that year)


http://legacy.touro.edu/med/docs/DO_GME_match_2011.pdf
http://data.aacom.org/aacomas/do_gme_match_report2011.asp

 

[cliquesh]

I don't know how accurate that AOA gme report is. I have a friend that was told by 2 AOA opthamology program directors that his 630 on comlex level 1 was too low and that he shouldn't even bother doing an audition rotation.

 

[ensuii]

I don't know how accurate that AOA gme report is. I have a friend that was told by 2 AOA opthamology program directors that his 630 on comlex level 1 was too low and that he shouldn't even bother doing an audition rotation.

It's pretty accurate. Your friend needs to do more asking around or there is some degree of intercommunication going on.

 

[HooliganSnail]

I don't know how accurate that AOA gme report is. I have a friend that was told by 2 AOA opthamology program directors that his 630 on comlex level 1 was too low and that he shouldn't even bother doing an audition rotation.

I think its accurate. While you are going to see regional differences, the fact is that half of COMLEX test takers score below 500. A program may want to see 600+ for all of its spots but the reality is that there just isn't that many people who score that high. In the end most programs fall down their rank list and end up with someone with a much lower score.

The optho program in question could easily be able to take 650+ only due to how many applicants and spots they have to fill. For most programs that is just not true.

 

[HooliganSnail]

Based on the 2011 data:

500 is fine for most "middle of the road" specialties
575 for everything but ENT (83 %ile that year)
600 for ENT (89 %ile that year)


http://legacy.touro.edu/med/docs/DO_GME_match_2011.pdf
http://data.aacom.org/aacomas/do_gme_match_report2011.asp

On another note, I am beginning to dislike the context of "middle of the road" specialties. Just because I don't want to become a super specialized specialist does not make me "middle of the road"

I am not implying you meant to offend, but I think we as a profession need to stop belittling our fellow colleagues. The health care system is already hostile enough, we physicians need to stick together.

 

[Trogghunter]

Even if you score 650 on 1 you still have to follow up with that high of a score on 2, right?

 

[buccsmf1]

just to add some more data to the discussion, percentile wise, I was basically dead even when it comes to both tests.

usmle - 237
comlex - 564

both work out to about 70-75th percentile. i felt like usmle was a more technically difficult test, but the comlex has much more randomness to it, making it probably equally difficult to do well on.

 

[koojo]

Even if you score 650 on 1 you still have to follow up with that high of a score on 2, right?

Yes, because it shows that you can be consistent and will most likely pass/do well on Step 3 and all of the inservice exams during residency.