COMLEX shelf exams

[applicant2002]

hi everyone

i have a question regarding the COMLEX shelf exams.

After the exam in JUne, a lot of people were posting about how the COMLEX was not at all how you would expect a board exam to be.

Was the COMLEX shelf exams in November of the previous year also like that? I guess what I'm asking is that when I take it this year, will it be similar to the June COMLEX in terms of format?

THanks for your time and experience

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[DrWBD]

I think you're getting some terms confused here.

A "shelf exam" is a individual subject exam written by the NBME or the NBOME covering one of the core medical disciplines -- Medicine, Surgery, Ob/Gyn, Psych, Pediatrics, etc. It only covers one area and is administered by some (not all) medical schools during third year in preparation for Level 2 / Step 2 of the "licensing exams" -- COMLEX-USA or USMLE. Generally if you do well on a shelf exam you are well prepared to pass Level 2 or Step 2.

To answer the question I think you're asking, the COMLEX exam is notorious for being poorly written. The distribution of subject material on the test also seems very arbitrary, not corresponding to the percentages that the NBOME puts on their website.

People I know who sat for the COMLEX Level 1 in November pretty much told me the same thing that the June takers did. Don't be discouraged though, somehow most people who take it pass.

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Wanna_be_DO
NYCOM Class of 2003