Comlex step iii registration

[24858]

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Hi,
When can you begin to register to take step 3?
I have read the other posts about step 3 and it seems that most people think it is a poor exam. The things that seem to pop up are to study high yield obgyn, savareses sympathetics, usmleworld, family practice review book, anything else?
I was thinking of taking this thing early in my intern year, good thought or no? I thought if I fail I could then at least have time to retake it, and if I pass then I dont need to worry about comlex ever again. Any thoughts on when to take it?
Also do I need to apply to for some licensing thing before taking it? Are there certain restrictions by state as to when I can take it? If I am a resident of one state can I take it in another state, and does it make any difference?

 

[Sugar72]

I am going to take it as early as possible. To register you have to send in a completed form that your program director has to sign. I tried to find out if I could send it in early and register before my intern year started - but in true nbome fashion - I was never able to actually talk to anyone and no one ever returned my calls or emails. So I'm mailing that puppy in the first official day of my internship. I know the state thing matters with when you can register for the usmle - but I don't think it matters with the comlex. I think once they receive the paper you can register and pay online and then set up your date.
I haven't been through it yet - so maybe someone will answer that has some definitive experience on the subject. I am studying with strong medicine which totally sucks - it has a lot of mistakes. I am doing questions on familypractice.com and I might get a usmleworld - I haven't decided yet on that. I might try to find a savarese - mine is in storage several states away!
good luck!

 

[DOtobe]

You register online for the COMLEX. When you are eligible the NBOME sends you an ID that you can use to register for the exam. Once you register for the exam you send in the paper certifying that you are enrolled in an internship program. They don't have to receive the paper before you are eligible to register. I forgot about the paper and ended up faxing it to the NBOME the week before my exam 😳

And as I have said on another thread, nothing can prepare you for this step of the COMLEX. The questions are all "how would you manage this patient?" questions. Some questions like that can be learned from books, but mostly it comes from experience. And the COMLEX III is so poorly written, that even with experience you can't figure out the answer. (For example, I have given every patient of mine in clinic that had BV Flagyl, but when I had a question about the treatment of BV on the COMLEX, Flagyl wasn't an answer choice.) So the best way to pass the COMLEX is pray, pray, and pray some more!

 

[2005]

Take it as early as you possibly can. Study your cardiac drugs if you don't know them. The test I took was predominantly infernal medicine, specifically cardiology. I expected lots of kids and pregnant women, and I was sorely disappointed. Not a single question on imperforate hymen.

As far as studying goes, I read through Crush once, did the COMLEX and USMLE practice questions, Kaplan Q-book, and questions from a couple practice exams in Saverese. As usual, a couple of the questions were straight from the practice test.

In general, I felt the exam was very similar to Step 2.