COMLEX Level 1:
1. Usually taken either in June before your 3rd year rotations start, or in October sometime. My advice - take it in June and get it over with.
2. Two days long, and questions aren't as well written as USMLE usually
3. Lots of pictures, x-rays, EKG's, etc in the last book on the 2nd day. There are 4 books, two each day and its about 187 questions each book
4. The DO type questions, usually involve viscerosomatic reflexes, omm techniques, and chapman's points. The DO questions are pretty much gimmes if you stayed awake at least 50% of the time during your manipulation training. That and memorize the viscerosomatic reflex levels the week before the test.
5. More clinically oriented with less basic science focus.
USMLE Step 1:
1. Taken whenever you want basically but its good to take it around the COMLEX since you will be studying basically the same stuff.
2. One day, about 8 hours and you pretty much need it all. On computer at a testing center so its a better setup.
3. Not as many pictures I thought, but questions are much better written.
4. Much more basic science focus, so review some molecular bio, etc before hand.
COMLEX Level 2:
1. Taken either in August between your third and fourth years, or in January. My advice, get the sucker over with.
2. Easier than Level 1....didn't study much for it as you don't really have time during rotations.
3. More clinically oriented of course than Level 1, but questions aren't written as well still. Same DO type of questions.....those Chapman's points sucked!
4. Still two days....
USMLE Step 2:
1. More clinically oriented thus similar in sorts to COMLEX Level 1.
2. Questions are much much better written.
3. Take whenever, usually only taking if you are applying to highly competitive allopathic programs, and didn't do as well or want to do significantly better than on Step 1.
4. One day....but it was brutal.
I have taken all the above tests......and I took them within a couple weeks of each other as soon as possible....i.e. June before 3rd year...and August during early fourth year.
Bottom line....Study hard during your first two years and don't worry so much about the boards. Lots of questions forced me to go back to the first two years and remember something I read, or a lecture from a prof. I did the COMLEX Northwestern Board Review class before COMLEX Level 1, which had its pluses and minuses. Make it a goal to start reading First Aid or Boards and Wards about 3 months prior to Level/Step 1....and finish them about 1 month before....then just do questions, questions, questions, questions, and more (you guessed it)...questions. I was very happy with my results on both Level 1 and Step 1, and I'm waiting on Level 2/Step 2 results currently, but if there was anything that I wish I had done more of, guess what it was?
Questions. (Qbank, NMS, or A&L's)
This concludes the long answer to your question. For the short one, re-read Idiopathic's post.
