COMLEX vs. USMLE help please

[My Fe-Lung]

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Hi all,

I'm currently a fourth year medcial student and have just done my first rotation in PM&R and absolutely loved it! Unfortunately its already October!!!! anyway my question is this, these are my board scores:

COMLEX I:465
USMLE I: 195

COMLEX II: 543

I've spent hours trying to find conversions for comlex to usmle and back again, and all the equations I use give me different answers. I am unsure as to how similar those two Step I scores are? Do you all think I should release my USMLE I score to the PM&R programs? Both of my step I's are unfortunately very weak, before clinical medicine kind of turned my light on so to speak.

Thank you so much for any responses, this has really been bugging me, hope I'm not to late for apps!!!!!!

 

[Ludicolo]

If you are applying to allopathic PM&R programs, and you took the USMLE, then you are required to release it. You don’t have to release your COMLEX, but in your case you should in order to demonstrate that you rebounded on step II.

 

[drusso]

There is no pure way to convert the scores between USMLE and COMLEX though different equations have been tried.

Think of the two tests as the medical licensure version of the ACT and SAT. However, unlike college entrance exams however, they are not "achievement" tests per se; instead they both work to establish minimum thresholds for practice competency and have been designed to "weed out the dangerous" not to "select the best."

Just apply with both and turn in both results.

 

[GMEN]

As a future DO you have to submit your COMLEX scores- the USMLE scores arnt going to hurt you since your step II scores reflect great improvement from both the COMLEX and USMLE step I's. I think this points to the fact that its about time that DO's just be proud of there board and resist the urge to take the USMLE. It only leads to confusion. The majority of allopathic programs now except DO's and know how to use the comlex. The notion that you need to take the USMLE to be competitive is now outdated and should be discouraged.

 

[drusso]

I disagree. My experience argues otherwise.

I strongly encourage and think that it behooves DO applicants applying to ACGME programs to take the widely recognized "ACGME test," ie the USMLE. If you're applying only to AOA programs, then take the widely recognized "AOA test," ie the COMLEX.

ACGME-accredited programs will certainly consider DO applicants without USMLE scores, but having them in hand demonstrates a certain willingness to go "toe-to-toe" with your MD counterparts. You're applying to their programs, on their terms, with their test.

In my view: MD's and DO's take the same test to get into medical school (the MCAT) and they should take the same test to get out of it.

 

[GMEN]

I have to disagree with you, esp when it relates to PMR applications. In a field that is approx 50% DO, the environment is such that a good score on the comlex is a good score on the comlex, not a good score on some inferior test. As far as a willingness to go "toe to toe", usually the applicant will have an interview or rotation to "fight it out." As I mentioned before- programs now know how to interpret the comlex as its own entity, not against the USMLE. A good score is a good score- there is no significant difference in board performance on the AAPMR boards for those that scored well on the comlex vs the usmle, and thats the real goal aint it.. to get pl that will pass the boards, keeping society safe and pd's happy when they post 100% pass rates on the boards.

I totally agree with the last statement that its time to get one exam and thats it- weather it be the comlex, the usmle or some combination of the 2.