COMLEX vs USMLE

[moonwake]

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So forgive the ignorant inquirer that is me- I've been looking up differences between the COMLEX and USMLE and I just want first-hand opinions on how different they are. This source says there's 70-80% overlap which is encouraging but did you find you had to study a lot more for the USMLE? Does that imply that the 20-30% is stuff that you aren't familiar with (from med school curriculum) or just different areas they're assessing you on.

http://www.combankmed.com/comlex-vs-usmle

Thanks peeps~~

 

[moonwake]

FYI: for anyone wondering if I did a "search inquiry" on this- I did. There are a ton of threads of people asking if they have to take the COMLEX or USMLE but I can't find any that do an overview on the differences or opinions of them.

 

[Wolverines83]

USMLE: much more biochem. If you don't seriously supplement your DO school biochem, you're going to **** up the USMLE. It's not that hard, though. Just do first aid and UWorld and you'll pick it up. I used lange flash cards too, not sure how much they helped. I think UWorld was enough. COMBANK will not be enough biochem for USMLE.

COMLEX: I felt like there was more micro and a lot of it was out of left field. Obviously there's going to be OMM. COMBANK questions are great for this and the green savarese book too. Otherwise the exams have basically the same info.

Content differences in a nutshell: USMLE has biochem, COMLEX has OMM
Question style differences you'll figure out by doing UWorld for USMLE and COMBANK for COMLEX.

USMLE will be more problem solving, COMLEX will be more recollection of facts but in the end, the material is basically the same. There's a huge, massive difference in the presentation of the questions but it's still the same info. Do lots of questions to get you used to the styles of each. I studied for the USMLE only, took the USMLE, spent 2 days studying OMM and doing COMBANK and then took COMLEX. Worked for me.

 

[Tizoc]

Also, COMLEX will throw in rare, but completely random questions that the USMLE wouldn't dare ask. I recall being asked a question about swimming pools. Kendrick Lamar was not an answer choice.

 

[moonwake]

USMLE: much more biochem. If you don't seriously supplement your DO school biochem, you're going to **** up the USMLE. It's not that hard, though. Just do first aid and UWorld and you'll pick it up. I used lange flash cards too, not sure how much they helped. I think UWorld was enough. COMBANK will not be enough biochem for USMLE.

COMLEX: I felt like there was more micro and a lot of it was out of left field. Obviously there's going to be OMM. COMBANK questions are great for this and the green savarese book too. Otherwise the exams have basically the same info.

Content differences in a nutshell: USMLE has biochem, COMLEX has OMM
Question style differences you'll figure out by doing UWorld for USMLE and COMBANK for COMLEX.

USMLE will be more problem solving, COMLEX will be more recollection of facts but in the end, the material is basically the same. There's a huge, massive difference in the presentation of the questions but it's still the same info. Do lots of questions to get you used to the styles of each. I studied for the USMLE only, took the USMLE, spent 2 days studying OMM and doing COMBANK and then took COMLEX. Worked for me.

You seriously rock man- kudos your way. Is med school biochem basically the same as undergrad? hemoglobin structure, FA, proteins, carb structures? Or do you get way more into it? (I went to a mid-tier university so we learned quite a bit of biochem).

 

[moonwake]

Also, COMLEX will throw in rare, but completely random questions that the USMLE wouldn't dare ask. I recall being asked a question about swimming pools. Kendrick Lamar was not an answer choice.

Oh sweet. I'm really good at trivial pursuit so the COMLEX should be infinitely easier.

 

[Wolverines83]

oh Geez I didn't realize you hadn't started school yet. It's good that you're thinking ahead but honestly, just focus on learning your material as best you can during first year. Med school biochem is more "if we block the pathway at this point...what product builds up?" I don't remember structures being important.

 

[moonwake]

oh Geez I didn't realize you hadn't started school yet. It's good that you're thinking ahead but honestly, just focus on learning your material as best you can during first year. Med school biochem is more "if we block the pathway at this point...what product builds up?" I don't remember structures being important.

It's true I'm kind of OCD about going into the unknown aka med school this fall- which may be really annoying for people but I don't want to be surprised when something important pops up and I didn't know anything about it. I think current OMS1's might want to know the answer too though if they don't already.

-thanks again

 

[Wolverines83]

It's true I'm kind of OCD about going into the unknown aka med school this fall- which may be really annoying for people but I don't want to be surprised when something important pops up and I didn't know anything about it. I think current OMS1's might want to know the answer too though if they don't already.

-thanks again

Oh I totally get it. Here's the best advice I can give you for prepping for boards. Learn the material correctly and in depth during your first two years. By that I mean, actually understand the material rather than memorize it. Seriously. If you do that, your board prep is really board review. You'll be much more efficient if you don't have to spend time relearning things you memorized a year ago or learning things you never quite got.

 

[Mehd School]

USMLE: much more biochem.
COMLEX: I felt like there was more micro

This was funny to me, because I felt my biochem instruction was absolutely terrible, while micro is far and away my strongest suit. I was planning on doing zero studying over the summer, but after comparing what we went over in biochem to first aid, I'm going to need to get caught up in biochem.

edit: OP, you haven't even started school yet. This is literally the last thing in the world you should be wasting your time worrying about right now.

 

[dfib slim]

This was funny to me, because I felt my biochem instruction was absolutely terrible, while micro is far and away my strongest suit. I was planning on doing zero studying over the summer, but after comparing what we went over in biochem to first aid, I'm going to need to get caught up in biochem.

edit: OP, you haven't even started school yet. This is literally the last thing in the world you should be wasting your time worrying about right now.

Besides lysosomal storage diseases, I thought they did a pretty good job covering biochem topics found in FA.

 

[shibby1111]

You seriously rock man- kudos your way. Is med school biochem basically the same as undergrad? hemoglobin structure, FA, proteins, carb structures? Or do you get way more into it? (I went to a mid-tier university so we learned quite a bit of biochem).

different game all together. no structures. no naming. no side chains or any of that nonsense. you'll learn about specific enzyme defects/deficiencies and vitamin/cofactor deficiencies. signalling mechanisms become pretty important. biochemistry becomes less of a discreet subject and more of a component of other subjects; for example, vitamin deficiencies related to neurological deficits or enzyme deficiencies as they relate to cancer chemotherapy drug choices.

 

[DrEnderW]

I guess it varies school to school. Biochem for me was a year long and in way more detail than FA. Granted, a lot of the metabolism details go in and out, I was presented all of it thoroughly. It's one of the subjects im least concerned about.

 

[moonwake]

different game all together. no structures. no naming. no side chains or any of that nonsense. you'll learn about specific enzyme defects/deficiencies and vitamin/cofactor deficiencies. signalling mechanisms become pretty important. biochemistry becomes less of a discreet subject and more of a component of other subjects; for example, vitamin deficiencies related to neurological deficits or enzyme deficiencies as they relate to cancer chemotherapy drug choices.

Aww... applicable biochemistry. That doesn't sound like fun. I want to know how to name really long aromatic chelating compounds and impress people with my arrow push mechanism skills <sarcasm>.