Does the osteopathic basic science curriculum prepare you for STEP1 by default or is there considerable more prep work needed to get ready for STEP?

[AnatomyGrey12]

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I know Internal Medicine is considered primary care, but would the average DO who works in a hospital as an internist (or an IM Subspecialty) need to take the STEP or would COMLEX be sufficient for most residency programs with the upcoming merger?

Well just as a hospitalist no, but if you want a subspecialty then it would be better if you had a Step score. Fellowships, at least the more competitive ones like GI/Cards/Pulm/HemeOnc, are generally a result of what residency you go to. Low-mid tier University IM programs will set you up better for fellowship than a community program will, unless that community program has an in house fellowship in which case they are still decently competitive for that reason and having a Step score would be helpful there too. A good rule of thumb for the kind of IM program that will set you up well for fellowship is a 220, obviously the higher up the ladder you want to climb the higher your score (coupled with research) needs to be.

Even this isn't a super hard and fast rule as people from my school have matched solid IM programs with COMLEX scores in the mid to upper 500s. Generally community but still quality programs. There are also a handful of former AOA programs that have linkages to multiple fellowships, ours being one of those.

 

[PA_dud3]

Well just as a hospitalist no, but if you want a subspecialty then it would be better if you had a Step score. Fellowships, at least the more competitive ones like GI/Cards/Pulm/HemeOnc, are generally a result of what residency you go to. Low-mid tier University IM programs will set you up better for fellowship than a community program will, unless that community program has an in house fellowship in which case they are still decently competitive for that reason and having a Step score would be helpful there too. A good rule of thumb for the kind of IM program that will set you up well for fellowship is a 220, obviously the higher up the ladder you want to climb the higher your score (coupled with research) needs to be.

Even this isn't a super hard and fast rule as people from my school have matched solid IM programs with COMLEX scores in the mid to upper 500s. Generally community but still quality programs. There are also a handful of former AOA programs that have linkages to multiple fellowships, ours being one of those.

As GME is still a learning process for me, I'm gonna punt that to wiser SDN colleagues.

Thank you both, I'm not really sure why I asked as I'm still a while away from even applying, just curious I guess and like to know what It would take. Thanks again!

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Thank you both, I'm not really sure why I asked as I'm still a while away from even applying, just curious I guess and like to know what It would take. Thanks again!

No problem. Nephrology is generally considered very UNcompetitive so most programs will get you where you want to go. Personally I am of the opinion that everyone should prepare for, and take Step as it is the gold standard of medical licensing exams, and if anyone changes their mind from a non-competitive specialty to something even medium competitiveness (I.e. ER or anesthesia) then having a Step score is a big boon.

 

[Shotapp]

I just read that thread whew...SM25 reminds me of that hamster troll back in the day.

Non-constructive quote removed. -Staff

 

[SLC]

They have different emphasis. This is literally accepted as fact by pretty much everyone so I don't know why you are arguing this, perhaps you are so far removed from it you don't remember? Nothing I have said is even remotely controversial. They are different enough that it is VERY common to see a solid COMLEX score and sub par USMLE. This happens all the time. The testing pool is also vastly different which plays a role in this phenomenon.

Different emphasis. As in COMLEX asks more neuroanatomy and more microbio than USMLE; while USMLE asks more Pathophys than COMLEX.

But USMLE still asks plenty of Micro and anatomy. And COMLEX plenty of pathophysiology.

What I’m trying to say is, the preclinical curriculum covers it all, so if you did well with that, ie. learned rather than just rotely memorized, then you are adequately prepared to pass either exam.

I’m not trying to protect the COMLEX or put the USMLE down, I just know that objectively these are both tests of the entire preclinical curriculum. Save OMM, there’s nothing on one test that won’t be on the other one.

And having taken step1/part1; and step2/part2, I can say that they are both essentially identical in terms of material covered.

 

[Splenda88]

I went to an allopathic school and the school I attended gave us COMBANK free sans OMM component... If COMLEX questions are anything like COMBANK, then COMLEX is a lot easier than USMLE...

 

[Ho0v-man]

I went to an allopathic school and the school I attended gave us COMBANK free sans OMM component... If COMLEX questions are anything like COMBANK, then COMLEX is a lot easier than USMLE...

Combank is trash. It’s nothing like combank. They give it to us for free and we still don’t use it.

I think schools buy it for students so they can act like they’re doing something by buying the cheapest resources possible.

 

[PA_dud3]

I have removed a few non-constructive posts regarding off-topic discussions. I would like to remind everyone to maintain a professional level of discussion with other members and to remain on-topic.

 

[MightBeACylon439]

Different emphasis. As in COMLEX asks more neuroanatomy and more microbio than USMLE; while USMLE asks more Pathophys than COMLEX.

But USMLE still asks plenty of Micro and anatomy. And COMLEX plenty of pathophysiology.

What I’m trying to say is, the preclinical curriculum covers it all, so if you did well with that, ie. learned rather than just rotely memorized, then you are adequately prepared to pass either exam.

I’m not trying to protect the COMLEX or put the USMLE down, I just know that objectively these are both tests of the entire preclinical curriculum. Save OMM, there’s nothing on one test that won’t be on the other one.

And having taken step1/part1; and step2/part2, I can say that they are both essentially identical in terms of material covered.

SLC I've always liked you and the advice you give, but I have to disagree wholeheartedly with this. The material covered may be the same (I mean its first aid...saying the material covered is the same isnt saying much when you're pulling from a book that rivals the size of the bible), but the WAY the material is tested is COMPLETELY different.

Level 1 is you know the information you get the question, with minimal application asside from OMM. Step 1 is much more different application, and is much more difficult in general. If what you said were true, then DO students theoretically wouldn't have to spend extra time studying for the USMLE...and a 600 comlex would probably correlate roughly with a 240 usmle- neither of these things are the reality.

Having said that...I remember taking step 1 then getting out and studying exclusively combank and getting questions that would have at least been helpful for my usmle

 

[SLC]

Level 1 is you know the information you get the question, with minimal application asside from OMM. Step 1 is much more different application, and is much more difficult in general. If what you said were true, then DO students theoretically wouldn't have to spend extra time studying for the USMLE...and a 600 comlex would probably correlate roughly with a 240 usmle- neither of these things are the reality.

Agree to disagree, because I had the exact opposite impression. When I read a USMLE question I felt like I knew exactly what was being asked, and I either knew the answer straightaway or I didn’t.

On COMLEX, sometimes the questions weren’t asked in a clear manner and I was left wondering what the writer was trying to ask.

But clearly I’m in the minority; but that was definitely my experience. And like I wrote before, percentile wise, I did better on USMLE than COMLEX. And I definitely felt like my preclinical education was adequate preparation for the exams.