Failed COMLEX unfairly? Collusion?

[ks2005]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Thank you Danzman,

I did most of what you talked about above including MTB part 2 (I also did MTB part 3) repeatedly, COMQUEST, COMBANK, [and UWORLD x 2 the second time around], going through all the explanations/etc even the ones I got right. I was even in the high scoring section in the OMM portion on my report.

At this point, I feel that my knowledge is there. I never failed anything my first 2 years, and got through Step I and Step II PE just fine the first shot. It is just crazy to me b/c my school tells me that more people fail step I than step 2, which I find even more perplexing. As far as getting psychiatric testing/meds I will look into that, but I did not have trouble concentrating or anything during the exam.

I will admit to you that I always felt like I was running out of time, but isn't that normal? I will be taking that LOA and will have to graduate 2013. I'll do the 2013 DO match although my chances will be slim to nim for any program. Anyways, I appreciate your support and any other suggestions that you may have. Its just so frustrating to be so close to passing with the same score twice.

 

[danzman]

Thank you Danzman,

I did most of what you talked about above including MTB part 2 (I also did MTB part 3) repeatedly, COMQUEST, COMBANK, [and UWORLD x 2 the second time around], going through all the explanations/etc even the ones I got right. I was even in the high scoring section in the OMM portion on my report.

At this point, I feel that my knowledge is there. I never failed anything my first 2 years, and got through Step I and Step II PE just fine the first shot. It is just crazy to me b/c my school tells me that more people fail step I than step 2, which I find even more perplexing. As far as getting psychiatric testing/meds I will look into that, but I did not have trouble concentrating or anything during the exam.

I will admit to you that I always felt like I was running out of time, but isn't that normal? I will be taking that LOA and will have to graduate 2013. I'll do the 2013 DO match although my chances will be slim to nim for any program. Anyways, I appreciate your support and any other suggestions that you may have. Its just so frustrating to be so close to passing with the same score twice.

I understand, and can only imagine what you must be going through. Don't worry too much about the Match as I am sure you will be fine.
Good luck

 

[lotus1777]

I passed my COMLEX CE Step 2 on the second attempt. I was so surprised to find out I had failed the first time, because I felt great walking out of the test center. Most of my exam had questions in neuro/musculoskeletal and OMM, which tends to be a strong point for me. This is completely by random chance, because I think each section of questions is randomly generated separately from the national database. I just so happened to get 8 sections that heavily emphasized OMM. When I got my score report back, I saw that my score for the osteopathic principles and practice was extremely high, while several of the other categories were below 400. If they had added all of these scores together, I probably would have passed the exam, but I think what happened is that they took the percentage of correct answers for each category- OMM, peds, ob/gyn, IM, etc and averaged them for the final score. You can see why this might make some people fail- because if you have 200 OMM questions, there are many chances to do well in that subject, and not as many chances to do well in the others.

My suspicion about the grading was only supported by how I did the second time around. I think I exhausted all of my OMM questions with the first test, and hardly got any on the second one. What happened was that all of my scores in the other subjects went up, while my OMM score went down dramatically. I know that OMM is a strong point for me, but that will happen when you only have a few OMM questions to answer on a 400 question test.

Bottom line, you are not guaranteed to get equal proportions of questions for each subdiscipline on this exam. Make sure that as you go through your material and review books, you put equal emphasis on each subject, because it is really unpredictable which ones will be emphasized.

 

[HarMegido]

I simply do NOT understand why so many of you on this site are so rude. We are supposed to be working towards helping people HEAL. If this is a sample of your compassionate, empathetic bedside manner, I am glad I will never be YOUR patient.

Actually, I'm glad I'm not YOUR patient because you can't even pass your step 2...twice

 

[DrWBD]

I have just failed Comlex II for the second time.

Oh, somehow you misunderstood--I am not going into FM.

Someone's going to be disappointed on Match Day...

 

[DocEspana]

Someone's going to be disappointed on Match Day...

the cookie monster gif pic makes that comment even more perfect

 

[lotus1777]

I should have posted this sooner, but I want all of the SDN'ers who read this thread because they failed their COMLEX Step 2 to know that I matched into my top choice for residency. Yes, you can fail COMLEX once and still get into your top choice!

To maintain anonynimity, I am not going to disclose which residency and where, but it is a very competitive and well-respected osteopathic residency. I believe what got me in ultimately was my audition rotation and my interview. I probably moved up on the list above people with higher scores than me due to these things alone. If you would like more details, feel free to PM me 🙂

 

[LeighAnn]

I have just failed Comlex II for the second time. It is impossible. I studied for six weeks, I did the entire COMQUEST bank, 60% of USMLEWorld and over half of COMBANK. The first time I failed by 3%. This time I failed by 3%. Many of my scores went DOWN by more than 100 points. HAS THIS HAPPENED TO YOU? Step 1, 2 or 3? PE?

I am outspoken and I have unintentionally stepped on some admin toes. I am seriously beginning to believe that my school must have a mole in the NBOME. I knew enough to pass the first time; this time I knew FAR more. THIS SITUATION IS NOT POSSIBLE.

If this has happened to others, we need to band together and DO SOMETHING. I don't know WHAT, but together we will figure it out. If you have a friend in this situation, PLEASE pass this on. Many people who went through this will have been tossed out of school, and are no longer reading this site. PLEASE PASS THE WORD. AND PLEASE REPLY IF IT'S YOU.

I know that this thread is ridiculously old.. but I was drawn to it after my husband has failed a couple of tests now.. and I wanted to comment for anyone who is reading it for current advice or support.
My husband was the salutatorian of our high school class, scored well on his SAT (high enough to receive a full tuition scholarship to a private university), graduated at the top of our class there with a degree in Biochemistry, scored well enough on his MCAT to receive a pre-match offer to his med school of choice and scored well on his COMLEX Level 1. His study habits are unmatched and he is very intelligent. He studied religiously for his COMLEX Level 2- CE, took the test prior to applying to residency programs, and came home with wonderful confidence after taking the test. He knew he did well. Sometimes you worry about a test score when you are on the fence about your performance.. but we went on about life as usual and he made no mention of the test again. He received an email on the day that he score was available and was excited to look at his scores. FAILED!!! Unbelievable. He was in shock and contacted someone at his school immediately, demanding a detailed score report. (He failed by the equivalent of 1-2 questions, by the way). After reviewing a detailed score report, he scored between 500-700 on each portion of the test with the exception of surgery. He received a 9 (NINE!!!) in the surgery section of the test. After contacting the NBOME, he was told that he did not answer a single question correctly in the surgery section of the test. He continued to push the issue.. as someone with no medical knowledge could answer 20% of the surgery section correctly with guessing odds. Also.. he passed his surgery shelf exam with no problems. The person he contacted with the NBOME and the student affairs person at his med school BOTH admitted that they have never seen such a low score and that it didn't make sense with the rest of his performance. He was then told by the NBOME that it wasn't a mistake and even if it was (as computers are not infallible) that to maintain the integrity of the test, nothing could be done. He had to retake the test.. which of course he passed. That is forever on his record. His school, however, was so convinced that a serious mistake had been made that the dean hand wrote a letter to each residency program insisting that they look over the issue. He matched into his second choice.
BUT IT GETS WORSE.
He just took his COMLEX Level 3 during his first year of residency.. and that SAME THING HAPPENED. He was like "IS IT SOMETHING WITH MY ID NUMBER WHERE I AUTOMATICALLY GET A 9 IN ONE SECTION OF THE TEST?!?!?!" This time he scored average (or above) on every section of the test with the exception of internal medicine. After fighting them last time, he knows the NBOME doesn't care at all. So.. he will be taking it again. Two failed first attempts on his medical licensing boards over something that HAS to be a mistake.

 

[IlDestriero]

Why is such a superstar with unparalled study habits, grades, MCAT, etc in a DO school at all? He should have had a scholarship to Harvard.
Keep in mind that all the superstars and brainiacs converge in medical school and suddenly 1/2 are below average.
.

 

[preDoGuy24]

Why is such a superstar with unparalled study habits, grades, MCAT, etc in a DO school at all? He should have had a scholarship to Harvard.
Keep in mind that all the superstars and brainiacs converge in medical school and suddenly 1/2 are below average.
.

Disagree. My snowflake is the most unique in all of my class. I, like all other medical students am above average in all my endeavours.



End sarcasm.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

 

[hallowmann]

I hate to bump this thread, but I just had to ask, has this person never experienced criticism before? Seriously? If I got as worked up as they were every time some people (who I don't know) made a comment that ever so slightly ridiculed me... I don't know... I'd imagine I wouldn't live very long.

 

[deleted480308]

Disagree. My snowflake is the most unique in all of my class. I, like all other medical students am above average in all my endeavours.



End sarcasm

Loooooooove

 

[LeighAnn]

Why is such a superstar with unparalled study habits, grades, MCAT, etc in a DO school at all? He should have had a scholarship to Harvard.
Keep in mind that all the superstars and brainiacs converge in medical school and suddenly 1/2 are below average.
.

Wow. Totally not what I was expecting when I feel as though I wasn't offending anyone. I was simply extending encouragement (or attempting to anyway) to those who felt like their grade on any of the boards was unfair.. which is originally how the thread started. I don't feel as though your so generously provided statistic has ANYTHING to do with my attempt to show that my husband had a successful academic past THROUGH the first set of boards which was taken AFTER his med school academic years... to then do well above average on every portion of the Level 2 and then not answer a single question right in ONE SECTION. What does that have to do with superstars suddenly being less than average? That would apply had I said something along the lines of him doing well in high school and undergrad and then suddenly sucking it up in med school. But I don't feel like I said that. Or anything close.
Your ability to be a complete jerk without even taken all of the facts into consideration is quite impressive. I know plenty of doctors exactly like you. I once took my infant to the ER with a nasal obstruction. The doctor ordered a chest xray. When I confronted him as I continued to hold my child who was struggling to keep her oxygen levels up, he admitted to hearing "COULDN'T BREATHE" and ordering a chest xray to check for infection/pneumonia. WTH? It was a physical obstruction. IN HER NOSE.
Which is why I hope that you aren't actually a doctor. It scares me that your sinister attitude and lack of attention to detail could be responsible for someone's right to live.
Why is he a DO? Though people with ridiculous egos and the inability to see all people as equal have a hard time understanding that anyone would want to be anything "less than" an MD, an osteopathic school was his first choice. He did interview at allopathic schools and rank them as well. Ultimately, he chose to become a DO. Let's say, for example, that he had always wanted to be a doctor who practiced OMM (not true, but for the sake of the conversation), he would have a hell of a time doing it if he had attended an allopathic school. So.. just because you view MDs as superior, doesn't mean that is always the case.
Thanks for your criticism. It was much appreciated.

 

[LeighAnn]

Also.. I suppose I should have read the entire thread and realized how some of you act before putting in my thoughts. I am not sure why I am surprised to find that a website built to support physicians, medical students, etc. is full of so much criticism and sarcasm. When you get a whole bunch of people together whose parents taught them that they were better than everyone else, this is what is destined to be the result.

 

[phoenx]

When you get a whole bunch of people together whose parents taught them that they were better than everyone else, this is what is destined to be the result.

🙄

Is it completely necessary that everyone here who doesn't agree with someone else's posting style has to somehow insult their mom or the kind of doctor they'll be or some other nonsense?

It's the internet. Put on your big girl panties.

 

[as1212559]

Wow. Totally not what I was expecting when I feel as though I wasn't offending anyone. I was simply extending encouragement (or attempting to anyway) to those who felt like their grade on any of the boards was unfair.. which is originally how the thread started. I don't feel as though your so generously provided statistic has ANYTHING to do with my attempt to show that my husband had a successful academic past THROUGH the first set of boards which was taken AFTER his med school academic years... to then do well above average on every portion of the Level 2 and then not answer a single question right in ONE SECTION. What does that have to do with superstars suddenly being less than average? That would apply had I said something along the lines of him doing well in high school and undergrad and then suddenly sucking it up in med school. But I don't feel like I said that. Or anything close.
Your ability to be a complete jerk without even taken all of the facts into consideration is quite impressive. I know plenty of doctors exactly like you. I once took my infant to the ER with a nasal obstruction. The doctor ordered a chest xray. When I confronted him as I continued to hold my child who was struggling to keep her oxygen levels up, he admitted to hearing "COULDN'T BREATHE" and ordering a chest xray to check for infection/pneumonia. WTH? It was a physical obstruction. IN HER NOSE.
Which is why I hope that you aren't actually a doctor. It scares me that your sinister attitude and lack of attention to detail could be responsible for someone's right to live.
Why is he a DO? Though people with ridiculous egos and the inability to see all people as equal have a hard time understanding that anyone would want to be anything "less than" an MD, an osteopathic school was his first choice. He did interview at allopathic schools and rank them as well. Ultimately, he chose to become a DO. Let's say, for example, that he had always wanted to be a doctor who practiced OMM (not true, but for the sake of the conversation), he would have a hell of a time doing it if he had attended an allopathic school. So.. just because you view MDs as superior, doesn't mean that is always the case.
Thanks for your criticism. It was much appreciated.

Anyone care to do cliffs of this incoherent wall of text?

 

[preDoGuy24]

Also.. I suppose I should have read the entire thread and realized how some of you act before putting in my thoughts. I am not sure why I am surprised to find that a website built to support physicians, medical students, etc. is full of so much criticism and sarcasm. When you get a whole bunch of people together whose parents taught them that they were better than everyone else, this is what is destined to be the result.

Ironically this was the main point of the vile, horrible post that meanie doctor posted towards you. Sorry I don't really buy the failed two board certification exams because of a recurring mistake by the nbome...that's too convenient, especially if you pass the 1st (hardest) one. Where there is smoke there's fire, and the cover/conspiracy by the nbome is probably not the most logical of answers. Being at the top of your classes in college means very little when it comes to med school, double that statement for boards.

As a little fyi, don't expect sunshine and teddy bears from every Dr., the lack thereof has no bearing on there skills as a physician, this is the classic whiny post we see here all the time. Don't be a cliche. This is an anonymous internet forum, plan your emotions accordingly.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

 

[group_theory]

Folks, can we all maintain some professionalism here and refrain from judging whether someone is the world most compassionate physician or someone who will make Gregory House bedside manners look gentle and compassionate.

The internet, especially the nature of anonymous forums, means you will get a variety of responses. There will be responses that you did not expect or even disagree. Such is the nature of the internet. But you can choose to ignore it or respond to it. If you respond, keep it civil since your response is a reflection of you. And if you think a post violates SDN Terms of Service, use the report post function.

If there is someone you want to avoid on SDN, there is also the ignore user feature.

 

[evilbooyaa]

What a solid thread. 10/10 would absolutely read again, especially with the random rebuttal of the wife of the unique snowflake, etc. etc.

 

[metopic]

What a solid thread. 10/10 would absolutely read again, especially with the random rebuttal of the wife of the unique snowflake, etc. etc.

It's hard to compete with a tinfoil hat OP but yes that was pretty funny.

 

[JediZero]

Wow. Totally not what I was expecting when I feel as though I wasn't offending anyone. I was simply extending encouragement (or attempting to anyway) to those who felt like their grade on any of the boards was unfair.. which is originally how the thread started. I don't feel as though your so generously provided statistic has ANYTHING to do with my attempt to show that my husband had a successful academic past THROUGH the first set of boards which was taken AFTER his med school academic years... to then do well above average on every portion of the Level 2 and then not answer a single question right in ONE SECTION. What does that have to do with superstars suddenly being less than average? That would apply had I said something along the lines of him doing well in high school and undergrad and then suddenly sucking it up in med school. But I don't feel like I said that. Or anything close.
Your ability to be a complete jerk without even taken all of the facts into consideration is quite impressive. I know plenty of doctors exactly like you. I once took my infant to the ER with a nasal obstruction. The doctor ordered a chest xray. When I confronted him as I continued to hold my child who was struggling to keep her oxygen levels up, he admitted to hearing "COULDN'T BREATHE" and ordering a chest xray to check for infection/pneumonia. WTH? It was a physical obstruction. IN HER NOSE.
Which is why I hope that you aren't actually a doctor. It scares me that your sinister attitude and lack of attention to detail could be responsible for someone's right to live.
Why is he a DO? Though people with ridiculous egos and the inability to see all people as equal have a hard time understanding that anyone would want to be anything "less than" an MD, an osteopathic school was his first choice. He did interview at allopathic schools and rank them as well. Ultimately, he chose to become a DO. Let's say, for example, that he had always wanted to be a doctor who practiced OMM (not true, but for the sake of the conversation), he would have a hell of a time doing it if he had attended an allopathic school. So.. just because you view MDs as superior, doesn't mean that is always the case.
Thanks for your criticism. It was much appreciated.

Calm down. Deep breath.

Couple of things:
1) Well, you weren't offending anyone, and nobody was insulting you, at least based on your first post.
2) Each and every one of us in this forum had a track record of success before starting medical school. Some of us are now experiencing failure for the first time in our lives, whether that be in first year, third year, whatever. While it's always a surprising experience, especially to someone who's watched them from the outside, none of the members of this forum are going to find it all that unusual (or, as the OP of this thread put it, "NOT POSSIBLE").
3) You took two sentences and decided he'd be a horrible doctor that would kill his patients? I think we agree that there should be fewer snap judgments made on limited information.
4) Doctors are not error-proof, superhuman, or capable of reading minds. Your daughter may have been simply listed on the chart as 'difficulty breathing'. You did your job as a patient by giving him more information and helping him focus on what's important. I wish we had more patients that could do that effectively.
5) Preaching to the choir on the DO/MD thing, hon. Thing is, we're all in DO schools. We know the headaches and career obstacles that come with this degree. If someone is capable of getting into an MD school, that's usually the better route, but some do come for philosophic reasons. Which is much easier to say that the long, defensive rant you posted instead.

 

[IlDestriero]

Which is why I hope that you aren't actually a doctor. It scares me that your sinister attitude and lack of attention to detail could be responsible for someone's right to live.

I stand by my assessment of the superstar-snow flake conspiracy theory.
You can believe the test was flawed and/or there was a glitch that apparently only affected him, twice.

 

[DrWBD]

an osteopathic school was his first choice. He did interview at allopathic schools and rank them as well. Ultimately, he chose to become a DO. Let's say, for example, that he had always wanted to be a doctor who practiced OMM (not true, but for the sake of the conversation), he would have a hell of a time doing it if he had attended an allopathic school.

So...he doesn't have any desire to practice manipulation but turned down MD acceptances?
I'm thinking he's not as brilliant as you think he is.