COMLEX Failed Comlex

[theosteoblasts]

Failed my Comlex today. I'm gutted. I'm furious at a lot right now mostly myself.

This is the first test I've ever failed and by 20 points.

I want to break things and let it out but I know I need to take it again.

I need a plan to assure I pass this time. Please help me and suggest what I can use for the highest score possible. I used FA/Savarese/DIT videos/Uworld1x/Combank1x.

I originally thought I'd take the Step1 too but I feel too low to take it now

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[Mad Jack]

Step 1 is an infinitely more difficult exam than the COMLEX. I took both, and will have scores for comparison tomorrow, but generally you're going to do worse on Step 1 than COMLEX by a good margin percentile-wise.

You used all the right materials. How long of a period did you do UW over? What was your study schedule like?

 

[Mad Jack]

How was your micro by the way? I'd STRONGLY recommend Sketchy Micro if it was a weaker subject for you.

 

[theosteoblasts]

Step 1 is an infinitely more difficult exam than the COMLEX. I took both, and will have scores for comparison tomorrow, but generally you're going to do worse on Step 1 than COMLEX by a good margin percentile-wise.

You used all the right materials. How long of a period did you do UW over? What was your study schedule like?

I did UW over 6 months in small portions.

We had classes until mid may and I took my test June 22nd.

I started studying in January and using cramfighter did portions of each material until I finished them. The last two weeks before the exam was when I did the bulk of Combank. Typically each day of the dedicated study period was me watching DIT videos/reading FA/doing questions.

I would skim BRS physio from time to time.

If I could do it again well, I need to know how to hammer this test down. I can find whatever source is suggested that I need no problem off torrents/bookstores. SketchyMicro/Pathoma videos too. Goljan? Please. This test is not going to beat me

 

[Mad Jack]

That's probably where your problem lies. You should have been doing UW all day, every day, 80-120 questions a day for six weeks leading up to the exam. COMBANK is a garbage resource for everything except OMM. UW is key. How did you use UW? Did you review each and every question's right AND wrong answers, annotating every single fact into First Aid? I'd annotate EVERYTHING into a notebook while I was studying, even things that I knew but got wrong, or that I'd noted before- reason being, every time you write it, it reinforces it. Unless it was something I knew 100% cold, I'd write it down, yet again. 80 questions would take me 6 hours, roughly. But it worked, well enough for the COMLEX anyway.

How were you are pharm?

 

[theosteoblasts]

That's probably where your problem lies. You should have been doing UW all day, every day, 80-120 questions a day for six weeks leading up to the exam. COMBANK is a garbage resource for everything except OMM. UW is key. How did you use UW? Did you review each and every question's right AND wrong answers, annotating every single fact into First Aid? I'd annotate EVERYTHING into a notebook while I was studying, even things that I knew but got wrong, or that I'd noted before- reason being, every time you write it, it reinforces it. Unless it was something I knew 100% cold, I'd write it down, yet again. 80 questions would take me 6 hours, roughly. But it worked, well enough for the COMLEX anyway.

How were you are pharm?

I would write the UWorld explanations into FA. My micro/OMM/anatomy was above average but my pharm/physio/Path/Biochem/H&P and Behavorial were lower.

 

[Mad Jack]

I would write the UWorld explanations into FA. My micro/OMM/anatomy was above average but my pharm/physio/Path/Biochem/H&P and Behavorial were lower.

Hmmm... Don't know the best way to go about fixing those, honestly, as your strengths were my natural weaknesses and vice versa. Hopefully someone else can chime in.

 

[dfib slim]

Did you use Pathoma?

 

[theosteoblasts]

Did you use Pathoma?

I read chapters I thought I was weak on.

Was told the videos are more step 1 relevant than COMLEX

 

[Postictal Raiden]

I read chapters I thought I was weak on.

Was told the videos are more step 1 relevant than COMLEX

You were told wrong. you should watch these videos until you are able to finish Dr. Sattar's sentences before he does.

 

[ninjaman22]

I read chapters I thought I was weak on.

Was told the videos are more step 1 relevant than COMLEX

I would definitely watch those videos. What areas are your weaknesses? Did you look in the second page of scoring report? They have a chart there.

 

[theosteoblasts]

I would definitely watch those videos. What areas are your weaknesses? Did you look in the second page of scoring report? They have a chart there.

Pharm/Biochem/H&P/behavioral/Physio were weaknesses.

Micro/OMM/Anatomy strengths.

 

[Mad Jack]

I read chapters I thought I was weak on.

Was told the videos are more step 1 relevant than COMLEX

Step 1 and COMLEX are much more similar than they are different. Don't think of them as different exams, think of COMLEX as Step 1+OMM. Having taken them both, I'd say the COMLEX is actually more difficult and convoluted than the USMLE in many ways, largely due to the way the questions are written and not so much the material covered. If you know the material for one, you know it for the other. There is not a huge difference in depth for most subjects, and definitely not a major one in regard to pathology.

When I studied, I used Kaplan+FA+Pathoma+Goljan+Sketchy+UW. Listened all the way through Goljan about 3 times over the year, watched Pathoma end-to-end maybe twice. Went through sketchy probably 4-6 times per microbe group, but that's because I'm an auditory learner- most people can probably watch the videos two or three times and then review using the stills. Did all of Kaplan's QBank throughout MS2, then used UW for dedicated- did the whole bank in about six weeks. Did my COMLEX first, two weeks before my USMLE. Didn't touch Savarese, because I'd heard that they had moved away from the high yield stuff that used to be in there, so I just used COMBANK for OMM (my school also taught OMM pretty well, so I already felt mostly prepared). Annotated everything into FA and a text document as I went. Would reread the text from the day before to refresh it whenever I could, then do questions for 6-10 hours a day. Every day. For 6 weeks. Did 3 COMSAEs and 3 NBMEs, scattered around throughout my studies. I didn't have a very good plan, it worked okay. Used the two weeks after my COMLEX but before my USMLE to finish off UW and focus on my weaknesses before the USMLE. Still don't have the USMLE score, but did okay on the COMLEX.

 

[ninjaman22]

Pharm/Biochem/H&P/behavioral/Physio were weaknesses.

Micro/OMM/Anatomy strengths.

In my opinion, if there was one area you really need improvement, it is pharm. My COMLEX was filled with pharm questions. They don't really lie when they say "bugs and drugs." I would focus the most on pharm. What did you use to study pharm before?

 

[theosteoblasts]

In my opinion, if there was one area you really need improvement, it is pharm. My COMLEX was filled with pharm questions. They don't really lie when they say "bugs and drugs." I would focus the most on pharm. What did you use to study pharm before?

I used FA/UW mostly for Pharm. Under time constraints, I didnt know how practical it was to read a textbook during dedicated study time. My pharm lectures at school were very detailed and the professor's questions focused on minutiae and less clinical material.

I'm not sure of my schools retake policy timeline wise but I would appreciate suggestions into what to use per topic. I'd say they probably give me 5-8 weeks but it could be longer.

 

[ortnakas]

I used FA/UW mostly for Pharm. Under time constraints, I didnt know how practical it was to read a textbook during dedicated study time. My pharm lectures at school were very detailed and the professor's questions focused on minutiae and less clinical material.

I'm not sure of my schools retake policy timeline wise but I would appreciate suggestions into what to use per topic. I'd say they probably give me 5-8 weeks but it could be longer.

Give Sketchy Pharm a shot.

I'm also a huge proponent of flashcards for pharm, or at least boards pharm (let's see how much of it I've retained for rotations). Mostly I used a review document from my school that I converted to Memorang flashcards, but I also bought the Memorang First Aid flashcards for everything and thought they were useful too.

 

[ninjaman22]

I used FA/UW mostly for Pharm. Under time constraints, I didnt know how practical it was to read a textbook during dedicated study time. My pharm lectures at school were very detailed and the professor's questions focused on minutiae and less clinical material.

I'm not sure of my schools retake policy timeline wise but I would appreciate suggestions into what to use per topic. I'd say they probably give me 5-8 weeks but it could be longer.

Pharm was one of my strongest subjects, and I didn't really use anything special for it. Basically what I learned in school + memorized everything in FA. So I am not a good person to give you advice on pharm. Maybe someone can chime in and let you know what resources to use i.e. sketchy.

 

[theosteoblasts]

Thank you for all the responses. I'm going to add SketchyMicro/Pharm for sure. As for physiology and patho watch Pathoma/maybe Goljan and really understand BRS physio.

I'm going to do UWorld more in depth and more often. I will probably get a new FA and reread to help avoid cluttered notes.

Is it worth subscribing to Kaplan or any other course in my situation? I got the DIT videos off torrents and watched them in order of the subjects that they wanted us to.

Other sources are also welcome. Some of my friends received lower scores but passed the COMLEX so I have a hope that this time I can not only pass but try to really beast the thing.

 

[W19]

You should use no more than 4 sources IMO... UFAP + DIT might be all you need. 6 weeks is enough time to get a good score since you have already seen much of the material.. I don't think taking a Kaplan course is necessary...

Not a DO student, but it seems like COMLEX is a weird beast.... 400 is a passing score and yet people can get 800+...seems strange to me.

 

[NYPDO]

Failed my Comlex today. I'm gutted. I'm furious at a lot right now mostly myself.

This is the first test I've ever failed and by 20 points.

I want to break things and let it out but I know I need to take it again.

I need a plan to assure I pass this time. Please help me and suggest what I can use for the highest score possible. I used FA/Savarese/DIT videos/Uworld1x/Combank1x.

I originally thought I'd take the Step1 too but I feel too low to take it now

I'm so sorry to hear that. Does your school offer remediation interventions like private tutoring? I took my own notes on UW, COMQUEST, and COMBANK if you want you can PM me and I'll see how I can share with you. I recommend taking notes while you go through the questions - it helped me a ton.

 

[NYPDO]

You should use no more than 4 sources IMO... UFAP + DIT might be all you need. 6 weeks is enough time to get a good score since you have already seen much of the material.. I don't think taking a Kaplan course is necessary...

Not a DO student, but it seems like COMLEX is a weird beast.... 400 is a passing score and yet people can get 800+...seems strange to me.

I don't know if I agree with using the same resources and expecting a different result. I'd recommend checking on some school specific interventions. I know my school offers a course to those who fail and it apparently helped previous classes.

 

[W19]

I don't know if I agree with using the same resources and expecting a different result. I'd recommend checking on some school specific interventions. I know my school offers a course to those who fail and it apparently helped previous classes.

it depends how one uses these resources. People have gotten great score using these resources.

 

[Ginger1982]

Hello I am devastated. After getting over the initial comlex fail in July (377), I am supposed to take it again Jan 10 I have been on rotations and doing boards bootcamp 2 weeks ago I got a 453 on comsae b and I took comsae e today and got 394! I take the exam in a week! Any advice or words of encouragement is so appreciated if u feel more comfortable messaging me please do thank you guys so much!