Has anyone failed COMLEX PE?

[cowbydoc]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

That's the question, has anyone failed. Please, first hand knowledge only, not I heard of a guy in Michigan, blah blah blah.
And if anyone has failed how did you/they do it? Thanks for any help.

 

[macman]

I'd like to know if anyone has heard period....sorry to change the subject

 

[cowbydoc]

I don't know if you are talking about COMLEX or USMLE but I know people have heard back from USMLE and some have failed I just haven't heard back from anyone on the COMLEX. Do a search if you want USMLE stories.

 

[DOtobe]

I just took COMLEX-PE this past Friday and I was told by some of the other students that NO ONE has gotten their scores back yet, even the people who took the PE in September. So nobody even knows yet if they passed or failed.

 

[cowbydoc]

This stupid test was just like step 2 CK. Way too much OMT worked into everything. At least 1/3 of my patients at some point gave this speech: " I have this friend who went to see a DO and he did some manipulation on him, maybe that would help me." Now I believe that OMT works in some situations but I don't think that forcing us to do it at every turn will make us do it more in practice. It just makes me frustrated and glad that I will never have to take another OMT question after Step 3.
I know this sounds bitter, but that is probably because I am bitter about having to pay 1000 dollars to massage some lady's neck.

 

[Chisel]

That's the question, has anyone failed. Please, first hand knowledge only, not I heard of a guy in Michigan, blah blah blah.
And if anyone has failed how did you/they do it? Thanks for any help.

My rotations group was given a speech by a memebr of the PCOM community that grades COMLEX PE and he stated that he does know that people are failing this exam.

He warned us not to take it lighlty.

He did state that it is difficult to fail, something like you'd have to fail the majority of the stations, but it does and will continue to happen.

Chisel

 

[DRealDrZ]

I know on mine, I ended up forgetting a few questions....and even forgot to document that I did OMT on a patient...What a freakin' ***** 👍

 

[DO_Surgeon]

I took the stupid test last month and didn't think much about it until recently. After reading some posts about the USMLE as well as the COMLEX, I am starting to think back and starting to get nervous. What % of students fail and has anyone gotten their results back?

 

[Yosh]

I called and spoke with the NBOME and was told that the 1st batch of scores was to be released at the end of February....and nothing has arrived. I recently checked the website...and it says the scores will be released on or around March 10th....

Then again, looking at my "information" screen...it still has me listed as scheduled to take the exam in Mid Oct of '04.....

So who really knows??

Its been the better part of 5 months I have been waiting...ugggh

 

[Popoy]

Hi All,

I called NBOME PE today and they told me that the letter's were sent out for those who took the exam in 2004... so everyone who took it in 2004 should be able to check on line or receive their score soon.

If you want to see your scores it's on line at the NBOME website click on the "Access Online System COMVEX-USA." If you haven't yet, go ahead and register. The NBOME sent all of us our "Secure Code" awhile back.... if you lost it, have no fear. Call them and they'll help you out.

I took the COMLEX PE on September 2004 and my group was THE FIRST group to go... I checked on the website and I was able to see whether or not I passed Step 1, 2-CE, 2-PE and 3...

And I am fortunate to say that I did PASS the COMLEX PE!!! This is per the website, I was informed that a hardcopy of the result should arrive in the mail by the end of this week or early next.

Hope that helps some....

Later,
Popoy 😎

 

[gree0411]

I passed as well.

Go DMU!!! 👍

 

[DO_Surgeon]

Hi All,

I called NBOME PE today and they told me that the letter's were sent out for those who took the exam in 2004... so everyone who took it in 2004 should be able to check on line or receive their score soon.

If you want to see your scores it's on line at the NBOME website click on the "Access Online System COMVEX-USA." If you haven't yet, go ahead and register. The NBOME sent all of us our "Secure Code" awhile back.... if you lost it, have no fear. Call them and they'll help you out.

I took the COMLEX PE on September 2004 and my group was THE FIRST group to go... I checked on the website and I was able to see whether or not I passed Step 1, 2-CE, 2-PE and 3...

And I am fortunate to say that I did PASS the COMLEX PE!!! This is per the website, I was informed that a hardcopy of the result should arrive in the mail by the end of this week or early next.

Hope that helps some....

Later,
Popoy 😎

What if you took it in 2005? I took it in early Feb. any idea how long?

 

[Popoy]

What if you took it in 2005? I took it in early Feb. any idea how long?

Sorry... All the lady was able to tell me for certain was that the results were for those who took it in 2004 otherwise it will take "10-12 weeks"

 

[DOtobe]

Congrats to those who passed! 👍

I took the PE on Feb. 25, who knows how long it will take to get my scores 🙄

 

[DRealDrZ]

Yeah, I took mine on Feb 15th...figure I'll get the results just in time for graduation!!!

 

[Yosh]

Nothing puts a smile on my face like that $1,000 pass.....Whew...

I was never so relieved to see a PASS......

Full throttle ahead to Graduation....

 

[DO_Surgeon]

For those that passed, did you study at all? That is my concern being that I didnt study at all and now reading some posts I am a bit nervous.

 

[gree0411]

I didn't study at all. You don't need to if you've completed a years worth of rotations. Just pretend you're in an FP setting.
I do look forward to receiving my letter in the mail to find out how well I did. I will provide some information once that becomes available.

 

[PeeDee]

the letter you get back from the NBOME is worthless to figure out how you did exactly. All is says is...

Humanistic Domain: PASS
Biomedical/Biomechanical Domain: PASS

I figured I paid about $120 a letter...what an Unjustified exam.

 

[gree0411]

I couldn't agree more. Absolutely worthless. I've waited 4 months for this letter. It's quite a letdown.

 

[Popoy]

the letter you get back from the NBOME is worthless to figure out how you did exactly. All is says is...

Humanistic Domain: PASS
Biomedical/Biomechanical Domain: PASS

I figured I paid about $120 a letter...what an Unjustified exam.

Ditto!!! Quite an annoyance if you ask me...

😎

 

[jon62781]

When should we try and schedule our PE??? Like, how late can we push this off before it is toooo late?

Thanks!!!!

 

[DO_Surgeon]

When should we try and schedule our PE??? Like, how late can we push this off before it is toooo late?

Thanks!!!!

If you are fourth year graduating this spring and your school requires it before graduation, I would have scheduled awhile ago. I have no idea if there are many spots before this May/June left. If you are a third year, I scheduled mine in late December and took it early Feb.

 

[Dpayne]

Anyone know how failing this thing affects residency? Should I be worried that if I fail this exam a second time that my residency program will can me? Also I won't have the scores back from the 2nd exam before residency starts.

If anyone is wondering, they WILL fail you on the COMLEX PE if you don't do adequate OMM diagnosis and/or treatment on the patients.

 

[macman]

Anyone know how failing this thing affects residency? Should I be worried that if I fail this exam a second time that my residency program will can me? Also I won't have the scores back from the 2nd exam before residency starts.

If anyone is wondering, they WILL fail you on the COMLEX PE if you don't do adequate OMM diagnosis and/or treatment on the patients.

what did you/did you not do in terms of OMM/OMT and documentation thereof?

 

[Dpayne]

Apparently not enough!

Seriously, based on my current understanding of the scoring, my god-awful OMT skills and lack of osteopathic exam on some of the less obvious patients probably was the reason why I now have to retake the exam. I plan on doing a structural exam on every patient, documenting my findings, and treating based on the scenario

 

[DOtobe]

Dpayne's experience is what pisses me off about this PE. If you see a patient in the ER with chest pain, you are not going to check and see if he has any somatic dysfunction, and treat him with OMT. I only did OMT (mostly myofascial and muscle energy) on patients with musculoskeletal complaints. I hope I didn't fail the PE because of this. Did they expect OMT on every single patient?

Oh, well, we'll see in a couple months.

 

[Yosh]

I only did OMT on the patients that were "obviously asking for it" eg. "My friend told me about DO's, and I was wondering if you could use it on me"....aside from people that requested it....I didn't use it...and I passed.

I think "overkill" and trying to OMT every patient might really be too mcuh and seem like you don't know when to use it....so be careful!

 

[DRealDrZ]

That's good to hear Yosh...I did the same thing. I did forget to document OMT on one patient...but did it. We'll see in a few weeks I guess.

 

[DOtobe]

May 15th=D.O.

I'm so jealous...for me June 12 = DO... 😡

 

[DRealDrZ]

Man, I start residency on the 23rd of June...that would suck to have just a week off. I'm actually done with rotations on April 22...then have 3 weeks off...then graduate...then 5 additional weeks off. Will be doing some SERIOUS vacationing/recharging.
That also makes me happy I declined my acceptance to LECOM... 😉

 

[Dpayne]

My point is not to say that Im doing OMT on every patient, but only that the limited feedback they give on the score report indicates that an osteopathic exam is considered part of the data gathering, not part of the specific OMT portion of the score. Also, based on the more extensive feedback that we get at KCOM on our in house OSCE, I can say that these types of tests are A)not standardized, and B)not objective. The fact that I know what I'm doing is what makes me so angry that I have to retake this test. If I'd failed my rotations or my KCOM OSCE I wouldn't be so angry.

 

[macman]

My point is not to say that Im doing OMT on every patient, but only that the limited feedback they give on the score report indicates that an osteopathic exam is considered part of the data gathering, not part of the specific OMT portion of the score. Also, based on the more extensive feedback that we get at KCOM on our in house OSCE, I can say that these types of tests are A)not standardized, and B)not objective. The fact that I know what I'm doing is what makes me so angry that I have to retake this test. If I'd failed my rotations or my KCOM OSCE I wouldn't be so angry.

That's pretty frustrating...I dont think I'm violating their pact of secrecy to tell you about a patient on the PE that actually changed his story halfway through the encounter about a pretty important detail (when and how much his meds were changed for his C.C.) and so I stopped him, and had to tell him "listen, this is REALLY important..." . That is a problem with these tests in that they cannot be totally objective-although neither is the real world I guess.....

 

[DOtobe]

Some of my SPs annoyed me too on the PE. One of the things we were told in the orientation was that the patients will refuse any sensitive exams - breast exams, gynecological exams, rectal exams...So my first patient is a woman having some abdominal complaint, and I say I would need to do a rectal exam and a gynecological exam. Her response? "Oh, that would be fine." WTF? So I made something up like, "I'll come back later and do that." Having my first patient throw me for a loop like that was not a good start!

 

[double elle]

My favorite quotes from the test:

Doc - do you think I have cancer?
Doc - do you think I'm going to die?
Doc - am I having a heart attack?

Every patient except 2 or 3 asked me something ridiculous like that!

 

[kristing]

Some of my SPs annoyed me too on the PE. One of the things we were told in the orientation was that the patients will refuse any sensitive exams - breast exams, gynecological exams, rectal exams...So my first patient is a woman having some abdominal complaint, and I say I would need to do a rectal exam and a gynecological exam. Her response? "Oh, that would be fine." WTF? So I made something up like, "I'll come back later and do that." Having my first patient throw me for a loop like that was not a good start!

oh my god I had that same woman! Same exact thing.

 

[DOtobe]

oh my god I had that same woman! Same exact thing.

She pissed me off...

 

[romdos]

I had the same experiences with these SPs. I think the PE is a joke for these reasons:

1 They don't tell you what they want on the exam other than to wash your hands, tell the SP your name, and do OMT on 'em at the slightest provocation

2 They don't give you any kind of breakdown of the scoring

3 It is not a valid reflection of our clinical abilities or knowledge because it is completely subjective

4 How can they test physical diagnosis skills when the patients don't have any physical findings?

5 It is an abnormal environment where you are timed and can't return to the room, and on every station I would inevitably think of something I should have asked or done after I went out of the room. In real life you could do that.

6 It costs $965.00!! 😡

All this is is the Osteopathic community constantly looking over their shoulder to see what the MDs are doing and rushing to imitate them so they will have credibility.

If they want credibility, they shouldn't be so dogmatic about the use of OMT. It has it's place, but it is not the PRIMARY tool we use to diagnose/treat patients. Nothing will change until we get rid of the flakes who are currently in charge of all this.

 

[Teufelhunden]

All this is is the Osteopathic community constantly looking over their shoulder to see what the MDs are doing and rushing to imitate them so they will have credibility.

If they want credibility, they shouldn't be so dogmatic about the use of OMT. It has it's place, but it is not the PRIMARY tool we use to diagnose/treat patients. Nothing will change until we get rid of the flakes who are currently in charge of all this.

Amen. One of the problems is that most normal DO's hate the AOA, and don't want anything to do with it. All the nut-jobs with framed A.J. Still photos in their rooms and who can quote every osteopathic book published since the 1800s...those are the people who end up in the AOA leadership. Take a look around your class...the weirdest OMT freak in your class is probably going to be an AOA president in 30 years.

It's a shame that our "leadership" represents a fringe minority of our profession.

 

[DrMom]

It's a shame that our "leadership" represents a fringe minority of our profession.

That is more the fault of the "normal" DOs than the fringe minority, IMO. If you don't get involved in some way, you have no place to whine.

I have issues with some of the thinking at the AOA so I applied for & got on an AOA committee. I've now done the same at the state level. I didn't want to just sit around & whine.

And one thing I've learned in this process is that many of the docs involved in the AOA are the "normal" ones. I think that if we students and residents become & continue to be involved, there will be some good changes at the AOA down the road.

 

[DRealDrZ]

MS 3.92???
So, Dr. Mom...calculate for me: I'm finished with clinicals...and graduate on May 15th.................

 

[DrMom]

MS 3.92???
So, Dr. Mom...calculate for me: I'm finished with clinicals...and graduate on May 15th.................

can you tell I'm tired of being an MS3? 😉

 

[DOtobe]

2 They don't give you any kind of breakdown of the scoring

The scoring is ridiculous. All the score sheet says when you get it back is "pass." Did I pass by the skin of my teeth, or did I do fairly well? There is no way for us to know.

 

[DRealDrZ]

But at least mine says "PASS"...that's the most important thing to me!!! 👍

 

[pushinepi2]

...If anyone is wondering, they WILL fail you on the COMLEX PE if you don't do adequate OMM diagnosis and/or treatment on the patients.

Crap. I shouldn't have performed direct neuro-conversion of CV4 after making the diagnosis of paroxysmal cranial tachycardia. I think I sent my patient into cranial fib! I wonder what the letter will say ?

 

[DRealDrZ]

I don't care who you are...that's funny, right there!!!

 

[DOtobe]

But at least mine says "PASS"...that's the most important thing to me!!! 👍

True... 👍

 

[NurseyK]

If anyone has taken the PE up until mid-March or so....scores are in (on the internet site).

👍 One more hoop that has been jumped thru successfully.

As DOtobe so nicely put it....now give me my damn diploma...


Kat 😀

 

[zorro21]

if you fail the comlex pe, will they tell you why? do you do omt ONLY on patients who "asked" and no one else?

 

[zao]

I think they will tell which part of the PE you failed but not specifics. I actually didn't do OMT on the patient who asked for it b/c I couldn't remember how to do it🙂 and did only a seated exam on everyone else and passed. Oh yeah, I also forget to document the OMT i did do. How did i pass...??