Help! Failed COMLEX step I...

[Boots229]

Hi everyone, I was wondering if any of you have been in this position or have known someone in this position. I am determined to bounce back and study hard for this exam again, but am not exactly sure how to go about it since I have already started my rotations. Has anyone here had to study for boards during rotations? How easily can it be done?


I plan on not rushing into anything because I think that's what got me the last time. I want to take my time and truly understand the information. any advice would be much appreciated! please share some experiences on this matter. thanks!

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[FutureInternist]

Your best bet is to take a vacation month and focus completely on the test. If you have already used that then check to see if your school allows students to substitute your 4th year vacation month for a 3rd year rotation (hence allowing you to graduate w/ your class).

If not, then you can wait for a month that you know will be easy (FP perhaps) although you will probably need to talk to your classmates to find out which preceptor lets you go home at 1 pm everyday and then beg your Clinical Education Dept for that person.

The COMLEX feedback is pretty bogus so unfortunately there really is no way of telling which subjects you may need to concentrate on. I would suggest looking at your 2nd year grades for Micro, Pharm, Path.....usually a pretty good correlation.

 

[BMW19]

Weren't you just a pre-med like 6 months ago.....wow you jumped ahead

Hi everyone, I was wondering if any of you have been in this position or have known someone in this position. I am determined to bounce back and study hard for this exam again, but am not exactly sure how to go about it since I have already started my rotations. Has anyone here had to study for boards during rotations? How easily can it be done?


I plan on not rushing into anything because I think that's what got me the last time. I want to take my time and truly understand the information. any advice would be much appreciated! please share some experiences on this matter. thanks!

 

[Terpskins99]

Weren't you just a pre-med like 6 months ago.....wow you jumped ahead

haha... I saw that too.

Either its a gunner trying to prepare waaaaay ahead of time, or someone else using his SDN account to post.

 

[Boots229]

yeah sorry, i'm using my friend's account. you guys are quite observant though

 

[BMW19]

Well I only did average on COMLEX so take my advice with a grain of salt. What I did is use First Aid, Step Up, a good pharm book and Savarese. I tried not to spread myself too thin. Some people will go crazy using BRS path, Robbins, Goljan etc. Then you are all over the place. I tried to consolidate everything from outside sources into First Aid and Step Up. By the way great chart in the back of Step up related to pharm. Every drug in Alpha order with indics, Cx's, Side effects etc. Don't blow off OMM because that will make you or break you. Do all of the Q's in the back of Savarese because they are very close to the real thing and start to repeat. Don't stress too much I found the test to be very random. What rotation are you on now? You may want to be strategic about when you take it again i.e. not right after a surgery month!

BMW-

yeah sorry, i'm using my friend's account. you guys are quite observant though

 

[Terpskins99]

Hi everyone, I was wondering if any of you have been in this position or have known someone in this position. I am determined to bounce back and study hard for this exam again, but am not exactly sure how to go about it since I have already started my rotations. Has anyone here had to study for boards during rotations? How easily can it be done?

I plan on not rushing into anything because I think that's what got me the last time. I want to take my time and truly understand the information. any advice would be much appreciated! please share some experiences on this matter. thanks!

okie dokie, now that we've settle the id of the OP...

I'd recommend:
1) Questions! Now I don't think its necessary to do 10,000+ that other people suggest... but I do think its important to do a timed simulated 50Q block every day (preferably in the morning right after you wake up). Review the answers if you can, but the main purpose is to get your brain used working hard when you least want to.

2) Isolate your trouble areas among the highest yield disciplines (e.g. Path, Pharm, Phys, Micro, Biochem, Immuno, Behavioral, Musculoskeletal) and start there. Always keep in mind the clinical relevance of any particular topic you're studying (e.g. if you're studying the purine degradation/recycling pathway, then the corresponding question you'll get on the exam is going to be Lesch Nyhan's or Gout). Once you've made a first pass review of everything, start hitting subject-specific questions hard. This is the point where you figure out if you're learning the topics in-depth enough.

3) Try to stay updated on the trends of the exam. This year's COMLEX was unusually heavy on pharm (emphasis on anti-depressants, antipsychotics and antibiotics). Many of the questions concerning antibiotics involved knowing the alternate drug in addition to the DOC (which I think was stupid... but whatever). Same deal with the CNS drugs (asking about 2nd and 3rd order side effects)... basically, if you're able to get a heads-up on the subjects that they seem to push harder for any given year then study those areas more in-depth than others.

 

[micdoc6513]

First of all, stay positive. Every year people fail the COMLEX and those same people go on to match into the residency of their choice and become great doctors. This was just one test. That being said, you need to start preparing NOW for the retake exam. Examine how you prepared for the last test. What could you have done differently? What were your weak areas? Start to examine the answers to these questions and make a study plan. You should be studying everyday starting now. Also, I think questions are the key. Subscribe to a good question bank online and set a goal of doing 30-50 questions everyday. Take time to not only answer the question but to exam the answers in depth. This will also help identify your weaknesses. Good luck. I know you are going to do great on the retake. Just work hard and keep a positive attitude. You can do it!

 

[Amy B]

http://www.boardsbootcamp.com/

They have a great program to help people with boards as well as people that need to repeat the boards. You can also sign up for an exam to show you where you weaknesses are that you can do online as well as a question bank. They can give you a study plan and help you along the way. People from my school say it is a great program. Good luck. Be positive. It is not the end of the world. You can do it right the next time!

 

[Boots229]

thanks for all the advice! i will take everything into account and try to stay positive during my rotations and studies

 

[Army DOC DO]

my school, UNECOM pulls you from rotations for 6 weeks to study and retake comlex, they do not let you stay in rotations. but every school is different, not sure what to tell you. I wasn't in that boat, all I can say is study some more path and bugs and drugs. Use Goljan, and do a lot of questions. goodluck