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For all who are willing to share, I'm interested in hearing your opinions on how you thought Comlex I went. Was it what you expected?
Take care.
Rad 1
Take care.
Rad 1
It's Over!
- Thread starter Rad 1
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it is indeed over - and what a rollercoaster it was! I for one, thought it was a difficult exam and not exactly what I had been expecting.
There were four books - each book had about 187 questions - there were 2 versions of book 3 and both book 3 and 4 had pictures/diagrams - which I believe is a change (i think before there were only pictures and diagrams in book 3).
The questions were either blantantly obvious and easy or they were very difficult - there seemed to be no middle ground - the difficult ones seemed very picky.
The other thing that surprised me was the lack of OPP and the lack of questions of the importance of viscero-somatic relationships - while the blue book tells you that 20% of COMLEX will be those relationships - it seemed more like 2%
I have no idea if i passed or failed - i'm glad its over and hope i don't have to go through it again, but i just have no way of telling how i did.
There were four books - each book had about 187 questions - there were 2 versions of book 3 and both book 3 and 4 had pictures/diagrams - which I believe is a change (i think before there were only pictures and diagrams in book 3).
The questions were either blantantly obvious and easy or they were very difficult - there seemed to be no middle ground - the difficult ones seemed very picky.
The other thing that surprised me was the lack of OPP and the lack of questions of the importance of viscero-somatic relationships - while the blue book tells you that 20% of COMLEX will be those relationships - it seemed more like 2%
I have no idea if i passed or failed - i'm glad its over and hope i don't have to go through it again, but i just have no way of telling how i did.
•••quote:•••Originally posted by siednarb:
•it is indeed over - and what a rollercoaster it was! I for one, thought it was a difficult exam and not exactly what I had been expecting.
There were four books - each book had about 187 questions - there were 2 versions of book 3 and both book 3 and 4 had pictures/diagrams - which I believe is a change (i think before there were only pictures and diagrams in book 3).
The questions were either blantantly obvious and easy or they were very difficult - there seemed to be no middle ground - the difficult ones seemed very picky.
The other thing that surprised me was the lack of OPP and the lack of questions of the importance of viscero-somatic relationships - while the blue book tells you that 20% of COMLEX will be those relationships - it seemed more like 2%
I have no idea if i passed or failed - i'm glad its over and hope i don't have to go through it again, but i just have no way of telling how i did.•••••Wow, we saw things a little differently.
First, I agree that there was no middle ground. Books 1,2, and 4 had 187 q's. Book 3 189.
I had a ****load of those somatic innervation questions. Also saw a lot of erectile dysfunction ones. There was also quite a bit of OMM questions in Book 2 and 3. My exam only had diagrams in Book 4 (but there were quite a few in that book). One of them was a f*cking hand drawn petri dish--pitiful. Another was a gram stain that was poorly scanned...you could see color pixels, but not necessarily make out what you were looking at (although, I'm not sure you entirely needed to see the picture clearly to figure out the answer).
Lots of buzzwords for things. Also, out of the 187 questions in Book 3, I thought at least 120 or so of them were straight out of First Aid.
I left feeling certain I passed comfortably, but you really never can tell. I left the MCAT thinking I'd be lucky to get 15 cumulative, but did very well.....so who knows???
Good luck all.
•it is indeed over - and what a rollercoaster it was! I for one, thought it was a difficult exam and not exactly what I had been expecting.
There were four books - each book had about 187 questions - there were 2 versions of book 3 and both book 3 and 4 had pictures/diagrams - which I believe is a change (i think before there were only pictures and diagrams in book 3).
The questions were either blantantly obvious and easy or they were very difficult - there seemed to be no middle ground - the difficult ones seemed very picky.
The other thing that surprised me was the lack of OPP and the lack of questions of the importance of viscero-somatic relationships - while the blue book tells you that 20% of COMLEX will be those relationships - it seemed more like 2%
I have no idea if i passed or failed - i'm glad its over and hope i don't have to go through it again, but i just have no way of telling how i did.•••••Wow, we saw things a little differently.
First, I agree that there was no middle ground. Books 1,2, and 4 had 187 q's. Book 3 189.
I had a ****load of those somatic innervation questions. Also saw a lot of erectile dysfunction ones. There was also quite a bit of OMM questions in Book 2 and 3. My exam only had diagrams in Book 4 (but there were quite a few in that book). One of them was a f*cking hand drawn petri dish--pitiful. Another was a gram stain that was poorly scanned...you could see color pixels, but not necessarily make out what you were looking at (although, I'm not sure you entirely needed to see the picture clearly to figure out the answer).
Lots of buzzwords for things. Also, out of the 187 questions in Book 3, I thought at least 120 or so of them were straight out of First Aid.
I left feeling certain I passed comfortably, but you really never can tell. I left the MCAT thinking I'd be lucky to get 15 cumulative, but did very well.....so who knows???
Good luck all.
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The test is curved so even if you thought you didn't do as well as you thought, there is a good chance everyone else thought it was difficult and so you'll do fine. Plus, there are some experimental questions too so who knows.
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I agree they were either very obvious or very diffiult questions. We have a very strong Path. department at my school and they went to another level with most of the path. questions. I had diagrams in books 3 and 4, had a good bit of OMT, and viscerosomatic reflexes etc. I had a bunch of Psych. drugs but they rarely asked the first line drugs which is want I studied. I pretty sure I passed, you could miss about 55 questions and still end up with a 70 percent which I am sure would put you in the 90 percentile easily. Does anyone know how the test is scored exactly?
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i agree that the questions were either very difficult or very straight forward. some were so picky i couldn't even make an educated guess! my pictures were crappy as well. we at UHS with our new curriculum were nervous that we were the only ones feeling that the exam was not what we expected. i'm glad to hear others feel the same way!
I agree with the general theme in that the exam was not what the upperclass students told us about what they had last year for comlex-
I disagree regarding first aid-I had very few questions that came from first aid given that book covering a lot of things in a general way and the comlex covered a few topics (no rare diseases, etc.) in an extremely detailed manner. Lots of physiology/pathopysiology and first aid has a weak phys. chapter (I'm glad I learned my phys. first year). My advice to DO 05, use first aid as a summary but study hard during the class itself and know your primary care diseases back wards and forwards.
OMM-lots of cranial, quite a few chapmans, plently of viscerosomatic questions disguised as anatomy ?'s
I disagree regarding first aid-I had very few questions that came from first aid given that book covering a lot of things in a general way and the comlex covered a few topics (no rare diseases, etc.) in an extremely detailed manner. Lots of physiology/pathopysiology and first aid has a weak phys. chapter (I'm glad I learned my phys. first year). My advice to DO 05, use first aid as a summary but study hard during the class itself and know your primary care diseases back wards and forwards.
OMM-lots of cranial, quite a few chapmans, plently of viscerosomatic questions disguised as anatomy ?'s
I agree with the general theme in that the exam was not what the upperclass students told us about what they had last year for comlex-
I disagree regarding first aid-I had very few questions that came from first aid given that book covering a lot of things in a general way and the comlex covered a few topics (no rare diseases, etc.) in an extremely detailed manner. Lots of physiology/pathopysiology and first aid has a weak phys. chapter (I'm glad I learned my phys. first year). My advice to DO 05, use first aid as a summary but study hard during the class itself and know your primary care diseases back wards and forwards.
OMM-lots of cranial, quite a few chapmans, plently of viscerosomatic questions disguised as anatomy ?'s
I disagree regarding first aid-I had very few questions that came from first aid given that book covering a lot of things in a general way and the comlex covered a few topics (no rare diseases, etc.) in an extremely detailed manner. Lots of physiology/pathopysiology and first aid has a weak phys. chapter (I'm glad I learned my phys. first year). My advice to DO 05, use first aid as a summary but study hard during the class itself and know your primary care diseases back wards and forwards.
OMM-lots of cranial, quite a few chapmans, plently of viscerosomatic questions disguised as anatomy ?'s
I agree with the general theme in that the exam was not what the upperclass students told us about what they had last year for comlex-
I disagree regarding first aid-I had very few questions that came from first aid given that book covering a lot of things in a general way and the comlex covered a few topics (no rare diseases, etc.) in an extremely detailed manner. Lots of physiology/pathopysiology and first aid has a weak phys. chapter (I'm glad I learned my phys. first year). My advice to DO 05, use first aid as a summary but study hard during the class itself and know your primary care diseases back wards and forwards.
OMM-lots of cranial, quite a few chapmans, plently of viscerosomatic questions disguised as anatomy ?'s
I disagree regarding first aid-I had very few questions that came from first aid given that book covering a lot of things in a general way and the comlex covered a few topics (no rare diseases, etc.) in an extremely detailed manner. Lots of physiology/pathopysiology and first aid has a weak phys. chapter (I'm glad I learned my phys. first year). My advice to DO 05, use first aid as a summary but study hard during the class itself and know your primary care diseases back wards and forwards.
OMM-lots of cranial, quite a few chapmans, plently of viscerosomatic questions disguised as anatomy ?'s
macman,
I just posted a reply to your post in the boards forum. Different versions of the test I suppose, but wow, I guess we saw things differently.
Cranial though, I think I had 3 or 4 questions tops...agreed on viscerosomatic.
Also agreed on advice to the future takers. If you didn't learn it in class this year, take a little time and at least review physio over the summer....
I just posted a reply to your post in the boards forum. Different versions of the test I suppose, but wow, I guess we saw things differently.
Cranial though, I think I had 3 or 4 questions tops...agreed on viscerosomatic.
Also agreed on advice to the future takers. If you didn't learn it in class this year, take a little time and at least review physio over the summer....
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Boomer,
I had quite a few Cranial questions on my exam. One I particularly remember dealt with a man who had been involved in a fight and received a "hit to the mid-face." No direction of force was given (straight on, upper to lower, lower to upper, left-to right, right-to-left) yet the question wanted to know what dysfunction was present (SB compression, torsion, shear, etc.) I have been in my share of fights as a youth, and I can recall hits received and given to the midface from all sorts of angles. Without knowing the vector of force, the answer was a pure guess.
There were pharm questions with multiple correct answers, and the scanned in pics were a nightmare. The drawing referenced earlier in this post - I thought it was coccidiomycosis ( sperules with endospores), but I also thought it could have been an agar plate with an unknown bacteria on it. Let's computerize this exam so the pictures can be shown properly.... and no hand drawings ! ! !
We had students in my class fill out dispute forms, but I do not know what questions were being disputed.
I had quite a few Cranial questions on my exam. One I particularly remember dealt with a man who had been involved in a fight and received a "hit to the mid-face." No direction of force was given (straight on, upper to lower, lower to upper, left-to right, right-to-left) yet the question wanted to know what dysfunction was present (SB compression, torsion, shear, etc.) I have been in my share of fights as a youth, and I can recall hits received and given to the midface from all sorts of angles. Without knowing the vector of force, the answer was a pure guess.
There were pharm questions with multiple correct answers, and the scanned in pics were a nightmare. The drawing referenced earlier in this post - I thought it was coccidiomycosis ( sperules with endospores), but I also thought it could have been an agar plate with an unknown bacteria on it. Let's computerize this exam so the pictures can be shown properly.... and no hand drawings ! ! !
We had students in my class fill out dispute forms, but I do not know what questions were being disputed.
•••quote:•••Originally posted by Pilot:
•Boomer,
I had quite a few Cranial questions on my exam. One I particularly remember dealt with a man who had been involved in a fight and received a "hit to the mid-face." No direction of force was given (straight on, upper to lower, lower to upper, left-to right, right-to-left) yet the question wanted to know what dysfunction was present (SB compression, torsion, shear, etc.) I have been in my share of fights as a youth, and I can recall hits received and given to the midface from all sorts of angles. Without knowing the vector of force, the answer was a pure guess.
There were pharm questions with multiple correct answers, and the scanned in pics were a nightmare. The drawing referenced earlier in this post - I thought it was coccidiomycosis ( sperules with endospores), but I also thought it could have been an agar plate with an unknown bacteria on it. Let's computerize this exam so the pictures can be shown properly.... and no hand drawings ! ! !
We had students in my class fill out dispute forms, but I do not know what questions were being disputed.•••••There were a lot of crappy questions, I agree. I did have that same cranial question. I gave him an SBS compression (best I could figure based on the minimal amount of information given).
As for said drawing, I thought it was showing Histoplasma (fungus in macrophages), but really, how could you tell? One of my friends called it Cryptococcus (even though that didn't fit well with the three word history we were given) because he thought the drawing reminded him of the drawing of Cryptococcus in 1st Aid.
What about the farmer from the San Joaquin Valley? If you had the Q, you know what I'm talking about, and that was a bastard thing to do. Guarantee you a lot of people miss that question.
I thought about doing the dispute forms, but said to hell with it. I could have easily spent as much time writing up challenge forms as I spent taking the test. Oh well, it's over (at least until October, eh?)....
•Boomer,
I had quite a few Cranial questions on my exam. One I particularly remember dealt with a man who had been involved in a fight and received a "hit to the mid-face." No direction of force was given (straight on, upper to lower, lower to upper, left-to right, right-to-left) yet the question wanted to know what dysfunction was present (SB compression, torsion, shear, etc.) I have been in my share of fights as a youth, and I can recall hits received and given to the midface from all sorts of angles. Without knowing the vector of force, the answer was a pure guess.
There were pharm questions with multiple correct answers, and the scanned in pics were a nightmare. The drawing referenced earlier in this post - I thought it was coccidiomycosis ( sperules with endospores), but I also thought it could have been an agar plate with an unknown bacteria on it. Let's computerize this exam so the pictures can be shown properly.... and no hand drawings ! ! !
We had students in my class fill out dispute forms, but I do not know what questions were being disputed.•••••There were a lot of crappy questions, I agree. I did have that same cranial question. I gave him an SBS compression (best I could figure based on the minimal amount of information given).
As for said drawing, I thought it was showing Histoplasma (fungus in macrophages), but really, how could you tell? One of my friends called it Cryptococcus (even though that didn't fit well with the three word history we were given) because he thought the drawing reminded him of the drawing of Cryptococcus in 1st Aid.
What about the farmer from the San Joaquin Valley? If you had the Q, you know what I'm talking about, and that was a bastard thing to do. Guarantee you a lot of people miss that question.
I thought about doing the dispute forms, but said to hell with it. I could have easily spent as much time writing up challenge forms as I spent taking the test. Oh well, it's over (at least until October, eh?)....
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Wow! I am so glad to hear everyone kinda feels the same. I was a bit worried as were most of my classmates. That one question sticks in my mind, too, the farmer from San Joaquin, I almost didn't read the question, but for some reason I did and saw acid fast at the very end of the question! Pretty damn sneaky!
I had a lot of pharm and personally I don't think the First Aid helped at all...Way too much questions on ED and Oral Contraceptives! So many of us were told to stick with the First Aid book. I totally disagree...
What were the dispute forms? I don't remember hearing about that. Does anyone know how the test is normalized? Do they curve it per school or nationwide?
I am just glad it's over, now I can look forward to my vacation in Cancun
kiki~
MSIII, finally!
I had a lot of pharm and personally I don't think the First Aid helped at all...Way too much questions on ED and Oral Contraceptives! So many of us were told to stick with the First Aid book. I totally disagree...
What were the dispute forms? I don't remember hearing about that. Does anyone know how the test is normalized? Do they curve it per school or nationwide?
I am just glad it's over, now I can look forward to my vacation in Cancun
kiki~
MSIII, finally!
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glad to see that we all pretty much feel the same way. The San Jauquin Valley/Acid Fast question - was cruel - but not a new thing - supposedly last year they did San Jaquin Valley/Gram positive at the end - our micro professor tiped us off to watch out for that kind of thing - but still people missed it. Also - i believe it was a case question and the second question should have tipped you off to go back and read the scenario to catch the acid-fast (along witht he cavitations and night sweats).
I just want to know what happened to questions that have to deal with medicine - there was ONE question on the leukemias - as for the hand drawing pathetic image - some here thought it was the mycoplasma "fried egg" appearance.
I just want to know what happened to questions that have to deal with medicine - there was ONE question on the leukemias - as for the hand drawing pathetic image - some here thought it was the mycoplasma "fried egg" appearance.
•••quote:•••Originally posted by siednarb:
•as for the hand drawing pathetic image - some here thought it was the mycoplasma "fried egg" appearance.•••••Great. I think that now officially covers all possible answer choices on that damn question.
On the SJ Valley question, what really sucked was that it was late in the exam book. Personally, I'm a very fast test taker, and certainly never felt rushed for time, but for someone who did feel rushed coming upon that question, the buzz word may have royally screwed them.
•as for the hand drawing pathetic image - some here thought it was the mycoplasma "fried egg" appearance.•••••Great. I think that now officially covers all possible answer choices on that damn question.
On the SJ Valley question, what really sucked was that it was late in the exam book. Personally, I'm a very fast test taker, and certainly never felt rushed for time, but for someone who did feel rushed coming upon that question, the buzz word may have royally screwed them.
•••quote:•••Originally posted by Pilot:
•I actually wrote on alternate answer in my test booklet - but I doubt they will read it. If they do I will probably be required to retake the exam. •••••I actually wrote them a few notes in the booklet that might prevent me from being licensed....of course, I'm a tough guy when I'm writing in a sealed book....
•I actually wrote on alternate answer in my test booklet - but I doubt they will read it. If they do I will probably be required to retake the exam.
•••••I actually wrote them a few notes in the booklet that might prevent me from being licensed....of course, I'm a tough guy when I'm writing in a sealed book....
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Did any of you at your respective schools fill out dispute forms? I heard a lot of people did that, but I never knew about it. If I knew, I would've filled one out, too. I thought there were quite a few that could've had more than one answer, for sure!
Are any of you taking the USMLE?
Are any of you taking the USMLE?
I am still freaked out about the exam. I agree witheveryone who says the exam was filled with easy or very hard questions.
I missed 4 or 5 blatantly easy questions b/c fatigue or thought they were trying to be tricky. This is going to be a long wait for me and the idea of re-taking the exam makes me nauseous.
I missed 4 or 5 blatantly easy questions b/c fatigue or thought they were trying to be tricky. This is going to be a long wait for me and the idea of re-taking the exam makes me nauseous.
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i agree with what a lot of people wrote. the msIII's and msIV's told us to rely on 1st aid and i feel that it didn't help me at all. i thought many of the questions were ambiguously written and/or the pictures to go along with them were horrible. the petri dish hand drawing wins the prize there. there were so many questions that i would read and know exactly what they were talking about and then the answers didn't make any sense. or there were several answers that could have been correct - penicillin/methicillin/vanco on the septic patient. i didn't think 20% of the exam was OMT either. to sum up - even though i have done well over the last 2 years i have no idea how i did on that stupid exam.
