MCAT vs COMPLEX

[pecan]

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For anyone who has taken the COMPLEX how does it compare to the MCAT? Is it just as difficult? Show we start studing for it along with the other medical school courses?

 

[Popoy]

I'm planning on using First Aid while taking courses and making my own notes to familiarize myself with high yield topics.

Any other suggestions? 😀

 

[Hskermdic]

Pecan,
I would say it is hard to compare the COMLEX and the MCAT. I found the MCAT a rather fun test (I know that sounds weird) that I was able to study everything for out of a MCAT prep book) The COMLEX was much different. There was so much on the comlex that didn't seem to be in the board review books (I used Step Up and First Aid)
Don't get me wrong I liked both books and I think using FirstAid and/or step up as you go along in classes would be both helpful as you go through classes and later for boards. I think what helped me the most on boards what the information I got during my clinical classes (ex. Cardiology, radiology, renal etc) that I had over the last 2 quarters.

 

[muonwhiz]

Wouldn't this question have to be posed from 2 different areas? One area would be the content and question difficulty, and I assume that the Boards would win out here. But another would be the difficulty of other factors, i.e. what is at stake by the test. Here it would seem that the mcat might be harder, because at stake is the admission to medical school. Most osteopathic schools have a high pass rate for the Boards, if you study wisely then the odds of passing should be highly in your favor. If you don't do well, then there might be some embarassment and you'd take the test again. A poor score might keep you from a prestigious residency, but you would probably get a residency somewhere. You will be a doctor either way. But the mcat has the potential to deny that opportunity outright, so the pressure could be greater.

 

[pecan]

What is first aid?

 

[Popoy]

first aid is a review book for the USMLE. The exact title is:

FIRST AID for the USMLE STEP 1: A Student to Student Guide.

Check it out at your nearest bookstore.... I'v been told that it's one of the most useful books people have used for the STEP 1 boards whether it be USMLE or COMLEX.

 

[Hskermdic]

First-Aid is great. I went through it 3 times for boards and went through Step-Up once. They are both good. First aid is more a complex set of facts. Step-up is more sentences and paragraphs. Both are very good and using them both compliment each other. The way we did it was to form a group and go through 10-20 pages of First-Aid every weeknight as a group discussing everything and looking up things we didn't understand. Before we met we read everything individually so we would be more prepared when we got together. We started this in March and with taking a few days off we finished 3 weeks before boards. I think it worked well but I guess I won't

 

[Popoy]

Can you please tell me what exact "Step UP" is? I'm not familiar with that review book.... Would you mind posting the exact title? Thanx in advance

 

[Hskermdic]

The title is: Step-Up a high-yield, systems based review for the USMLE Step 1 Examination

sorry I wasn't clear earlier

 

[pecan]

I'm in the class of 2005, should I be extreamly concerned about studying them during my first year? I will start school in July and am not doing any studying until then. I would like to hear opinions on when to begin studying for the boards?

Thanks in advance for your responses!!!

 

[Popoy]

pecan,

I met someone in DMU that took the COMLEX this year and he told me that he studied for it since December of his second year. Which was about 6months before COMLEX Step1. The reason was that he wanted to get started and do really, really well. He was aiming to become a surgeon. Just thought I'd share that with you.

 

[njdevil]

Pecan,

Focus in your classes and passing them and doing well first. During your second yr, you can worry about boards.

 

[doughboy]

I agree with the above and say that studying for the boards early is not very helpful. Concentrating on your classes and learning the material is the most important part. By establishing a firm foundation in the general topics it will help you later when you start to study for the boards. It will also help you out during your clinical rotations. You want to "peak" right before your boards and do you don't want to burn out before them. I think 3 months is adequate time to prepare. Plus it also depends on the quality of your studying. A couple hours a day during classes can't compare to studying all day for 3 weeks right before the exam. There is so much material and so learning them during the school year should be up to your classes and board studying should be more of a review and brushing up on weak subjects and learning how to take the test and fine tuning your test taking techniques. Because aren't the first two years of med school preparing you for the boards because I know they don't really prepare you for the clinicals. That's a whole new set of books. You won't find every patient exhibiting all the "perfect" characteristics of each disease and that is the art of medicine--learning how to diagnose what is really going on.

 

[euhsa]

What's a COMPLEX? Is it a disorder? I have heard it used with the word Oedipus once and also with the word Elektra.

Popoy- Can you look it up for me?