My school requires us to pass 475 COMSAE D

[073116]

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So we have 2 months before end of spring semester (a lot of Path and Pharm) and yet our school already wants us to pass 475 on Comsae D. I'll be honest with you - I think it's unnecessary at this point for us. We are still learning, we haven't even had a dedicated study time, we have 3 exams in a row just before Comsae D exam. I'll only have 1.5 days to prep for it - FTW?! How can they expect us to score above minimal passing score (400) already? Oh, I'm sure some of my classmates will rock it - but what about the rest of us? I for one - NEED dedicated study time before actual COMLEX and USMLE - my previous experience with MCAT showed me that I improve a LOT during dedicated study time. I just don't understand this necessity at this point of time and at this level 475. I probably only remember 10-15% of first year material like neuro or biochem etc. How can they expect us to already score above 475? Many of us just started doing UW+FA in February - just a month ago doing 10-20 pages of FA and 10-20 UW questions a day - we haven't even finished a 1st pass of FA for Pete's sake

Ok, sorry about this rant, but it's just not the best move by our school to pull this at this time.
I'm already expecting not passing it - just because realistically I'm not ready, I haven't studied for that yet. I need dedicated study time - spring semester is full blown (we have exams every week, 3 hour Pharm cumulative exam alone is enough to not think about any comsae at this point). Only people in top 25% are ready - they were ready 2 years ago already lol, but what about the rest of us - normal average students? It's already disrupting my current study routine 🤢. Why I have to shift focus from my current studies to some 1st year stuff - just because school decides to test us? If they are so afraid to not let weak students take real test so that their statistics will go down - then test us 2 weeks before real exam and postpone those who fail, but don't distract us from current semester and test us after we had at least 2 weeks of dedicated time

 

[trs88]

I got a little lost. Is the 475 a pre board studying score the school wants you to get? Or is the 475 a score you need to get in order to even take boards?

What did the school say will happen if you don't hit the 475?

 

[073116]

I got a little lost. Is the 475 a pre board studying score the school wants you to get? Or is the 475 a score you need to get in order to even take boards?

What did the school say will happen if you don't hit the 475?

475 on Comsae D - is a minimal score we need to get to even be allowed to take boards. AFAIK around 451 is national average for Comsae D - which means that at least half of us will not pass 475 - which means we won't be allowed to take boards. We will have to re-mediate and take some silly 1 month course before school will test us again. The thing is we are still 2 month away until Spring semester ends. We have lots of cumulative exams coming - I am forced to scratch my routine now because of that and shift my focus on 1st year material. For me - this is ****ed! I apologize for harsh language, but I was planning to do all this during dedicated study time, I thought that's what dedicated study time was for.

 

[073116]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the mean (comlex) last year was 520 (if I remember correctly) - so our school wants us to score above 475 (only 45 points lower than mean) to even be allowed for boards - 2 months before spring semester ends! WTF? Look at it from USMLE perspective - the national average for last year for step 1 usmle was 230 (if I remember it correctly) - so if we extrapolate - they basically want us to be already close to that level (not 230, but maybe about 220) right now in mid-March! Completely unnecessary and asinine forcing many of us to sacrifice current semester grades and change our established routine just to be allowed to take boards.
You know, I thought Spring semester will be easier one (for once) to allow us to prep for boards - I know many schools do that. But no, they can't let us study in piece - they need to force this BS upon us at this time and no - they can't wait as usual

 

[073116]

This will only accomplish one thing inho - increase the gap even more. The gap between top 20% gunners and the rest of us. Becuase, gunners are already more than ready, they won't even blink and will continue studying for current semester - will get better grades. While those of us - unfortunate average students will have to drop the ball for current semester, get worse grades, change study routine, start reviewing 1st year stuff - just to satisfy our school Comsae D threshold. Some of us will not pass, and will have to spent even more time doing mandatory silly in-person course DURING spring semester cumulative finals (basically doing worse in both finals and in board prep). I hate my school.
Apologies for my angry rant - it's just I see some schools give Comsae D 2 weeks before comlex and imho - that's how it should be, as people will have dedicated study time and passing Comsae D will be just a "extra NBOME" test. I wish we had same strategy. Whoever planned our schedule was imbecile

 

[Meekor]

Just study and take it, stop wasting your time here complaining about how unfair it is. This is life and this is medicine, inconveniences happen and nothing is fair.

 

[TheRebels]

When do you have to take this exam?

 

[073116]

When do you have to take this exam?

1 week - next Thursday 🙁 and I'm dying studying for 3 exams I have before that time, so I'm eating myself for not been able to prep properly for Comsae D. I know I shoudn't complain and just study, but seeing how some other schools have a lot better schedule (and one that makes sense actually) makes me very angry at our school. Again sorry for this venting

P.S. it seems to me that this is done by our school to filter weaker students and improve their stats - so next year they will tell same BS to next wave of applicants - how great their statistics is lol

 

[BorntobeDO?]

Focus on class, worry about D later. The course is annoying, but if they are giving you an extra month of dedicated, just take it. Your right that 475 is probably not going to happen for half the class before dedicated. And I hate the mandatory course, but it is what it is. Rock the things that are on your transcript and do what you need to, just get by the barriers.

 

[ortnakas]

My school had a similar requirement (450, but in the same timeframe) and I don’t think it slowed anyone down who didn’t really end up needing to be slowed down. Study for your other exams and don’t stress too much about this one.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Just roll with it and look forward to graduation. Worst case scenario is you spend a month studying with over half your class.