Official comlex 1 2012 experiences, advice, and scores thread

[Pink Candy]

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For those of you who have taken COMLEX I, please feel free to post schedules, advice on studying/ how to best prepare, types of questions you saw on the test, something you wish you had done while preparing to improve your score, etc. Also feel free to post your score.

I am taking COMLEX I on June 25th, and I'm getting a bit nervous because I feel disorganized and don't have a solid plan. If I come across good suggestions, I will post them here right away. 😀

Thanks for everyone's help, and I hope we all rock this test!!!

 

[jc3804]

What exactly does the 2 digit score mean? I hear most people referring to their 3 digit score... What's the significance of the 2 digit score that is converted from the 3 digit one?

 

[JRjcu08]

What exactly does the 2 digit score mean? I hear most people referring to their 3 digit score... What's the significance of the 2 digit score that is converted from the 3 digit one?

The 2 digit score is mainly used to convert your 3-digit to a percentile. The NBOME doesn't have this data until the following spring, I think.

 

[Jayscin]

The 2 digit score is mainly used to convert your 3-digit to a percentile. The NBOME doesn't have this data until the following spring, I think.

From NBOME...

"The COMLEX Level 1, Level 2 CE, and Level 3 examinations report both three-digit and two-digit standard scores. The minimal passing 3-digit standard score for Level 1 and Level 2 (CE) is 400, for Level 3 is 350. The two-digit standard score is directly converted from a three-digit score such that 75 is designated as the minimum two-digit passing score. A two-digit score is NOT a percentile score or the percentage of items answered correctly."

 

[JRjcu08]

From NBOME...

"The COMLEX Level 1, Level 2 CE, and Level 3 examinations report both three-digit and two-digit standard scores. The minimal passing 3-digit standard score for Level 1 and Level 2 (CE) is 400, for Level 3 is 350. The two-digit standard score is directly converted from a three-digit score such that 75 is designated as the minimum two-digit passing score. A two-digit score is NOT a percentile score or the percentage of items answered correctly."

So what they're basically saying is that it is just as uninformative as the 2 digit USMLE score?

https://www.nbome-pe.org/cbtscoreconv/
This will give you your %ile, again... they reset the scale in the spring, I believe.

 

[jc3804]

From NBOME...

"The COMLEX Level 1, Level 2 CE, and Level 3 examinations report both three-digit and two-digit standard scores. The minimal passing 3-digit standard score for Level 1 and Level 2 (CE) is 400, for Level 3 is 350. The two-digit standard score is directly converted from a three-digit score such that 75 is designated as the minimum two-digit passing score. A two-digit score is NOT a percentile score or the percentage of items answered correctly."

I read this on the site, but I still don't understand the significance of it. What's the point of having a 2 digit score?

 

[NewBlood]

Many states have licensing laws that explicitly require the physician to have scored "at least 75%" on board exams (ie, COMLEX or USMLE). The only reason a 2-digit score is calculated is to comply with these laws.

 

[bagger123]

Hi Guys...I have a question that I was hoping someone on here could answer.
I know the Sarvese book is great for studying the OMM portion of the COMLEX, but since I am short on time, I dont think I will be able to read it all, and will have to pick and choose certain chapters to read.
If anyone has any insight in terms of which chapters are particularly high yield besides the cranial, sacrum, and facilitation chapters, that would be extremely helpful.
thanks for your input

 

[Phlame217]

Hi Guys...I have a question that I was hoping someone on here could answer.
I know the Sarvese book is great for studying the OMM portion of the COMLEX, but since I am short on time, I dont think I will be able to read it all, and will have to pick and choose certain chapters to read.
If anyone has any insight in terms of which chapters are particularly high yield besides the cranial, sacrum, and facilitation chapters, that would be extremely helpful.
thanks for your input

It takes an 8 hour day to read the entire book. Focus extra time on viscerosomatic, chapman, sacrum, cranial. I would spend a little time on the appendix with reflex testing and dermatomes too.

 

[bagger123]

Thx for the reply!
I appreciate the help

 

[Siggy]

Sarvese isn't that long once you consider that the review content, not counting the practice tests at the end is only about 170 pages, and even that includes numerous pages of end of chapter tests.

 

[scummie]

Anybody know if you can actually leave the testing center during your lunch break?

Haven't gone to the grocery store in ages so was hoping I could pick up some fast food during the break.

 

[JRjcu08]

Anybody know if you can actually leave the testing center during your lunch break?

Haven't gone to the grocery store in ages so was hoping I could pick up some fast food during the break.

Yeah you can but I wouldn't travel far... 40 minutes goes by pretty quickly and any delay will screw you completely.

 

[scummie]

Yeah you can but I wouldn't travel far... 40 minutes goes by pretty quickly and any delay will screw you completely.

Sweet! Taking my test tomorrow--plan to carbo load on the value menu at McDonalds if possible.

I do know that Goljan tested their meat and it wasn't good. Gonna live life on the edge.

 

[JRjcu08]

Sweet! Taking my test tomorrow--plan to carbo load on the value menu at McDonalds if possible.

I do know that Goljan tested their meat and it wasn't good. Gonna live life on the edge.

Also don't eat anything that will make you too sleepy. And the 10 min breaks b/t blocks 2/3 and 6/7 are not free time (they subtract from your 4 hrs) so if time is an issue for you, plan accordingly...esp for after lunch.

 

[Pink Candy]

Also don't eat anything that will make you too sleepy. And the 10 min breaks b/t blocks 2/3 and 6/7 are not free time (they subtract from your 4 hrs) so if time is an issue for you, plan accordingly...esp for after lunch.

So does this mean that the 2 ten minute break they give us is substracted from test time? I thought that we got a 60 min break total and that we could choose to take a 40 min break for lunch and 2 ten minute break. Was I wrong? can you please clarify the whole break deal?

thanks 😀

 

[Everglide]

So does this mean that the 2 ten minute break they give us is substracted from test time? I thought that we got a 60 min break total and that we could choose to take a 40 min break for lunch and 2 ten minute break. Was I wrong? can you please clarify the whole break deal?

thanks 😀

Correct, the 10 minute breaks count against your time.

4 hour running clock for 200 questions. You can take a 10 minute "break" after your first 100 questions however the 10 minutes comes out of your 4 hour running clock.

40 minute lunch, this is a true break. Ending it early won't gain you extra time however if you take more 40, your next 4 hour running clock starts.

After lunch, repeat 4 hour running clock with 10 minute "break" after 100 questions. This is not a friendly test if you're a slow test taker or poor with time management.

 

[Pink Candy]

thanks so much for the clarification Everglide!!! Yeah, it sucks because I am one of those that takes up the whole test time, so I guess I will only be able to take a 40 min lunch break..... sucks

 

[StressedMedStud]

When are scores coming out? curious to see how everyone is doing

 

[JRjcu08]

Correct, the 10 minute breaks count against your time.

4 hour running clock for 200 questions. You can take a 10 minute "break" after your first 100 questions however the 10 minutes comes out of your 4 hour running clock.

40 minute lunch, this is a true break. Ending it early won't gain you extra time however if you take more 40, your next 4 hour running clock starts.

After lunch, repeat 4 hour running clock with 10 minute "break" after 100 questions. This is not a friendly test if you're a slow test taker or poor with time management.

This is exactly right. After block 4 the lunch break comes up and you can leave for 40 minutes free. Also, if you think you can finish 5 blocks in the morning, DO NOT DO IT. As soon as you start block 5 your chance at a 40 minute free lunch is gonezo. So unless you want to do all 8 with no free breaks, do not skip the lunch time.
Make sure you watch your time on the blocks because the four hours for 200 questions is deceiving. Once you end the 50 question block, you can't go back. After block 2 and block 6, it gives you the option to leave for 10 mins but again this is not free time. I would only take the 10 mins if after block 2/6 you have > 2 hrs of time remaining, or if your bladder is so full that staying will be worse on you for the test/ painfully distracting.

 

[pipe dream]

That is freaking ridiculous! If someone needs a bathroom break they have to take test time to empty their bladder??? What the hell is wrong with the nbome? An 8 hour test and they give us a 40 min break that we can't even split up.

 

[Daedra22]

When are scores coming out? curious to see how everyone is doing

Someone on the previous page mentioned that it might be next week. I think it's been about 9 weeks since the last batch was released, so surely sometime in the next year or so...

 

[JRjcu08]

That is freaking ridiculous! If someone needs a bathroom break they have to take test time to empty their bladder??? What the hell is wrong with the nbome? An 8 hour test and they give us a 40 min break that we can't even split up.

Yep, it's idiotic. Write it in the comments at the end of the exam (I did).

 

[frankyazz]

When are scores coming out? curious to see how everyone is doing

Last score release was April 18th. Thats over 10 weeks ago. Maybe something today? I hope so!

 

[klm84]

Are we allowed to look over flashcards/ study materials on lunch break? And for ppl who already took it, is lunch generally a social hour or are ppl quietly crying to themselves in a corner?

 

[MGreene]

How many sets of scores do you think will be released if they do in fact do it next week?

 

[Phlame217]

Are we allowed to look over flashcards/ study materials on lunch break? And for ppl who already took it, is lunch generally a social hour or are ppl quietly crying to themselves in a corner?

You can do anything on your break; call, text, read, etc. it's all up to you.

 

[Immunoglobulin]

Took the thing today...Pretty much going to re-iterate what's been said over and over since mine was similar, but here it goes...

OMM and Micro (and I guess Repro was next) were the heaviest on mine...they weren't too bad and I think if you know those pretty well, you'll be okay overall. It's already been said by others, but yes, there are going to be a BUNCH of "WTF are they saying" questions and some random anatomy...but I don't think it'll make or break you. The wtf questions, just allow yourself a 1 second chuckle, pick an answer, and move on. For the random anatomy...honestly, I don't think it's really worth your time or your stress to review the nitpicky details of anatomy. I knew I'd get a bunch of random questions out of nowhere, and I definitely saw that people really did mean it when they said that there really is no way you can prepare for them...use some common sense/logic in guessing and move on!

Someone mentioned to me that they felt like the 4 hours after lunch intentionally had longer question stems...I felt that way as well and not sure if I was just more tired/those were experimental questions/etc... but I felt myself pressed for time in the afternoon during like the 6 or 7th block....to the point of ANGER! I kept saying in my head, "Really?? You're going to ask me yet ANOTHER long question?" Just be ready for it.

There's one piece of advice that I think helped me out a lot. It was suggested to me to write out the algorithms for the Gram+ and Gram- during the tutorial in the morning while your mind is still fresh. This helped me out A TON, especially during the afternoon hours, when it might take a lot of energy to remember that oxidase+/nonlactose fermenting/aerobic/blahblahblahblah bacillus. Sure, you know it, but by the 6th block, your mind is dead and you're just like "click...next question...uhhhh, click....next question, click." It's easy to just look at your sheet and not waste the energy racking your brain for those easy points... spend it elsewhere! I breezed through Clinical Micro Made Simple two days ago (I had finished it earlier in my studying and was refreshing my memory)....but I honestly don't think it helped all that much. Probably just more time efficient to stick with FA and memorize the crap out of the micro section.

Oh, and the test images kind of suck and the software is crazy outdated. For highlighting, you drag your cursor across the text to "highlight it".... and then click a SEPARATE button in the top right. Same thing with crossing out answers....highlight the EXACT text/portion of the answer choice with your cursor and then click a SEPARATE button on the top right. It was annoying and wasted too much time so I barely even used it...and most others felt the same way.

Anyway, good luck to all of you waiting to take it. Congrats to everyone who's finished, especially all you NYCOM gunners out there...

 

[The kitchen sink]

Took the beast today.

It was hard as hell. I think I guessed on more than 70% of questions. I feel like studying FA didn't help me for anything. A lot more pathophys than I expected. A bunch of Resp Physio. TONS of lower anatomy questions that were extremely hard. An ok amount of micro, not that much pharm (which I didn't mind). Not too much repro either. A lot of images, some Neuro, a bunch of biochem (a lot of genetics). Even the OMM was tricky... a lot of wierd presentations of piriformis syndromes and stuff. But the Anatomy was the hardest thing by far, from what I can remember.

I don't know what taking an 8 hour test really proves, but I'm not a gunner so if I pass I'll be happy. The 2nd half your just clicking away in hopes of the test ending.

I will post more later, just really tired right now... and not even sure I passed...

hope that helps

 

[Everglide]

Took the thing today...Pretty much going to re-iterate what's been said over and over since mine was similar, but here it goes...

Took the beast today.

It was hard as hell. I think I guessed on more than 70% of questions. I feel like studying FA didn't help me for anything.

Did you two even take the same test, I have no idea what to think... Should be a fun one next week.

 

[jnouno]

Also took it today. My experience was more in line with jumpmans. I would say the two highest yield subjects were still micro and omm though. The omm for the most part is a lifesaver. If you go through Savarese and remember chapmans you'll be good to go for 90% of the omm. For micro, I didnt have weird bugs so much as weird presentations of bugs. For the most part, they dont give you a straightforward presentation. I had to basically try to eliminate choices and choose between 2 that were both possible.

Overall, this test was much much harder than COMBANK, Kaplan, and both COMSAE A and B. I was a little blindsided. I never run out of time on exams, but for this test I actually had to keep an eye on the clock. Part of that was probably due to my stubbornness in trying to deduce answers to questions that werent worth wasting time on. But most of it was because the questions were layered, long questions that required a good amount of thinking.

I did speak to several people that said that Comquest was actually quite similar. I cant say firsthand but if you have a little time it may be worth it to atleast expose yourself to the style of questioning.

 

[00945584]

How much time do you get during the tutorial to write some simple formulas and things before the exam begins?

How many sheets of scratch paper do you get?

What is the best way to prepare for the wtf anatomy questions?

thanks for help!

 

[Siggy]

How much time do you get during the tutorial to write some simple formulas and things before the exam begins?

I believe it's 5 minutes. However there's a story (I forget if it was on here or a classmate on Facebook) where if you go over the 5 minutes the exam locks you out. There's an easy to miss timer on the screen.

How many sheets of scratch paper do you get?

2 dry erase sheets that can be used front and back.

What is the best way to prepare for the wtf anatomy questions?

thanks for help!

That's the nature of WTF questions, unless you feel like memorizing Netters.

 

[StressedMedStud]

Took the beast today.

It was hard as hell. I think I guessed on more than 70% of questions. I feel like studying FA didn't help me for anything. A lot more pathophys than I expected. A bunch of Resp Physio. TONS of lower anatomy questions that were extremely hard. An ok amount of micro, not that much pharm (which I didn't mind). Not too much repro either. A lot of images, some Neuro, a bunch of biochem (a lot of genetics). Even the OMM was tricky... a lot of wierd presentations of piriformis syndromes and stuff. But the Anatomy was the hardest thing by far, from what I can remember.

I don't know what taking an 8 hour test really proves, but I'm not a gunner so if I pass I'll be happy. The 2nd half your just clicking away in hopes of the test ending.

I will post more later, just really tired right now... and not even sure I passed...

hope that helps

Hey Jumpman! Im sorry you felt it was so hard. I'm sure you passed and did perfectly fine!!!!!!!!! I'm routing for you!!! Did you do pathoma or golian audio? Do you think those would have helped for the pathphys questions?

Dont worry everyone feels that they failed but then ends up doing great! I"m sure you will be one of those people! 🙂

 

[mommy2three]

Took the beast today.

It was hard as hell. I think I guessed on more than 70% of questions. I feel like studying FA didn't help me for anything. A lot more pathophys than I expected. A bunch of Resp Physio. TONS of lower anatomy questions that were extremely hard. An ok amount of micro, not that much pharm (which I didn't mind). Not too much repro either. A lot of images, some Neuro, a bunch of biochem (a lot of genetics). Even the OMM was tricky... a lot of wierd presentations of piriformis syndromes and stuff. But the Anatomy was the hardest thing by far, from what I can remember.

I don't know what taking an 8 hour test really proves, but I'm not a gunner so if I pass I'll be happy. The 2nd half your just clicking away in hopes of the test ending.

I will post more later, just really tired right now... and not even sure I passed...

hope that helps

i feel the same way - esp the second half i was more clicking than anything.
here is to waiting for our scores

 

[The kitchen sink]

Hey Jumpman! Im sorry you felt it was so hard. I'm sure you passed and did perfectly fine!!!!!!!!! I'm routing for you!!! Did you do pathoma or golian audio? Do you think those would have helped for the pathphys questions?

Dont worry everyone feels that they failed but then ends up doing great! I"m sure you will be one of those people! 🙂

Haha, thanks man. It seemed like the general concensus of the people walking out of the test room. I did some select chapters in Pathoma, and if I had time, I would have streamed the pathoma lectures twice over. I only ended up doing a like half the book, a few select chapters, but I recommend the first 3 chapters (good foundation) and I liked the Renal and repro sections as well.

The thing is, I felt like they asked it in a wierd way so you would have to figure out your interpretation of a concept from some disease and choose the best answer available. Doing Pathoma, will just help you understand more pathology and pathophys (which is why Sattar is great because he helps you understand) so that when you get hit with a bunch of questions like that, you can reason your way through it.

For Goljan, I only did up the like the Cardio 2 or 3 lecture which was fine because there wasnt much Cardio on mine, although I had a few WTF Ekgs and 1 A. flutter. So unless you wanna take teh time to learn RBBB and LBBB and what RVH or whatever looks like on EKGs, I dont think its worth it.

Its jus crazy how some people seem to love their test and then the complete opposite... hope the curve evens it out

And i would also do all of COMQUEST, I was only able to get thru a little under 900 questions, but I'm sure I saw some similar questions. and UWORLD if you have the time also.

 

[The kitchen sink]

How much time do you get during the tutorial to write some simple formulas and things before the exam begins?

How many sheets of scratch paper do you get?

What is the best way to prepare for the wtf anatomy questions?

thanks for help!

I think it was 10 minutes, plenty of time to write down whatever you feel is necessary.

If I was prepared for them, I would be able to tell you but unless you wanna go back to first year anatomy with a Netters, then I don't see where you'd find the time to study all that stuff that I considered Low yield. I studied my arse off for Upper anatomy, and I drew the brachial plexus on my scrap paper in hopes of a few questions.... NOTHING... all lower anatomy and not even stuff from that half a page in FA... other random nerves and arteries.

 

[The kitchen sink]

Did you two even take the same test, I have no idea what to think... Should be a fun one next week.

I think its the luck of the draw, but yeah that was what myself and my friends who took it the same day felt. Just be prepared, and don't freak out I guess. At first my heart was beating so hard but during the second half I almost burst out laughin because I was like they really want me to know this... wow.

 

[The kitchen sink]

i feel the same way - esp the second half i was more clicking than anything.
here is to waiting for our scores

speaking of, when do we get out scores? in a month?

 

[Immunoglobulin]

I'm sure you did fine man, sounds like you prepared a ton... but yea, I definitely feel there were probably 2 blocks straight (maybe even more) worth of questions that were tough or weirdly worded. Maybe I'm just being more optimistic than anything, but my thinking is that the easy questions will get us through and our (hopefully) good reasoning got us a few of the rest. Yea, I'm only talking about overall being "okay" about passing, haha. Everyone at my test felt the same as well in that it's just really hard to say for certain how you did. Some blocks you think you're a genius, and then others you wonder if you even went to med school in the first place. Even the smartest kids in the class are unsure of how they did...we all just cared about passing!

 

[Immunoglobulin]

How much time do you get during the tutorial to write some simple formulas and things before the exam begins?

How many sheets of scratch paper do you get?

What is the best way to prepare for the wtf anatomy questions?

thanks for help!

It's actually 15 minutes, but it's broken down into 5 and 10 minutes. First, there's a timer for a 5 minute thing were you have to read something (like a waiver I think it was) and press a button to "confirm" you are really who you are. So I let that 5 minutes run while I wrote stuff down and clicked "Next" and then the 10 minute timer for the tutorial started.

 

[tryan22]

Just woke up from my post-test celebration, so I figured I would post my experience.

My test was more difficult than I was expecting. I had previously taken COMSAE C for my school and scored >600 and I heard the real deal was easier so I was for that being true (sorry, thought the was clever lol). Back to business though.

I honestly felt my test was a "how much can we ask that is not in FA." I literally do not think I had a single question on big time "clinically relevant" topics like MI, diabetes, UC vs Crohns that I get pounded with on Uworld and USMLErx. I did have 6 questions on otitis media/externa though! I think my mix was like 25% OMM, 25% OB/GYN and 25% micro, with everything else mixed in. Don't get the wrong, the material wasn't hard, it was the answer choices were all unfamiliar (eg. Patient has blah blah, pointing at Sarcoidosis, and then instead of asking for like ^ACE, ^Ca, etc, it was MUCH MORE specific to the point it took me 5 minutes to find the answer using google).

The OMM on the test wasn't terrible. I actually spent all week reviewing the Chapman's points, but only had 1. Had a fairly equal mix of VS reflexes, cranial, how you set up this treatment sort of thing. Only had 1 "what is the diagnosis" and it couldn't have been any easier.

For micro, I am up in the air about this one. I am currently contemplating burning my FA book because I think it cost me 2 questions! Has anyone else came across Legionella being acid fast? FA says gram (-), stain with silver stain, but I'm pretty sure it was the correct answer now that I went back and looked at on Wiki. Kinda sucks cause it was the first answer I crossed out.

Pharm wasn't bad. Maybe 2 questions per block max. Anatomy I thought was straight forward. Had a lot of respiratory phys (I think all of my resp was physio actually). Up and down arrows, which curve is correct, etc. I think I only had 1 question on heme/onc, 1 on embryo, and 1 on biostat. I had more biochem than expected and I'm pretty sure there was an error in the answer choices. Aldose and Aldose B are two different enzymes! Well I think this will wrap it up, just message me if you have any questions.

 

[tryan22]

I think its the luck of the draw, but yeah that was what myself and my friends who took it the same day felt. Just be prepared, and don't freak out I guess. At first my heart was beating so hard but during the second half I almost burst out laughin because I was like they really want me to know this... wow.

This is so true. I remember repeatedly shaking my head and being like "Really, this is the thing you want us to know about this disease! " This is how I currently think about it:

Uworld - tricky stem --> take knowledge common presentation and apply it for a second or 3rd order question.
COMLEX - vague stem --> what is the most minute thing we could ask you about.

 

[The kitchen sink]

Just woke up from my post-test celebration, so I figured I would post my experience.

My test was more difficult than I was expecting. I had previously taken COMSAE C for my school and scored >600 and I heard the real deal was easier so I was for that being true (sorry, thought the was clever lol). Back to business though.

I honestly felt my test was a "how much can we ask that is not in FA." I literally do not think I had a single question on big time "clinically relevant" topics like MI, diabetes, UC vs Crohns that I get pounded with on Uworld and USMLErx. I did have 6 questions on otitis media/externa though! I think my mix was like 25% OMM, 25% OB/GYN and 25% micro, with everything else mixed in. Don't get the wrong, the material wasn't hard, it was the answer choices were all unfamiliar (eg. Patient has blah blah, pointing at Sarcoidosis, and then instead of asking for like ^ACE, ^Ca, etc, it was MUCH MORE specific to the point it took me 5 minutes to find the answer using google).

The OMM on the test wasn't terrible. I actually spent all week reviewing the Chapman's points, but only had 1. Had a fairly equal mix of VS reflexes, cranial, how you set up this treatment sort of thing. Only had 1 "what is the diagnosis" and it couldn't have been any easier.

For micro, I am up in the air about this one. I am currently contemplating burning my FA book because I think it cost me 2 questions! Has anyone else came across Legionella being acid fast? FA says gram (-), stain with silver stain, but I'm pretty sure it was the correct answer now that I went back and looked at on Wiki. Kinda sucks cause it was the first answer I crossed out.

Pharm wasn't bad. Maybe 2 questions per block max. Anatomy I thought was straight forward. Had a lot of respiratory phys (I think all of my resp was physio actually). Up and down arrows, which curve is correct, etc. I think I only had 1 question on heme/onc, 1 on embryo, and 1 on biostat. I had more biochem than expected and I'm pretty sure there was an error in the answer choices. Aldose and Aldose B are two different enzymes! Well I think this will wrap it up, just message me if you have any questions.

Didn't think the anatomy was stragiht foward but i didnt even look at it (besides the basics in FA) so it was like Greek to me I was so busy trying to study the rest of FA, and they kept askin about the lower extremity... like wtf

 

[StressedMedStud]

Do you guys think for anatomy, studying just upper extremity and lower extremity from BRS anatomy or Kaplan anatomy is enough?

 

[scummie]

Took the beast yesterday as well.

Definitely a "What have I been doing for the last two months cause none of it really helped??!" type of feeling walking out. There were about a dozen kids from my school who also took it with me and they all said the same thing.

Agree with writing out the algorithms with the G+/G- that's huge! A lot of the micro was kind of random...like it depended on geography for you to figure out the answer...Still have no idea..

Tons, tons, tons of neuro. Personal worst subject for me and so I was really happy to see it so much.

One thing I've noticed that lots of other people have said is that the concepts seem to repeat themselves in the same block. Like you can have two questions testing the same topic. So if you didn't get it the first time, you're gonna be screwed again the second time.

Ethics questions were difficult--they weren't like 16 yo with a kid, do you treat her? They were intense--mad HIPAA situations, random laws...Behavioral sciences was a joke. Didn't have a single question on Se/Sp. Spent ages on all that stuff, mean, stddev...not 1 question on my exam!! Guys from DIT were like, You're gonna have a gazillion questions on this!! Know this!! Whatever dude.

Also, the OPP was way more theoretical than I thought it would be. Give me a fibular head and I'll tell you how to fix it. What I don't want you to ask me fifty different times is about OPP theories. Had maybe one sacrum question...

I know I'm a pretty decent student--last semester my average was 90+, but that exam was incredibly hard. At this point, I would be really happy with a passing score.

Like others have said, the exam is very random and weird. It's not representative of the last two years of knowledge that we've learned. Looking back, I wish I spent more time on neuro and the seizure drugs but I don't think anything else would have helped. Lots of stuff was not in FA and I got through nearly 80%+ of COMBANK.

Good luck to you all!

Let us hope the curve is excellent....

 

[med8957]

Alot of people are saying they get quite a lot of "Ob/Gyn" questions. If we're trying to correspond this topic with FA, are you saying that the Ob/Gyn questions came from the "Reproductive" chapter in FA? If not, then what chapters (endocrine?) in FA is this Ob/Gyn you all are referring to based off of?
If neither, do you guys mean the Ob/Gyn questions are more CLINICAL???? As in Step 2-like questions?????

Also, are most of the comlex questions multi-part (as it is in combank), and if so, i'm assuming most of you just read the question stem only on the first question, b/c the 2nd and 3rd questions have the same question stem?

As far as OMM is concerned (btw haven't done any omm qs in combank yet), but are the comlex omm questions integrated with basic sciences? For example, if a question asks about post-MI treatments or something, will all the choices be omm-related or will they throw in medical/pharm treatments? I hope its not the latter, because I'd rather only answer pure omm questions...

 

[bowlin123]

Took the beast yesterday as well.

Definitely a "What have I been doing for the last two months cause none of it really helped??!" type of feeling walking out. There were about a dozen kids from my school who also took it with me and they all said the same thing.

Agree with writing out the algorithms with the G+/G- that's huge! A lot of the micro was kind of random...like it depended on geography for you to figure out the answer...Still have no idea..

Tons, tons, tons of neuro. Personal worst subject for me and so I was really happy to see it so much.

One thing I've noticed that lots of other people have said is that the concepts seem to repeat themselves in the same block. Like you can have two questions testing the same topic. So if you didn't get it the first time, you're gonna be screwed again the second time.

Ethics questions were difficult--they weren't like 16 yo with a kid, do you treat her? They were intense--mad HIPAA situations, random laws...Behavioral sciences was a joke. Didn't have a single question on Se/Sp. Spent ages on all that stuff, mean, stddev...not 1 question on my exam!! Guys from DIT were like, You're gonna have a gazillion questions on this!! Know this!! Whatever dude.

Also, the OPP was way more theoretical than I thought it would be. Give me a fibular head and I'll tell you how to fix it. What I don't want you to ask me fifty different times is about OPP theories. Had maybe one sacrum question...

I know I'm a pretty decent student--last semester my average was 90+, but that exam was incredibly hard. At this point, I would be really happy with a passing score.

Like others have said, the exam is very random and weird. It's not representative of the last two years of knowledge that we've learned. Looking back, I wish I spent more time on neuro and the seizure drugs but I don't think anything else would have helped. Lots of stuff was not in FA and I got through nearly 80%+ of COMBANK.

Good luck to you all!

Let us hope the curve is excellent....

Seems like people who took it in the later half of June got screwed big time. I took it on the 18th, it was hard as hell. At least 40% of the questions aren't even on the FA. I am glad that smart people like you thought the exam was hard. I am just hoping the curve would be generous and I will simply pass.

 

[bowlin123]

Alot of people are saying they get quite a lot of "Ob/Gyn" questions. If we're trying to correspond this topic with FA, are you saying that the Ob/Gyn questions came from the "Reproductive" chapter in FA? If not, then what chapters (endocrine?) in FA is this Ob/Gyn you all are referring to based off of?
If neither, do you guys mean the Ob/Gyn questions are more CLINICAL???? As in Step 2-like questions?????

Also, are most of the comlex questions multi-part (as it is in combank), and if so, i'm assuming most of you just read the question stem only on the first question, b/c the 2nd and 3rd questions have the same question stem?

As far as OMM is concerned (btw haven't done any omm qs in combank yet), but are the comlex omm questions integrated with basic sciences? For example, if a question asks about post-MI treatments or something, will all the choices be omm-related or will they throw in medical/pharm treatments? I hope its not the latter, because I'd rather only answer pure omm questions...

On my exam on the 18th, I thought I was taking comlex 2, because most of the questions require us to know the minutiae. I had to make sure repeatedly during the exam that I was indeed taking comlex 1 and not comlex 2. I was disappointed that every time i look up on the screen, it said comlex 1; otherwise I could yell at the proctor for giving me the wrong exam.

 

[frankyazz]

On my exam on the 18th, I thought I was taking comlex 2, because most of the questions require us to know the minutiae. I had to make sure repeatedly during the exam that I was indeed taking comlex 1 and not comlex 2. I was disappointed that every time i look up on the screen, it said comlex 1; otherwise I could yell at the proctor for giving me the wrong exam.

Took it June first and thought the same thing. As the test went on the more I was like " you got to be kidding me". I hoping a set of scores get releases soon... It's about time. Hopefully the curve works out the way it should. And if it does, I'll let all you guys who feel like crap know so we all feel better haha.

 

[dquacken]

Good luck to everyone taking it Monday! I'm sure we will do great! 🙂