OMM knowledge needed for COMLEX

[Staphylococcus Aureus]

For those of us that detest large aspects of OMM, how well do you need to know the concepts for COMLEX 1 through PE? It's difficult to devote study time when there's more interesting material in medicine, so I've been doing the bare minimum (really bare) but have begun to worry that this will hurt my COMLEX score and possibly other examinations needed to graduate that I haven't considered. Any Advice? I have the savarese book, how well did you know it for those that scored well on boards? Thanks.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[AlteredScale]

For those of us that detest large aspects of OMM, how well do you need to know the concepts for COMLEX 1 through PE? It's difficult to devote study time when there's more interesting material in medicine, so I've been doing the bare minimum (really bare) but have begun to worry that this will hurt my COMLEX score and possibly other examinations needed to graduate that I haven't considered. Any Advice? I have the savarese book, how well did you know it for those that scored well on boards? Thanks.

I try and run through some sort of OMM a day. I like doing it by body system (just knowing what kinds of things to do in that area) and also switch it up with specific techniques (knowing how it is used). I spend probably...30-45 minutes a day reviewing it.

I don't use savarese just the OSCE's the school prepares for us.

 

[zafonte86]

On the Comlex OMM are going to be your "easy points". You are better off spending some extra time and crushing those questions because they can easily boost your score. And you will see all the same info for level 1-3 so might as well learn it. It will make life easier for yourself in the future.

 

[jw3600]

I try and run through some sort of OMM a day. I like doing it by body system (just knowing what kinds of things to do in that area) and also switch it up with specific techniques (knowing how it is used). I spend probably...30-45 minutes a day reviewing it.

I don't use savarese just the OSCE's the school prepares for us.

Tell me this is a joke...

 

[Dr. Death]

Tell me this is a joke...

There's an inordinate amount of OMM points on COMLEX.

 

[ortnakas]

Haven't studied for the PE yet, but I definitely don't do half an hour of OPP per day on rotations... admittedly, I haven't touched it since COMLEX 1 unless I'm forced to at my site's didactics.

I will say ignoring it for COMLEX is a bad plan; if you know it it's easy points, and why give those up? If you paid attention during first and second year, Savarese and some Combank/Comquest questions should be enough for a decent review.

 

[hallowmann]

Savarese and Combank questions a week before the exams are usually sufficient, but if you barely studied it during MS1 and 2, then you might need more review.

You do not need to study 30 min everyday for the COMLEX. Read Savarese and watch/memorize those chapman points and viscerosomatic videos.

For the PE, I'd practice a handful of quick, easy techniques for each of the usual complaints (e.g. neck pain, back pain, viscerals/GI, limbs, etc.).

 

[AlteredScale]

Savarese and Combank questions a week before the exams are usually sufficient, but if you barely studied it during MS1 and 2, then you might need more review.

You do not need to study 30 min everyday for the COMLEX. Read Savarese and watch/memorize those chapman points and viscerosomatic videos.

For the PE, I'd practice a handful of quick, easy techniques for each of the usual complaints (e.g. neck pain, back pain, viscerals/GI, limbs, etc.).

FTR.I wasn't saying it's a requirement. This was just what I was doing my because I've been mind dumping most OMM for other stuff.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[jw3600]

There's an inordinate amount of OMM points on COMLEX.

Not really. Plus most of it is very easy. I didn't study 30 minutes of OMM a WEEK and got all As and did fine on comlex.

 

[jw3600]

Haven't studied for the PE yet, but I definitely don't do half an hour of OPP per day on rotations... admittedly, I haven't touched it since COMLEX 1 unless I'm forced to at my site's didactics.

I will say ignoring it for COMLEX is a bad plan; if you know it it's easy points, and why give those up? If you paid attention during first and second year, Savarese and some Combank/Comquest questions should be enough for a decent review.

You can do 0 OMM on PE and still pass. I wouldn't stress about it.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

You can do 0 OMM on PE and still pass. I wouldn't stress about it.

Uh... you'll probably fail if you don't do any OMM.

 

[Staphylococcus Aureus]

30-60 minutes/week sufficient as long as you're fine in the course? How much board prep time did you devote to OMM?

 

[jw3600]

30-60 minutes/week sufficient as long as you're fine in the course? How much board prep time did you devote to OMM?

Very little. Less than 5 hours between USMLE and comlex. Are you a first year?

 

[DocWinter]

The OPP is easily done by going through the savarese book slowly twice. For all the crap that will be on the COMLEX that you will feel was impossible to study for, this is one area you can pretty much bank on being on it. Don't let those points get away from you.

 

[D4C]

I largely ignored OMM for COMLEX. Crammed VS/sacral/chapmans for two hours the night before - they felt like 50% of the OMM questions. And PS, there are no easy OMM points on COMLEX.

Tremble in fear my pretties

 

[padfoot777]

COMLEX Level 1 OMM -> Savarese + COMBANK OMM questions during 2nd year.... Make sure you know all the viscero-somatic and chapman stuff cold because theyre easy points. there's a youtube video on the chapman points to memorize them really quickly.... This is all you need though unless level 1 has significantly changed in the two years its been since I've taken it.

As far as the PE, theres Kauffman videos on OMM that I thought helped alot because personally I do no OMM and thought the videos were really helpful for what the PE wants. Also I was under the impression that approximately 1/4 of your cases were supposed to be OMM and doing no OMM or OMM on every patient were both terrible ideas according to the Kauffman videos as well as the COMLEX PE threads posted on this site.

 

[KVBane]

there's a youtube video on the chapman points to memorize them really quickly.

Can you post a link to the video?

 

[jw3600]

Uh... you'll probably fail if you don't do any OMM.

Disagree. Know of people who did just this. It's a hypothetical argument that I don't care enough to have. However, even if you have to do 2 minutes off OMM on 5 patients that takes like an hour of prep the night before.

This subs obsession with OMM is exhausting. For any first years out there (and most of the second years) your comlex score will mean as much as your blood type when it comes to matching. USMLE should be your priority.

 

[Staphylococcus Aureus]

COMLEX Level 1 OMM -> Savarese + COMBANK OMM questions during 2nd year.... Make sure you know all the viscero-somatic and chapman stuff cold because theyre easy points. there's a youtube video on the chapman points to memorize them really quickly.... This is all you need though unless level 1 has significantly changed in the two years its been since I've taken it.

As far as the PE, theres Kauffman videos on OMM that I thought helped alot because personally I do no OMM and thought the videos were really helpful for what the PE wants. Also I was under the impression that approximately 1/4 of your cases were supposed to be OMM and doing no OMM or OMM on every patient were both terrible ideas according to the Kauffman videos as well as the COMLEX PE threads posted on this site.

This is great thank you!

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Disagree. Know of people who did just this. It's a hypothetical argument that I don't care enough to have. However, even if you have to do 2 minutes off OMM on 5 patients that takes like an hour of prep the night before.

This subs obsession with OMM is exhausting. For any first years out there (and most of the second years) your comlex score will mean as much as your blood type when it comes to matching. USMLE should be your priority.

I think a fail on PE is an astound smudge to have on an otherwise perfect application.

 

[acapnial]

Disagree. Know of people who did just this. It's a hypothetical argument that I don't care enough to have. However, even if you have to do 2 minutes off OMM on 5 patients that takes like an hour of prep the night before.

This subs obsession with OMM is exhausting. For any first years out there (and most of the second years) your comlex score will mean as much as your blood type when it comes to matching. USMLE should be your priority.

Well, since we're posting advice for the first years...

Not doing OMM on an OMM sp will get you a hard fail on that sp. I had 3 OMM cases out of 12 sp's. Even if it's technically possible to pass the PE without doing any OMM (which I doubt) you'd have to be some kind of lunatic not to do a little OMM on the obvious cases. The people who said they didn't do any OMM are either lying or were being really stupid. Either way, skipping OMM on the PE is not a good strategy.

Totally agree that like 5 hours of review is good for the written comlex though.

 

[AlteredScale]

Well, since we're posting advice for the first years...

Not doing OMM on an OMM sp will get you a hard fail on that sp. I had 3 OMM cases out of 12 sp's. Even if it's technically possible to pass the PE without doing any OMM (which I doubt) you'd have to be some kind of lunatic not to do a little OMM on the obvious cases. The people who said they didn't do any OMM are either lying or were being really stupid. Either way, skipping OMM on the PE is not a good strategy.

Totally agree that like 5 hours of review is good for the written comlex though.

Yep. I don't like the advice of saying "oh yeah just forget it" because that increases the chances of not really knowing it well enough (note, well enough, not mastery) to pass your Standardized Patient encounters. At my school, a large handful failed their sp exams for not doing OMM.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[Mr Roboto]

Yep. I don't like the advice of saying "oh yeah just forget it" because that increases the chances of not really knowing it well enough (note, well enough, not mastery) to pass your Standardized Patient encounters. At my school, a large handful failed their sp exams for not doing OMM.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

I feel bad for the SPs. I'm sore after getting jabbed in OMM lab for 2 hours, they must feel awful after a day of sim.

 

[starri]

I feel bad for the SPs. I'm sore after getting jabbed in OMM lab for 2 hours, they must feel awful after a day of sim.

Don't most people opt for the treatments that take the least amount of effort and by extension are the least taxing on the SP?

 

[AlteredScale]

Don't most people opt for the treatments that take the least amount of effort and by extension are the least taxing on the SP?

At my school at least we are told to refrain from doing hvla because it can really mess a person up if you do it wrong. Nothing like a little vertebral dissection after playing patient right?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[abolt18]

We had to take the OMM COMAT at the end of 2nd year, so I read the green book cover to cover and did very well on it.

I didn't study OMM again until the day after I took the USMLE. I read the green book again, much faster this time, and that's it before taking COMLEX level 1.

I read about 1/2 of the green book the day before I took COMLEX level 2.

All in all, if you learned the stuff the first time in school, the book just clarifies stuff.

I'd read the whole thing once or twice before level 1, memorize viscerosomatics and chapman's points (see YouTube for great memory tools on those), and do the OMM questions on COMBANK. Should be more than sufficient.

Oh and I didn't review any OMM before the PE. I just planned on using soft tissue and muscle energy going in.

 

[acapnial]

I feel bad for the SPs. I'm sore after getting jabbed in OMM lab for 2 hours, they must feel awful after a day of sim.

I was told that years ago somebody at my school was so overzealous with an abdominal exam that they lacerated an sp's spleen or liver, or something like that. I don't remember all the details...

 

[Postictal Raiden]

I largely ignored OMM for COMLEX. Crammed VS/sacral/chapmans for two hours the night before - they felt like 50% of the OMM questions. And PS, there are no easy OMM points on COMLEX.

Tremble in fear my pretties

Agree with this advice. If you are inherently bad with OMM, then I see no point of wasting precious hours studying it only to miss most of the questions on the test. Dedicate few hours the day before to go over the HY stuff (chapman points & VS's) and focus the rest of your time and energy on things that you know you can significantly improve with studying (i.e. micro/pharm). On the day of the test, your brief OMM preparation combined with ~200hrs in the OMM lab during first two years should get you thru ~70% of the qs.

 

[abolt18]

I was told that years ago somebody at my school was so overzealous with an abdominal exam that they lacerated an sp's spleen or liver, or something like that. I don't remember all the details...

Seems legit...

 

[acapnial]

Seems legit...

It was one of the instructors that said it. Sure it was years ago.... and I can't remember which instructor.... and I might have had a few mimosas to celebrate finishing a test.... but it happened I tell ya!

 

[abolt18]

It was one of the instructors that said it. Sure it was years ago.... and I can't remember which instructor.... and I might have had a few mimosas to celebrate finishing a test.... but it happened I tell ya!

Oh your abdomen hurts? Let me just examine it really quick.

 

[SurgeDO]

For the PE, I went in knowing how to perform one type of treatment on every aspect of the body (cervical, thoracic, arm, leg, etc.), and it served me well. Took maybe 30 mins one night to study this. It also helps to realize that the myofascial release technique works everywhere.

For the COMLEX, I just read the green book the day before or two days before the exam. That's all you can really do.

 

[ortnakas]

For the PE, I went in knowing how to perform one type of treatment on every aspect of the body (cervical, thoracic, arm, leg, etc.), and it served me well. Took maybe 30 mins one night to study this. It also helps to realize that the myofascial release technique works everywhere.

This is my plan for May, so good to hear it's a good one. (Might take a little more than half an hour since it's been a long time since I thought about OMM on purpose, but definitely sticking to the one treatment per body part plan)

Edited: typo

 

[starri]

Refreshers on the techniques was literally the only thing the I though the Combank videos were useful for.

 

[SurgeDO]

This is my plan for May, so good to hear it's a good one. (Might take a little more than half an hour since it's been a long time since I thought about OMM on purpose, but definitely sticking to the one treatment per body part plan)

Edited: typo

you'll be okay. i was okay, and i learned absolutely nothing about OMM during my first two years. i was easily the least educated in OMM in my class.

i mostly used myofascial release and lymphatic pumps on the PE. good luck.

 

[UserUnidentified420]

What is the green book for OPP?

 

[Preston Garvey]

What is the green book for OPP?

Savarese

 

[UserUnidentified420]

Savarese

Thanks! Amazon product

It's this one, right?

 

[Preston Garvey]

Yup!

Thanks! Amazon product

It's this one, right?

!