Osteopathic students taking the USMLE and COMLEX

[hst]

hello everyone, i had question for OMS-IIs who plan on, or who have already taken both the USMLE and COMLEX..
how were you able to study for both exams?
Did you have ample time to prepare for both?
When do students take the COMLEX and when is the USMLE taken?

if these questions were already addressed in another thread i would appreciate the link to it...thank you guys!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[pathologyDO]

I'm taking my USMLE and COMLEX a week apart. If you study for the USMLE then you will be prepared for the COMLEX, as long as you supplement the studying with Savarese

 

[hst]

Im guessing Saravese is a study tool for COMLEX...sorry I'm just going to be starting my first year...asking these kinds of questions may be a little premature but i just wanna be prepared and I wanna formulate an effective strategy to tackle both exams

would it be a good idea to buy study materials for both exams in your first year and sort of like refer to them as your curriculum carries on throughout the year?

 

[mds606]

I'm taking both, and I wish I had started using FA a bit earlier (like the start of spring semester of 1st year). You can get Savarese and start going through the sections that correspond to your OMM exams. Besides that, get a Qbank (I like USMLE-Rx) and start that Fall of 2nd year. Also, start Pathoma whenever your school starts Path.

 

[hst]

I'm taking both, and I wish I had started using FA a bit earlier (like the start of spring semester of 1st year). You can get Savarese and start going through the sections that correspond to your OMM exams. Besides that, get a Qbank (I like USMLE-Rx) and start that Fall of 2nd year. Also, start Pathoma whenever your school starts Path.

What's FA?

 

[Mr. Mojo Risin]

What's FA?

First Aid for USMLE Step 1.

They have one for COMLEX but it's a waste. Don't buy it.

 

[abolt18]

hello everyone, i had question for OMS-IIs who plan on, or who have already taken both the USMLE and COMLEX..
how were you able to study for both exams?
Did you have ample time to prepare for both?
When do students take the COMLEX and when is the USMLE taken?

if these questions were already addressed in another thread i would appreciate the link to it...thank you guys!

Taking both this summer. I'll be doing the USMLE on a Monday, then the COMLEX 3 days later on Thursday. I'll read Savarese and do COMBANK OTM questions in between.

My only regret is not having started firecracker during 1st semester of 1st year. It's been the best thing for my medical education in general, not just boards. Look into it when school starts.

 

[hst]

Taking both this summer. I'll be doing the USMLE on a Monday, then the COMLEX 3 days later on Thursday. I'll read Savarese and do COMBANK OTM questions in between.

My only regret is not having started firecracker during 1st semester of 1st year. It's been the best thing for my medical education in general, not just boards. Look into it when school starts.

Firecracker huh? Thanks for the heads up..lol considering i just took the mcat last year all these study guides are new to me and i have no idea as to which tools are the best and that if i should refer to them with the classes ill be taking

 

[crazy87]

My only regret is not having started firecracker during 1st semester of 1st year. It's been the best thing for my medical education in general, not just boards. Look into it when school starts.

Question: How would you have utilized Firecracker beginning 1st year? Like, select for specific topics you've learned in class and do those through FC? I am wondering because I'm an incoming med student who has taken a look at FC (had access through an academic program but never really used it) and just wondering how it could best be put to use if starting early.

 

[mspeedwagon]

Dude, go out and enjoy your time before school! Even though I'm incoming, I've had a lot of friends go through this and they said this:
- First, if you are a very weak student, don't bother with the USMLE. Take only the COMLEX.
- If you take both the COMLEX and USMLE, just study for the USMLE and then use Saravese (a book that covers OMM for COMLEX).
- Most friends suggest taking the COMLEX as practice for the USMLE and scheduling them a week apart with COMLEX first.
- Upper class men at your particular school will know what resources to supplement your prep with (where your school is lacking). First Aid is the mandatory one. There are tons of board books (BRS is a popular series). There are also ton of videos/audio... Pathoma and Glojan as commonly used.
- You need a QBank. UWorld is the gold standard. There is also a Combank (for COMLEX). Kaplan has a Qbank too.
- There are plenty of courses include Kaplan, Doctor's in Training, Falcon etc. If you found a course helpful for the MCAT, you can look into this options. Otherwise, self-study.

You're worrying about boards too early in my opinion. You don't know your strengths and weaknesses yet. Think about it next summer (basically what I plan to do).

Im guessing Saravese is a study tool for COMLEX...sorry I'm just going to be starting my first year...asking these kinds of questions may be a little premature but i just wanna be prepared and I wanna formulate an effective strategy to tackle both exams

would it be a good idea to buy study materials for both exams in your first year and sort of like refer to them as your curriculum carries on throughout the year?

 

[abolt18]

Question: How would you have utilized Firecracker beginning 1st year? Like, select for specific topics you've learned in class and do those through FC? I am wondering because I'm an incoming med student who has taken a look at FC (had access through an academic program but never really used it) and just wondering how it could best be put to use if starting early.

Each day you talk about something in lecture, flag it and do all the relevant questions. That puts it into your cycle so while it may help you in school (it actually helped me a lot) it's mostly for long term retention. Because I started it during 2nd year, I've been trying all year to flag last year's stuff. It's harder to catch up than to keep up. It takes time but if you set the goal to just do 80-100 q's minimum per day, you'll be solid. Try the first month free, see how you like it. I'd suggest starting it maybe a couple weeks into school.

 

[crazy87]

Each day you talk about something in lecture, flag it and do all the relevant questions. That puts it into your cycle so while it may help you in school (it actually helped me a lot) it's mostly for long term retention. Because I started it during 2nd year, I've been trying all year to flag last year's stuff. It's harder to catch up than to keep up. It takes time but if you set the goal to just do 80-100 q's minimum per day, you'll be solid. Try the first month free, see how you like it. I'd suggest starting it maybe a couple weeks into school.

Thank you for your response. Seems like a really great tool.

 

[FutureInternist]

Dude, go out and enjoy your time before school! Even though I'm incoming, I've had a lot of friends go through this and they said this:
- First, if you are a very weak student, don't bother with the USMLE. Take only the COMLEX.
- If you take both the COMLEX and USMLE, just study for the USMLE and then use Saravese (a book that covers OMM for COMLEX).
- Most friends suggest taking the COMLEX as practice for the USMLE and scheduling them a week apart with COMLEX first.
- Upper class men at your particular school will know what resources to supplement your prep with (where your school is lacking). First Aid is the mandatory one. There are tons of board books (BRS is a popular series). There are also ton of videos/audio... Pathoma and Glojan as commonly used.
- You need a QBank. UWorld is the gold standard. There is also a Combank (for COMLEX). Kaplan has a Qbank too.
- There are plenty of courses include Kaplan, Doctor's in Training, Falcon etc. If you found a course helpful for the MCAT, you can look into this options. Otherwise, self-study.

You're worrying about boards too early in my opinion. You don't know your strengths and weaknesses yet. Think about it next summer (basically what I plan to do).

I disagree w/ this
I think you study for the USMLE from the get go since it is a more difficult exam & you want to be fresher when taking it
The previous suggestions of USMLE first, 3-7 days in between (I would suggest no more than 5) in which you study Savarese & COMLEX specific stuff & then COMLEX
Any drop in non-OMM knowledge in the gap b/w the two tests will still have you at a threshold way above what is needed for the COMLEX

 

[mspeedwagon]

I am an incoming OMS 1 (though a non-trad) so will differ to you. I do recall an old sdn thread where people argued about the order of the two tests. I only have secondhand knowledge about it.

I disagree w/ this
I think you study for the USMLE from the get go since it is a more difficult exam & you want to be fresher when taking it
The previous suggestions of USMLE first, 3-7 days in between (I would suggest no more than 5) in which you study Savarese & COMLEX specific stuff & then COMLEX
Any drop in non-OMM knowledge in the gap b/w the two tests will still have you at a threshold way above what is needed for the COMLEX

 

[pathologyDO]

I disagree w/ this
I think you study for the USMLE from the get go since it is a more difficult exam & you want to be fresher when taking it
The previous suggestions of USMLE first, 3-7 days in between (I would suggest no more than 5) in which you study Savarese & COMLEX specific stuff & then COMLEX
Any drop in non-OMM knowledge in the gap b/w the two tests will still have you at a threshold way above what is needed for the COMLEX

Taking my exam this summer and I second this - USMLE before the COMLEX. We had a "panel" of 3rd and 4th years come talk to us who scored very high on their exams and they unanimously advised to take the USMLE first so that you will be taking the harder exam first, and you get an extra few days to just literally cram OMT/OMM by taking the COMLEX second

 

[DrEnderW]

^ This is my plan as well.

 

[MirrorTodd]

I'll have to disagree with the firecracker recommendation. It's just too much work with far too many questions per topic. It's not gonna have anything that you won't have in class, so you still need to use your class materials for class, but it's too much information to learn for USMLE/COMLEX. Maybe I just have a different learning style, but I have only found it minimally helpful and a bit of a hindrance because of the shear volume of questions that add up when you add more topics. I say study for class using school provided resources (ppt, books whatever), supplement that with first aid. Then get the USMLE triple play pack either the beginning of second year or spring semester of second year. It comes with lecture videos that go through first aid by subject, worksheets that you can work through for each subject, flashcards to drill those repetitive type things like bugs and drugs, and finally it has a big qbank (get Uworld too though). I really wish that I had never heard of firecracker since I wasted so much time doing it thinking that it was strictly for step 1, but it's not.
Go through first aid when you study the systems....seriously, don't wait until midway through spring semester of second year to open the damn book. Unless you're just naturally gifted at learning this ****e, in that case, I hate you.

 

[scoKraz4]

I am taking USMLE and then COMLEX 6 days later. No way am I reviewing OMM before USMLE.

Also in regards to firecracker, I would say try it out at least. I started it my first year but got bored of it about 6 months later. Definitely use First Aid to supplement basic path/pharm/immuno/micro. It will be beneficial to have these pages familiar to you so you can organize the info better in your head by the time you take the boards. Whenever you start systems based stuff, get the Rx qbank and supplement it with your courses doing system specific question blocks. Worked out amazing for me during classes.

 

[doctorinthehouse_]

Taking both this summer. I'll be doing the USMLE on a Monday, then the COMLEX 3 days later on Thursday. I'll read Savarese and do COMBANK OTM questions in between.

My only regret is not having started firecracker during 1st semester of 1st year. It's been the best thing for my medical education in general, not just boards. Look into it when school starts.

Did you use Firecracker DO or Firecracker MD? I plan to take both the USMLE and the COMLEX so I just want to make sure I buy the right Firecracker program. Thanks!

 

[abolt18]

Did you use Firecracker DO or Firecracker MD? I plan to take both the USMLE and the COMLEX so I just want to make sure I buy the right Firecracker program. Thanks!

There was no distinction previously. You'd be fine to just get firecracker MD I presume (I never did the omm questions) but you can certainly email the firecracker team and ask what the difference is besides the addition of OMM?

 

[doctorinthehouse_]

There was no distinction previously. You'd be fine to just get firecracker MD I presume (I never did the omm questions) but you can certainly email the firecracker team and ask what the difference is besides the addition of OMM?

Great thanks for the advice! Did you end up scoring well??

 

[abolt18]

Great thanks for the advice! Did you end up scoring well??

240's and 650's. Very happy with both scores.

 

[doctorinthehouse_]

Congrats!!!'

240's and 650's. Very happy with both scores.

 

[DocWinter]

I can't argue with success, and congrats to abolt. I feel that firecracker is suited for these that are flashcards styled learners. I am not and I subsequently hated firecracker and thought it took up too much time for the benefit. You can't really do it on the side or as an adjunct to your studies.

It works, it's good, but I wouldn't recommend getting it if you don't plan on heavily using it

 

[yeasureyoubetcha]

If I'm taking the USMLE step 1 in 2018, am I ok buying the 2016 version of first aid and annotating in it for MS1-2 or will I miss some other material that could get added?

 

[Elevencents]

You'll want the 2018 version in January of 2018. 2016 is fine until then for sure. But I never annotated alongside classes, just used it as a reference.

So maybe someone who annotated with classes will have a different perspective. I don't see the point of annotating until you hit Qbanks and have started systems.

 

[rdk322]

Hey I'm about 3.5 wks from my step1 (taking comlex 4 days after that). my NBME scores are not where I want them to be so I need to really focus on studying for step1 but I'm a bit worried about comlex since I've never read Saverese (I recently purchased it) and didn't do any COMBANK Qs. Is it still okay to just solely focus on prepping for step1 and hold off on anything comlex related until step is over? thanks!

 

[Sailor Senshi Dermystify]

Each day you talk about something in lecture, flag it and do all the relevant questions. That puts it into your cycle so while it may help you in school (it actually helped me a lot) it's mostly for long term retention. Because I started it during 2nd year, I've been trying all year to flag last year's stuff. It's harder to catch up than to keep up. It takes time but if you set the goal to just do 80-100 q's minimum per day, you'll be solid. Try the first month free, see how you like it. I'd suggest starting it maybe a couple weeks into school.

Is firecracker better than Bros Anki deck?

 

[abolt18]

Is firecracker better than Bros Anki deck?

No idea, never used anki.

 

[recycledpaper]

If you don't know what FA is, it's too early for you to study for Step.

 

[MrWonderful]

Hey I'm about 3.5 wks from my step1 (taking comlex 4 days after that). my NBME scores are not where I want them to be so I need to really focus on studying for step1 but I'm a bit worried about comlex since I've never read Saverese (I recently purchased it) and didn't do any COMBANK Qs. Is it still okay to just solely focus on prepping for step1 and hold off on anything comlex related until step is over? thanks!

I don't know which school you go to, but most find the OMM on COMLEX to be a joke. Their schools tend to prepare them well. I read Savarese in 48 hours and thought it was fine. OMM is easy on the real deal

 

[mgw5065]

I don't know which school you go to, but most find the OMM on COMLEX to be a joke. Their schools tend to prepare them well. I read Savarese in 48 hours and thought it was fine. OMM is easy on the real deal

The OMM and physiology at your school is a frickin' joke. It's so not osteopathic!

 

[alein]

OMSIV, I only studied for the USMLE with Uworld, Pathoma. I took step 1 a week before COMLEX, the only real studying I did for the COMLEX was just remembering viscerosomatic, no saverase or anything. And for reference I got 240+ on Step 1 and 650+ on COMLEX. If you can do well on the USMLE you will definitely do well on COMLEX.

I would suggest not even spacing them out a week maybe 3 days? You will lose pretty much all motivation to study after taking the USMLE. And like everyone else said here COMLEX is a terribly written exam, but COMLEX 2 is even worse.

 

[MelMcT2009]

Took USMLE then took COMLEX 5 days later.

Hit UFAP up until my USMLE, then then plan was to read the green book in the days between, but I was a zombie. Read about 2/3 of the book and did probably 300-400 COMBANK questions, and it was honestly overkill. The OMT was super straightforward, most was VSR's.