PSA: NBOME practice materials are all trash.

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

Tragal Pointer

Full Member
2+ Year Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2020
Messages
66
Reaction score
201
Title says it all. CATALYST, COMSAE, whatever that new abomination is called - it’s all garbage. No one should be paying for this stuff. If your school gives you a COMSAE that’s fine. Whatever. And I believe this applies to all “types of learners”, you would be far better off spending the money on something else. Hell even one of the “DO” question banks would be better. NBOME products are trash.

Members don't see this ad.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Members don't see this ad :)
How do we make sure we don't get screwed for the OMM portion of COMLEX 1? I'm about to finish 1st year and feel like I don't know anything except thoracic/lumbar spine stuff. Every OPP exam is a scramble to cram. My school gives us COMBANK and COMSAE, Kaplan, and Uworld.

Your school gives you Uworld? Dang son, good for you guys.

Don't worry, you'll (unfortunately ha) learn more OMM throughout 2nd year. By the time you're in dedicated 2nd year you'll be able to take step 1 then cram OMM and COMLEX specific material for 2-5 days and be ready for COMLEX 1 like 99% of everyone else.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
Your school gives you Uworld? Dang son, good for you guys.

Don't worry, you'll (unfortunately ha) learn more OMM throughout 2nd year. By the time you're in dedicated 2nd year you'll be able to take step 1 then cram OMM and COMLEX specific material for 2-5 days and be ready for COMLEX 1 like 99% of everyone else.
don't most schools give uworld?
 
No one believes me when I say this, OP. DO specific study materials are a scam IMO, but especially anything from the NBOME... Totally worthless given they are digital. I can't even burn them to start a nice fire.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 5 users
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Most of it is trash, but I highly recommend the Ethics questions of both COMBANK and COMQUEST if you have access to them. Obviously don't buy the whole qbank just for this, but they were so clutch. COMBANK had ~60 and COMQUEST had ~90 questions, so it can be done in a day. Easily gave me 10+ questions on test day. Weird terms like the Stark Law would appear. NBD if you want to just take the L on these questions, but a last minute glance led to good yield IMO. COMQUEST biostats questions were also simple enough to cram in one day and were representative of test day questions.

OMM can be learned in one day by watching onlinemeded on 1.5 or 2x. Skip COMBANK OMM questions for your own sanity. COMQUEST OMM was good enough to get a feel for test day questions. And remember to draw your spinal levels and chapman's points diagrams.

THE ABOVE ADVICE IS ONLY FOR COMLEX. None of it is relevant nor sufficient for USMLE.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Most of it is trash, but I highly recommend the Ethics questions of both COMBANK and COMQUEST if you have access to them. Obviously don't buy the whole qbank just for this, but they were so clutch. COMBANK had ~60 and COMQUEST had ~90 questions, so it can be done in a day. Easily gave me 10+ questions on test day. Weird terms like the Stark Law would appear. NBD if you want to just take the L on these questions, but a last minute glance led to good yield IMO. COMQUEST biostats questions were also simple enough to cram in one day and were representative of test day questions.

OMM can be learned in one day by watching onlinemeded on 1.5 or 2x. Skip COMBANK OMM questions for your own sanity. COMQUEST OMM was good enough to get a feel for test day questions. And remember to draw your spinal levels and chapman's points diagrams.

THE ABOVE ADVICE IS ONLY FOR COMLEX. None of it is relevant nor sufficient for USMLE.
There is an Anki deck called Step Up 2 Ethics. It is all I used for COMLEX. Highly recommend. Also, Divine Intervention podcast has one specifically for these questions that was word for word on COMLEX.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
There is an Anki deck called Step Up 2 Ethics. It is all I used for COMLEX. Highly recommend. Also, Divine Intervention podcast has one specifically for these questions that was word for word on COMLEX.
I'm sure that will work too. Can't comment because I'm not an anki user and divine intervention literally blew up 2 weeks after I took my boards. Peers said divine intervention was a life saver even though they only had a week to use it so I'd also recommend it as well simply due to the overwhelming amount of positive reviews.
 
I'm sure that will work too. Can't comment because I'm not an anki user and divine intervention literally blew up 2 weeks after I took my boards. Peers said divine intervention was a life saver even though they only had a week to use it so I'd also recommend it as well simply due to the overwhelming amount of positive reviews.
It’s really amazing. He deserves an award.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Members don't see this ad :)
There is an Anki deck called Step Up 2 Ethics. It is all I used for COMLEX. Highly recommend. Also, Divine Intervention podcast has one specifically for these questions that was word for word on COMLEX.
I think Lecturio has some COMLEX-specific item banks in it. Don't quote me on that, because after awhile, all these Boards help materials gel in my brain.
 
I did COMBANK ethics + that deck before my COMLEX. The anki deck was more helpful

They're the $hittiest of all the COMLEX questions. I don't know if studying more ethics would've helped
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I did COMBANK ethics + that deck before my COMLEX. The anki deck was more helpful

They're the $hittiest of all the COMLEX questions. I don't know if studying more ethics would've helped

Ron Howard Narrator: "It wouldn't have."
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
OMM I learned SUPER well by just doing COMBANK -- just go on COMBANK and choose OMM section only (should be about 300 ish q's) and it will teach you everything you need to know.
 
Ron Howard Narrator: "It wouldn't have."
It's really an uncommonly mentioned point regarding comlex exams and in-house OMM exams. Many of the best students and least stressed students figured out early on that most OMM and NBOME questions that have you scratching your head couldn't be solved by studying far more (unlike usmle arguably IMO) so it's best to just ignore it.

Learn medicine really well. Then it doesn't matter if you miss a silly OMM question or bizarre ethics question. Don't fall into the trap of overpreparing for these parts of exams. The utility of time required is just not a good value compared to studying medicine even more thoroughly.

I've said many times on here that I killed these dumb exams even barely studying these parts. Level 1 was some half-assed OMM studying for about half a day. Level 2 was no OMM studying and I did the ethics Anki deck once the night before the test.

My response to anyone who refutes the idea of ignoring NBOME study material and combank type stuff on the grounds of question style, OMM, ethics, and other weird things like bioterrorism is to get better at everything else lol. It's a lot less frustrating. I highly recommend my method for not getting caught up in worrying about this stuff. It also benefits you because you go into 3rd and 4th year with a stronger knowledge base from studying medicine instead of NBOME curve balls or feeling better because you used that time to crush some IPAs or hang out with your family.

That's my version of wellness in DO school.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
We must boycott all NBOME products and hasten their extinction.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
So since level 1 is going to be P/F as well. Is it possible to pass without studying the OMM at all and just doing well on the actually medicine?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
So since level 1 is going to be P/F as well. Is it possible to pass without studying the OMM at all and just doing well on the actually medicine?
How much do you want to risk your academic career on the hope that the OMM obsessed organization that has a reputation of pushing OMM is going to let people easily pass without studying OMM?

To clarify, I agree that COMLEX specific parts should not be the focus of anyone's study. But you do have to study them. At least somewhat.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
So since level 1 is going to be P/F as well. Is it possible to pass without studying the OMM at all and just doing well on the actually medicine?
100% yes. I have detailed this in another post but even if you guessed on every single OMM question you will inevitably get some correct anyways.

The idea of studying OMM for Comlex is a myth IMO. Who knows if they change the exam in the future.

Note: if going for Ortho or other DO surgical sub programs, it was important to max your comlex scores but now that caveat is gone with P/F comlex.
 
Last edited:
How much do you want to risk your academic career on the hope that the OMM obsessed organization that has a reputation of pushing OMM is going to let people easily pass without studying OMM?

To clarify, I agree that COMLEX specific parts should not be the focus of anyone's study. But you do have to study them. At least somewhat.
I would be a little risk averse if I was taking comlex the first time it's pass/fail due to worries of NBOME totally borking the exam with more OMM and oddball questions and changing the pass threshold. They won't tell you they are doing that if they do. That said, they might not change anything and if that's the case I vote that you don't need to study it in any meaningful way. After the first class reports back on changes, I would whole heartedly not study any of that stuff aside from passing the in-house OMM exams at school.

N=1
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
How much do you want to risk your academic career on the hope that the OMM obsessed organization that has a reputation of pushing OMM is going to let people easily pass without studying OMM?

To clarify, I agree that COMLEX specific parts should not be the focus of anyone's study. But you do have to study them. At least somewhat.
I would be a little risk averse if I was taking comlex the first time it's pass/fail due to worries of NBOME totally borking the exam with more OMM and oddball questions and changing the pass threshold. They won't tell you they are doing that if they do. That said, they might not change anything and if that's the case I vote that you don't need to study it in any meaningful way. After the first class reports back on changes, I would whole heartedly not study any of that stuff aside from passing the in-house OMM exams at school.

N=1
I mean I already am gearing my OMM studying around COMLEX at this point (using COMLEX Anki decks). I’ll probably just do what everyone before me has done and study for a week between step 1 and COMLEX 1
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I mean I already am gearing my OMM studying around COMLEX at this point (using COMLEX Anki decks). I’ll probably just do what everyone before me has done and study for a week between step 1 and COMLEX 1
Most people end up doing like 1 or 2 days max. A week of time in between is a long time. Your "give a damn" will definitely be busted.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 5 users
Most people end up doing like 1 or 2 days max. A week of time in between is a long time. Your "give a damn" will definitely be busted.
Seconding this. A week wouldn’t have helped me, and I would have just forgotten some of the medicine things thinking about OMM in that much time.

I took step 1 on a Wednesday and level 1 on a Friday. I didn’t study OMM between the two; I just rested. I had periodically reviewed OMM throughout. Just dedicate a few minutes to it here and there just so you don’t forget it altogether during dedicated, but don’t spend a bunch of your time on it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Most people end up doing like 1 or 2 days max. A week of time in between is a long time. Your "give a damn" will definitely be busted.
Honestly even 5 days is pushing it. I had 6 days due to poor scheduling, and I studied maybe 2-3 and spent the rest of the time forgetting too much from Step 1 study time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Top