Should DO/HPSP students take both COMLEX and USMLE?

[coureurdubois]

As a HPSP participant in an Osteopathic school, is it required by the military that we take both the COMLEX and USMLE StepI/LevelI? If not, is it recommended for later residency applications? Will the military pay for both exams? Thanks!

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[USAFGMODOC]

The military won't pay for both Comlex and USMLE, and as for the need for a DO to take both, it is a personal decision. Also, for board certification, uncle sam would only pay for one as well.

Perhaps if you are attempting to match in a competative specialty or are hoping for a deferred/civilian sponsored residency, it may pay off.

But, if you are only going to do a military residency, likely it is not required nor going to benefit you much unless you really rock it!

 

[cuddlepuppy]

I am a 4th year DO HPSP student and was told, after the fact, that it was a good thing that I took USMLE as well as COMLEX for a very competitive specialty.

The way I see it...

1) who knows if you might get a civilian deferment, you probably will put it down as an option on your military rank list

2) for competitive residencies, they do weigh a lot on your board scores...regardless of military vs. civilian it helps to compare apples to apples.


I think #1 is the more important reason to take both COMLEX and USMLE. It's a personal choice though, I know some DO applicants who only took COMLEX and got a good residency spot.

Good luck, tough decision.

CP

 

[kaikai128]

I was told that for military residency selection (AF)...if you are DO that ONLY your COMPLEX score would be used, and that even if you turned in a USMLE score it would not be used for anything. This was by the person who was in charge of GME for the AF. Is this wrong?

As always, if you want a competitive specialty--good idea to take the USMLE just in case you go to a civilian residency. I am pretty sure I can get my civilian residency of choice wihtout the USMLE, so I don't plan to take it.

 

[user121]

bump. Is there any advantage to taking the USMLE in addition to the COMLEX as a DO??? Is it common practice to DO HPSP's to take both?

 

[WernickeDO]

 

[WernickeDO]

Still no need for DO students to take USMLE. 8 years is a pretty good bump.

 

[asdf123g]

View attachment 198071

Altered beast was the ****! Never beat it though

@WernickeDO Any advantage to taking it? Would you not look more competitive than a DO who didnt take it?

 

[WernickeDO]

Altered beast was the ****! Never beat it though

@WernickeDO Any advantage to taking it? Would you not look more competitive than a DO who didnt take it?

Can't honestly say. I didn't take it and did fine with the match. I don't know any military DO's who took the USMLE.

 

[backrow]

More than a handful take both and there are a couple scenarios where it could be advantageous:

1) you did poorly on COMLEX.
2) you are thinking about trying for a civilian deferment into a competitive MD residency program.

Other than those two I can't think of much reason to take both.

 

[metopic]

don't be a pansy, take the usmle.

 

[asdf123g]

don't be a pansy, take the usmle.

why take it if theres no advantage? Besides, i heard HPSP only covers the cost for ONE or the other.

 

[Doctor Bob]

Altered beast was the ****! Never beat it though

I got the best of Sega valuepak for the PS3 a few weeks ago. One of the games was Altered Beast. Wife and I sat down and hammered our way through the game in about half an hour. After 27 years... vengeance!

 

[asdf123g]

I got the best of Sega valuepak for the PS3 a few weeks ago. One of the games was Altered Beast. Wife and I sat down and hammered our way through the game in about half an hour. After 27 years... vengeance!

get phantasy star 4 if you haven't. Highly recommend.

great gameplay, great story, great music. I wish the game was longer, its sooo good and one of the most overlooked games!

EDIT:
Just watched a playthrough of altered beast on youtube. I didnt realize how short the game is....

 

[WernickeDO]

get phantasy star 4 if you haven't. Highly recommend.

great gameplay, great story, great music. I wish the game was longer, its sooo good and one of the most overlooked games!

EDIT:
Just watched a playthrough of altered beast on youtube. I didnt realize how short the game is....

Yes, doesn't take much to get through that one. Gaming has come a long way since the early 90's.

 

[Red Lobster Actual]

Yes, doesn't take much to get through that one. Gaming has come a long way since the early 90's.

Eh...that's debatable.

Bonus points to anyone that can predict what will happen to Rookie Akinori Tanida.

 

[Shikima]

That's it, I'm getting a coin-op for home use.

 

[Red Lobster Actual]

instead of video killed the radio star it should be xbox killed the arcade...store???

 

[asdf123g]

Yes, doesn't take much to get through that one. Gaming has come a long way since the early 90's.

by short i mean youtube play through's are as short as ~11 minutes to beat the entire Game. Phantasy Star 4 (an RPG...PS1 basically pioneered the genre)..about 8 hours. Relative to Final Fantasy 7 which took my something like 70 hrs...PS4 is short!

 

[WernickeDO]

by short i mean youtube play through's are as short as ~11 minutes to beat the entire Game. Phantasy Star 4 (an RPG...PS1 basically pioneered the genre)..about 8 hours. Relative to Final Fantasy 7 which took my something like 70 hrs...PS4 is short!

70 hours for FF7...so you did the golden chocobo quest for Knights of the Round?

 

[asdf123g]

70 hours for FF7...so you did the golden chocobo quest for Knights of the Round?

its been too long. I just remember doing pretty much everything possible in that game. Forsure had a gold chocobo and killed all of the weapons (with the help of googling how lol). I remember losing one of the disks so i just sat around leveling up my characters/materia for a while till i found the disk. FF7= one of the best games ever made. Im psyched for the remake...theres already teaser trailer out there but it doesnt reveal much.

 

[WernickeDO]

its been too long. I just remember doing pretty much everything possible in that game. Forsure had a gold chocobo and killed all of the weapons (with the help of googling how lol). I remember losing one of the disks so i just sat around leveling up my characters/materia for a while till i found the disk. FF7= one of the best games ever made. Im psyched for the remake...theres already teaser trailer out there but it doesnt reveal much.

Well if you killed the Emerald WEAPON you for sure had Knights of the Round, I don't think it's possible without it. I will definitely get the remake too.

 

[asdf123g]

Well if you killed the Emerald WEAPON you for sure had Knights of the Round, I don't think it's possible without it. I will definitely get the remake too.

Maybe, i just remember using Hades a lot.