Should I submit Comlex score

[Hoebo54]

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Applied to 70 Allopathic residencies with just the usmle. Step 1=218, step 2=240. I'm a DO and my comlex score are crappy just like the exam itself and I was wonder if I should release them. Do programs view this as a red flag if you're a DO and don't release the comlex. Do I need to release the comlex and to show that I passed?? comlex 1= 510, comlex 2=419

Any advice??

 

[Arch Guillotti]

Taking the USMLE was the best thing you could have ever done for your application. I am not sure most ACGME programs look at the COMLEX score or know how to interpret it.

 

[MRa2z]

There isn't a point in sending a comlex score if you took the usmle and did decent. I took comlex and got my A** handed to me , and i did well on usmle. I applied only with my usmle step 1 score and a 'pending' step 2 which i'm taking in a few weeks and have gotten a few interviews with that alone.

If a program is dying to know your comlex, you can always release the score later or tell them at the interview. I feel that a crap comlex score can raise a red flag and take attention away from a decent usmle score.

 

[amyl]

dont release it. 99% of programs will not even notice you did not release it. it wont even come up. most dont really understand or care to understand our DO stuff, if you performed well on the usmle they are satisifies. i performed well on comlex but still didn't release it until asked. i was only asked at one place and they guy who asked doesn't interview candidates anymore.
if you are asked how you did you should tell the truth... and have a reason ready. i will let you steal the reason that happened to be the truth for me: i took the comlex as my pretest before studying and didn't study or plan to ever study any of the stupid OPP stuff since i knew i wanted MD anes.
course if the dates you took it prove thats not the case well then you will have an answer of your own 🙂

 

[Idiopathic]

i think it could backfire. it will probably benefit you to get your foot in the door, but i would imagine you will have to explain it. many programs (all?) know that DO students have a separate test, and you WILL get asked about it.

 

[okayplayer]

I did well on Comlex I/II but still did not release my scores until one program asked for them in October or November. The other programs did not specifically inquire about Comlex one way or another.

 

[MRa2z]

i think it could backfire. it will probably benefit you to get your foot in the door, but i would imagine you will have to explain it. many programs (all?) know that DO students have a separate test, and you WILL get asked about it.

with all due respect, this is highly unlikely. i go to an osteopathic school and very few people applying for Gas release their comlex scores to MD programs. Of my friends who interviewed last year, a handful were asked about their comlex scores, maybe once or twice out of 15 or so interviews, ( usually if interviewed by a DO attending ) and that was just to ask if they had passed/cleared it. MD programs care about the USMLE, they want to compare you to other candidates , and lets face it , the comlex is a **** test and most MD attendings have no clue how to 'convert' or interpret it.

A poor comlex score WILL raise a red flag on the application - why do that to yourself? if a program director ends up asking, you can always release it later. it costs 250 bucks to release comlex, that's an additional 13-14 programs a student can apply to, and money better spent in my opinion.

in the end, better safe than sorry, you can always release the comlex score but you can't take it back once a program sees it.