Should I Take Both Comlex and USMLE????

[nettaw]

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I need some serious advice. I am currently a HPSP (Army) recipient in my second year at an Osteopathic Medical school. I am preparing to take Comlex 1 next summer, but am not sure if I should take USMLE as well. I want a military residency and I plan to specialize ( surgery, anesthes, etc...). I get mixed responses from people about taking both COMLEX1 and USMLE1. Some say to only take COMLEX bec I will not need USMLE to specialize in the Army, some say to take USMLE step 2 only in addition to COMLEX, some say take COMLEX1 and USMLE1. My fear is taking COMLEX/USMLE1 and not doing so well on the USMLE which will defeat the purpose in taking it. What would you do? Any advice about who in the Army i can talk abt bec i feel as if the recruiters got me in, but now I am not sure who to turn to.

 

[supergirl]

I'm pretty sure that as a DO student, if we take the USMLE, we aren't required to report the scores. So, I say take them both, and if you do badly on the USMLE, no one will ever have to know.

 

[sethco]

I need some serious advice. I am currently a HPSP (Army) recipient in my second year at an Osteopathic Medical school. I am preparing to take Comlex 1 next summer, but am not sure if I should take USMLE as well. I want a military residency and I plan to specialize ( surgery, anesthes, etc...). I get mixed responses from people about taking both COMLEX1 and USMLE1. Some say to only take COMLEX bec I will not need USMLE to specialize in the Army, some say to take USMLE step 2 only in addition to COMLEX, some say take COMLEX1 and USMLE1. My fear is taking COMLEX/USMLE1 and not doing so well on the USMLE which will defeat the purpose in taking it. What would you do? Any advice about who in the Army i can talk abt bec i feel as if the recruiters got me in, but now I am not sure who to turn to.

As an MS-IV at an Osteopathic school (and an HPSP Participant), I would say the answer depends on a lot of things. First, what specialty are you planning on going into and how sure are you of this? Second, is your school paying for the COMLEX? Third, can we really trust the JSGME when they say we don't have to take the USMLE in order to be on a level playing field?
In my opinion, since I am going for a fairly competitive specialty and there may be a good chance that I will have to do a civilian residency, my choice was very easy. I would say if you are not 100% sure you want to do FP, IM, PEDS, or OB/GYN it is well worth it to take the COMLEX and USMLE (both steps). I think that this levels the playing field and makes the program directors have a better comparison. It also takes away an excuse any program director may use about why they would not take on this applicant. Hope all this helps.

 

[sethco]

I'm pretty sure that as a DO student, if we take the USMLE, we aren't required to report the scores. So, I say take them both, and if you do badly on the USMLE, no one will ever have to know.

This is true that nobody will see your score, especially since we are suppose to fax over a copy of our COMLEX and/or USMLE scores to the JSGME. However, if you are also applying to civilian programs I would advise against this because the programs still know that you took the USMLE, especially if you only report the score of Step I and not Step II, or vice-versa. That looks like you have something to hide from the program.

 

[texdrake]

The military doesn't care, so if you plan on doing a military residency, no need to waste the money and time on taking the USMLE.

Most AMA residencies now accept the complex as well, some of the more competitive surgery and high end specialties don't, but most of the rest do. Its a preference thing. I think you will be fine if you don't take it, but if you want to go ahead.

I will tell you that characteristically the DO schools do not emphasis biochemistry and histological pathology as much...the USMLE likes those areas so if you are taking the USMLE make sure to study up extra in those two areas before you take the USMLE.