clarence said:
I am taking both about a week apart. People seem to take COMLEX first, but as long as I pass COMLEX (which I am pretty sure I will) my actual score on the USMLE is more important (bcz I am only applying to allopathic programs). So I was thinking that taking the USMLE first would be better. Take a couple of days off - study OPP and go round 2.
Which do you think I should take first and why?
All I can give you for advice is what I did:
I took both, and was primarily concerned with my USMLE score as well (although I didn't want to stink it up for the COMLEX either). So, what I decided to do is take the COMLEX first, sort of as a trial run for the MLE,and take the USMLE the next day. This was, of course, when the COMLEX was a 2 day exam and not the computer-based exam it is now.
What I did was study for the COMLEX like it was the USMLE (including heavy biochem, molecular sciences, stats, etc), then take the COMLEX and whatever deficiencies I found I would study between day 1 and 2 and between day 2 and USMLE day. I found this to work quite well.
I've heard of many people that would wait a week or so between the exams, but I figured that once I was done test-taking, I wouldn't have the energy left to study for another week, so I crammed them all together into 3 consecutive 8 hour days. It was hell, but it worked.
BTW, I did the same thing for COMLEX/USMLE step II, with similar results.
Good luck.
jd
