Step 3 for a DO in an MD residency

[95439]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I'm a graduate of a DO medical school, now attending an MD residency. I want to maintain full DO status after residency (as I can't become an MD, and 4 or 5 states require completing the DO requirements to practice there). Anyway, my question is this - for Step 3 do I take the COMLEX (DO exam) or the USMLE (MD exam), or both? Any answers/advice on this would be greatly appreciated....thank you in advance!

 

[typhoonegator]

There are some DOs on this forum, but if you don't get a good response, you might want to ask again in the General Residency or the DO forum.

 

[J-Rad]

You need to take Comlex III for licensure. In re "keeping D.O. status, you need to apply for resolution 42 approval of your internship for the four states (OK is sometimes mistakenly included in this though they have their own requirements). BTW PA is becoming a lot more stringent in their requirements and do not automatically recognize resolution 42. USMLE III is, in all likelihood, a waste of money. This info applies to all DO residents in any ACGME residency.

 

[95439]

You need to take Comlex III for licensure. In re "keeping D.O. status, you need to apply for resolution 42 approval of your internship for the four states (OK is sometimes mistakenly included in this though they have their own requirements). BTW PA is becoming a lot more stringent in their requirements and do not automatically recognize resolution 42. USMLE III is, in all likelihood, a waste of money. This info applies to all DO residents in any ACGME residency.

Sorry about that Typhoonegator, I hadn't seen the other area.

Having said that, J-Rad answered the question. Thank you!! It's a bit confusing keeping all of this straight because the residency I'm at for my intern year doesn't know the answer, and there seems to be different requirements at the residency I'm going to for Neurology. Since you answered this question so spectacularly, would you be so kind as to tell me whether (per resolution 42) I should "compare my intern year to a 'traditional rotating internship' or 'My Osteopathic Specialty College OGME-1 Rotations'? WTF are osteopathic specialty college OGME-1 rotations lol?

 

[Arch Guillotti]

You need to take Comlex III for licensure.

This is not actually as clear cut as it appears. I am a fully licensed and board certified DO and I never took COMLEX 3. I took USMLE I/II/III. If you are going to practice in one of the dreaded 5 states then the rules are surely different in terms of board exams and internships and whatnot. I am licensed by a state that accepts USMLE or COMLEX for DO's.

 

[DrMom]

This is not actually as clear cut as it appears. I am a fully licensed and board certified DO and I never took COMLEX 3. I took USMLE I/II/III. If you are going to practice in one of the dreaded 5 states then the rules are surely different in terms of board exams and internships and whatnot. I am licensed by a state that accepts USMLE or COMLEX for DO's.

There are more than 5 states that have a separate Osteopathic licensure board. I believe the majority of the ones that have a separate board require COMLEX completion for licensure. (for example: California is not one of the 5 states and it lists COMLEX as required on its application form)

That said, I agree that there are many states that a DO can get licensed in without completing COMLEX.

 

[Arch Guillotti]

There are more than 5 states that have a separate Osteopathic licensure board. I believe the majority of the ones that have a separate board require COMLEX completion for licensure. (for example: California is not one of the 5 states and it lists COMLEX as required on its application form)

That said, I agree that there are many states that a DO can get licensed in without completing COMLEX.

agree. If you want to know the nitty-gritty requirements for licensure on a state by state basis I suggest going to the FSMB website where there is a link for all state medical boards (DO & MD).

 

[J-Rad]

This is not actually as clear cut as it appears. I am a fully licensed and board certified DO and I never took COMLEX 3. I took USMLE I/II/III. If you are going to practice in one of the dreaded 5 states then the rules are surely different in terms of board exams and internships and whatnot. I am licensed by a state that accepts USMLE or COMLEX for DO's.

I stand corrected. It looks like even resolution 42 approval doesn't necessitate COMLEX. However, for universal licensure across all states, COMLEX III would be needed (even in some states that aren't one of the "Four")

 

[DrWBD]

I'm a graduate of a DO medical school, now attending an MD residency. I want to maintain full DO status after residency (as I can't become an MD, and 4 or 5 states require completing the DO requirements to practice there). Anyway, my question is this - for Step 3 do I take the COMLEX (DO exam) or the USMLE (MD exam), or both? Any answers/advice on this would be greatly appreciated....thank you in advance!

1. You're in an ACGME residency, not an "MD residency".

2. Don't take USMLE Step 3. It sounds like you have already taken COMLEX Levels 1 and 2 already. In order to get licensed you just need to finish COMLEX Level 3. There are only around 20 or so DOs who take USMLE Step 3 every year, usually because they did what Arch Guillotti did (opting to use the USMLE route to licensure), or they are possibly applying to super-competitive ACGME specialty training and need a good Step 3 score for consideration.

3. Unless you want to practice in one of the 5 states, don't even worry about the COMLEX/USMLE issue. Even in some of the 5 states, you can petition the state board for practice rights despite not having all the "requirements" on paper.

 

[95439]

I'm shocked that there's such logistical nonsense in order to become licensed! (said dripping with sarcasm). Whatever, I'll just take the damn COMLEX and then if I have to take USMLE I will.
I appreciate all of your responses and help though. I'd be completely uncertain of what to do if it weren't for your collective help. Thank you guys as always!!

 

[oreosandsake]

don't you need to take step 2CS to take usmle step 3?

 

[95439]

don't you need to take step 2CS to take usmle step 3?

Ummm....no. Ok probably yes. (I can't believe I didn't even think about that)

 

[DrWBD]

I'm shocked that there's such logistical nonsense in order to become licensed! (said dripping with sarcasm).

The logistical nonsense is largely imposed by our members of our own profession (the AOA and osteopathic state medical boards) in order to promote their agenda at your expense.

 

[bustbones26]

The logistical nonsense is largely imposed by our members of our own profession (the AOA and osteopathic state medical boards) in order to promote their agenda at your expense.

A number of us have the same complaints. I myself will be honest, back in my day, whenever I was applying for medical school, I didn't really care if I did DO or MD, I just wanted to be a damn doctor, but if I knew how many damn hoops I had to jump through in the DO world, I might have thought different.

Its a shame and it doesn't work out well for specialist. There is an abundance of FP and IM osteopathic programs but heaven forbid if you want to be a specialist. First off, seems like if you want to be a specialist, the bulk of the programs are offered at some hospital in the armpit of Detroit and not many places otherwise. Heaven forbid you do not match into one of the five specialty programs offered on the DO side of the house (versus the hundereds of FP programs), if you do an MD program for the purposes of geography or availability, you are treated like a "traitor" by the AOA.

On my end, I did an allopathic program for the military. I was actually lucky because much to my surprise, if you say "military" to the AOA, its like carte blanche for getting past all of the BS.

Okay, so I got my complaints off my chest. I think it all comes down to this. We are the future of the AOA. Let us not be as close minded as our current leaders and I would recommend getting involved so that when the time comes, we make the decisions for the better, not the worst.