Step I Study for COMLEX= USMLE?

Started by HarveyCushing
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HarveyCushing

HarveyCushing

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I am still some time away from taking step 1, but curious to hear from those that took both the COMLEX and the USMLE. Would you say that you can study for just the COMLEX and be well prepared for the USMLE as well, or is there additional material that one needs to go over?
 
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Actually, I would recommend the reverse. Study your butt off for the USMLE and you will smoke the COMLEX. Do a couple mornings of OMM review on Chapman's, tenderpoints and viscerosomatic reflexes and you will be fine.
 
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I agree w/ Sether

COMLEX = heavier on Pharm, micro, peripheral anatomy and of course OMM
USMLE= heavier on Biochem and molecular

I am taking the USMLE first for several reasons, with the major one being that all I'll really need to "add" b/w the two is OMM. If you take the USMLE first you are going to be well versed in pharm and micro anyway. That being said, I think it will take much more time and effort to review Biochem and Molecular, so I'm taking the USMLE first...studying OMM for a few days...then taking the COMLEX. If you try to do the reverse, and study Biochem/molecular b/w the two.....IMO that is more work and can cause you to forget some of the major subject matter (ie Path and Physio).

Hope that makes sense
 
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rjfreed said:
About how long after the USMLE is everyone taking the COMLEX? One week? Less? I wouldn't think much more than 7-10 days.
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I'm doing COMLEX first with USMLE 4-7 days later. I'm studying as though the USMLE was first and then plan to purge the OMM and utilize the newly created space for extra biochem points.
 
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hyperbaric said:
I'm doing COMLEX first with USMLE 4-7 days later. I'm studying as though the USMLE was first and then plan to purge the OMM and utilize the newly created space for extra biochem points.
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That sounds like an interesting strategy. How long before the COMLEX are you going to start adding the COMLEX materials, 7-10 days?
 
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HarveyCushing said:
That sounds like an interesting strategy. How long before the COMLEX are you going to start adding the COMLEX materials, 7-10 days?
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Our school has a Kaplan COMLEX review, so I will dedicate nearly all of my independent time to USMLE studies. But, I'll prob spend the last day or two with pure COMLEX stuff.
 
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