the official COMAT shelf thread

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Does anyone know who hard the NBME shelf exams are? are they harder than the COMATs?

Just curious.
 
Does anyone know who hard the NBME shelf exams are? are they harder than the COMATs?

Just curious.
Different kind of hard. My guess is like comparing comlex and step. Step questions are harder (higher order thought process) but comlex is harder in the sense that the questions are so poorly written and vague its hard to understand what planet they are getting their questions from
 
comquest predicted a 119 for me on the IM shelf, got a 105. i'm at a loss. comquest was within 1 point of my predicted score on the fm shelf and i thought fm was harder, but i did far better on it.
 
Last edited:
Took the psych COMAT today and felt it was a mix of stupid easy questions and wtf is this questions. I had like 5-6 questions on the same personality disorder and you'd think they'd be able to mix it up a bit with 125 questions. Now I get a month off which is our last school mandated break until just before graduation. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!
 
Took the psych COMAT today and felt it was a mix of stupid easy questions and wtf is this questions. I had like 5-6 questions on the same personality disorder and you'd think they'd be able to mix it up a bit with 125 questions. Now I get a month off which is our last school mandated break until just before graduation. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!
cheers mate!
 
I took Peds today. Literally knew almost zero Peds lol. I took Peds 1 a year ago, was supposed to have Peds 2 in April (cancelled due to Covid). So I had to take it after not having any Peds exposure for a year, and it being my lowest section of Level 2, 2 SDs below the mean.
 
Maybe this has been posted already, but is anyone annoyed by the fact that comats are not proctored and still somehow end up on MSPE?
It bothers me a lot, though I wonder how common cheating actually is. I would be lying if I haven't been tempted once or twice, but I wonder how many of my peers have given in to that temptation.
 
It bothers me a lot, though I wonder how common cheating actually is. I would be lying if I haven't been tempted once or twice, but I wonder how many of my peers have given in to that temptation.
Right? I knew people cheated on proctored exams at my school, I have no doubt some of them will be doing the same with comats. If they didn’t show up on our MSPE I wouldn’t care, but they do.
 
It bothers me a lot, though I wonder how common cheating actually is. I would be lying if I haven't been tempted once or twice, but I wonder how many of my peers have given in to that temptation.
Honestly for me at least, COMATs are so tightly timed I wouldn’t be physically able to cheat,
 
Kinda worried I'm going to fail my psych comat Friday because I am just so checked out and done with this semester.

Doing fine on comquest questions, but lower than I usually do (predicted at 107 right now)

I just want to get this over with.
 
Maybe this has been posted already, but is anyone annoyed by the fact that comats are not proctored and still somehow end up on MSPE?
I actually wish they showed up on ours. Our people told us they don’t explicitly show up because it’s worked into the rotation grading and that’s mentioned... but with that one eval I got for IM, it doesn’t matter how well I do on the COMAT because all I’ll get is a pass. Could get the highest possible score ever and still just pass.

Don’t even know how I did on any of my other rotations - IM is the only eval that’s in so far.

Frustrating. I hope the person who told us that is wrong and our scores do show up.
 
I actually wish they showed up on ours. Our people told us they don’t explicitly show up because it’s worked into the rotation grading and that’s mentioned... but with that one eval I got for IM, it doesn’t matter how well I do on the COMAT because all I’ll get is a pass. Could get the highest possible score ever and still just pass.

Don’t even know how I did on any of my other rotations - IM is the only eval that’s in so far.

Frustrating. I hope the person who told us that is wrong and our scores do show up.
It’s not wrong. Your eval scores (with breakdown by all 7 categories) and final rotation score are on MSPE, not the comat.
 
I actually wish they showed up on ours. Our people told us they don’t explicitly show up because it’s worked into the rotation grading and that’s mentioned... but with that one eval I got for IM, it doesn’t matter how well I do on the COMAT because all I’ll get is a pass. Could get the highest possible score ever and still just pass.

Don’t even know how I did on any of my other rotations - IM is the only eval that’s in so far.

Frustrating. I hope the person who told us that is wrong and our scores do show up.

If COMATs were proctored, I would be all for having them on our MSPE. Right now, we’re using the self-proctored system so it would be incredibly easy for people to cheat.
 
Whelp I finished comquest Psych questions today and the exam is tmr. I was at 69% correct when I started today, and fell to 66%.

Not something I really wanted to have happen the day before the exam. Still at a predicted 103, but I'm appalled and little worried to have a downward trend the leading up to the exam. This is by far the worst I have ever done on a comquest bank

Its depressing, I feel like a fake student doctor. Seasonal depression hitting ya boi hard these days
 
Took my psych comat today! I feel like you could pass by just picking the SSRI every time one is an answer option... unless there’s more than one lmfao. Half buzz word questions, half wtf questions, and why the eff are there OMM findings on there? They’re in for depression. Idc what their sacrum is doing.

I have no idea how I did. Was predicted at 113 before I walked in there. We’ll see.
 
Took my psych comat today! I feel like you could pass by just picking the SSRI every time one is an answer option... unless there’s more than one lmfao. Half buzz word questions, half wtf questions, and why the eff are there OMM findings on there? They’re in for depression. Idc what their sacrum is doing.

I have no idea how I did. Was predicted at 113 before I walked in there. We’ll see.

I felt the same way about the psych COMAT and ended up honoring it so I'm sure you did great! The WTF questions felt exceptionally random and weird on this one.
 
Anyone else totally effing drowning rn? I’m gonna rant for a sec if that’s okay.


Two days into my second IM rotation and I want to pull my hair out. I was usually carrying 2-3 patients during my first rotation, and that was comfortable and I had time to learn. First day of this rotation my preceptor goes, “well, you guys are gonna have four each because we’re at our cap for the team” right after his NP (he’s not associated with the IM residency program here) told us that he usually gives students two patients and bumps us up to three by the end. Probably would have felt okay if I’d just had IM, but I did my first IM rotation in September and I feel like I’ve forgotten everything.

He has 24 patients. His NP takes 12 and he takes 12. So he split them 4, 4, and 4 between him, myself, and the other student for writing notes.

And they’re sick, you guys. Two of my four are in the ICU, one teetering on intubation. The other got moved to the floor overnight and then d/ced today, but still.

Yesterday was a effing nightmare because I had four unfamiliar patients and it took me forever to do their progress notes since they were new to me with extensive histories and I knew nothing about them... and the plans on most of them changed based on new results/complications. Today I only wrote one progress note and three discharge summaries because three of them were getting discharged... and the hospital has zero beds open with people waiting to be admitted. You guys know what that means. Tomorrow I’m writing three H&Ps and a discharge summary because I’ll have three new patients.

...Maybe it’s because I just came from psych where I had super chill hours and literally did nothing, but I feel like I’m getting smacked in the face. The other student on this rotation with me is finishing his notes at home since he’s a slower worker and said he didn’t finish until after 10pm last night. I’m just over here like wtf, this is nasty.

On a side note, I think I just made my final decision to chase rads.

Any advice for studying for a super quick HY resource for studying for the IM comat? Because I’m probably not even gonna be able to get the Comquest questions done, let alone any flashcards, if this whole rotation is gonna be like this.
 
Last edited:
Anyone else totally effing drowning rn? I’m gonna rant for a sec if that’s okay.


Two days into my second IM rotation and I want to pull my hair out. I was usually carrying 2-3 patients during my first rotation, and that was comfortable and I had time to learn. First day of this rotation my preceptor goes, “well, you guys are gonna have four each because we’re at our cap for the team” right after his NP (he’s not associated with the IM residency program here) told us that he usually gives students two patients and bumps us up to three by the end. Probably would have felt okay if I’d just had IM, but I did my first IM rotation in September and I feel like I’ve forgotten everything.

He has 24 patients. His NP takes 12 and he takes 12. So he split them 4, 4, and 4 between him, myself, and the other student for writing notes.

And they’re sick, you guys. Two of my four are in the ICU, one teetering on intubation. The other got moved to the floor overnight and then d/ced today, but still.

Yesterday was a effing nightmare because I had four unfamiliar patients and it took me forever to do their progress notes since they were new to me with extensive histories and I knew nothing about them... and the plans on most of them changed based on new results/complications. Today I only wrote one progress note and three discharge summaries because three of them were getting discharged... and the hospital has zero beds open with people waiting to be admitted. You guys know what that means. Tomorrow I’m writing three H&Ps and a discharge summary because I’ll have three new patients.

...Maybe it’s because I just came from psych where I had super chill hours and literally did nothing, but I feel like I’m getting smacked in the face. The other student on this rotation with me is finishing his notes at home since he’s a slower worker and said he didn’t finish until after 10pm last night. I’m just over here like wtf, this is nasty.

On a side note, I think I just made my final decision to chase rads.

Any advice for studying for a super quick HY resource for studying for the IM comat? Because I’m probably not even gonna be able to get the Comquest questions done, let alone any flashcards, if this whole rotation is gonna be like this.
wow.

have you watched Emma holiday and/or looked at the slides? Im not much for videos but I like the slides. They hit on common question stem scenarios.
 
wow.

have you watched Emma holiday and/or looked at the slides? Im not much for videos but I like the slides. They hit on common question stem scenarios.
I haven’t yet, but this is a great idea. Maybe if I fully go over the slides every weekend between now and the comat something will stick.
 
Todays the day for Psych Comat score. Ya hate to see it
I got all excited for a sec, but my score’s still not available.

That’s so weird. Does NBOME release these scores at different times for different people or something?
 
I got all excited for a sec, but my score’s still not available.

That’s so weird. Does NBOME release these scores at different times for different people or something?
It seems so, peds came out before surg last time
 
Took my last Comat today, emergency medicine. It was extremely difficult, and I ran out of time. When I had 4 minutes left I had to go on a mad clicking spree to click AN answer on a completely unread question x 15-20, and another 4-5 I didn’t even get a chance to click AN answer: went in feeling pretty good. I was nailing comquest questions and had like 116 predicted. Now just hoping to get out of it with a pass.
 
Took my last Comat today, emergency medicine. It was extremely difficult, and I ran out of time. When I had 4 minutes left I had to go on a mad clicking spree to click AN answer on a completely unread question x 15-20, and another 4-5 I didn’t even get a chance to click AN answer: went in feeling pretty good. I was nailing comquest questions and had like 116 predicted. Now just hoping to get out of it with a pass.
damn thats terrifying bro. what made it so hard?
 
damn thats terrifying bro. what made it so hard?
Just felt like really nit picky about order of management in stuff that happens simultaneously or gets input simultaneously. Like I get asking about an outpatient breast lump diagnostic progression, but an ER chest pain is getting an order set.
 
Last edited:
My school is having us take the OMM COMAT next week and I have done absolutely no OMM since Level 1 in June. Is going through Savarese for a couple days beforehand sufficient? I have no desire to honor this, just want to pass and move on with life.
 
My school is having us take the OMM COMAT next week and I have done absolutely no OMM since Level 1 in June. Is going through Savarese for a couple days beforehand sufficient? I have no desire to honor this, just want to pass and move on with life.
My school made us do it at the end of second year. It was a very small fraction of our OPP IV grade.

I didn’t use savarese because we took it right after finals (cumulative for all of opp) and I thought it was going to be fine, but I struggled with it. My score was fine (103), but I would definitely recommend taking it seriously, whatever else you do.
 
My school made us do it at the end of second year. It was a very small fraction of our OPP IV grade.

I didn’t use savarese because we took it right after finals (cumulative for all of opp) and I thought it was going to be fine, but I struggled with it. My score was fine (103), but I would definitely recommend taking it seriously, whatever else you do.
They withheld our OPP Comat score. Not that I care but it was kind of dumb.
 
Anyone else totally effing drowning rn? I’m gonna rant for a sec if that’s okay.


Two days into my second IM rotation and I want to pull my hair out. I was usually carrying 2-3 patients during my first rotation, and that was comfortable and I had time to learn. First day of this rotation my preceptor goes, “well, you guys are gonna have four each because we’re at our cap for the team” right after his NP (he’s not associated with the IM residency program here) told us that he usually gives students two patients and bumps us up to three by the end. Probably would have felt okay if I’d just had IM, but I did my first IM rotation in September and I feel like I’ve forgotten everything.

He has 24 patients. His NP takes 12 and he takes 12. So he split them 4, 4, and 4 between him, myself, and the other student for writing notes.

And they’re sick, you guys. Two of my four are in the ICU, one teetering on intubation. The other got moved to the floor overnight and then d/ced today, but still.

Yesterday was a effing nightmare because I had four unfamiliar patients and it took me forever to do their progress notes since they were new to me with extensive histories and I knew nothing about them... and the plans on most of them changed based on new results/complications. Today I only wrote one progress note and three discharge summaries because three of them were getting discharged... and the hospital has zero beds open with people waiting to be admitted. You guys know what that means. Tomorrow I’m writing three H&Ps and a discharge summary because I’ll have three new patients.

...Maybe it’s because I just came from psych where I had super chill hours and literally did nothing, but I feel like I’m getting smacked in the face. The other student on this rotation with me is finishing his notes at home since he’s a slower worker and said he didn’t finish until after 10pm last night. I’m just over here like wtf, this is nasty.

On a side note, I think I just made my final decision to chase rads.

Any advice for studying for a super quick HY resource for studying for the IM comat? Because I’m probably not even gonna be able to get the Comquest questions done, let alone any flashcards, if this whole rotation is gonna be like this.
Why is a nurse practitioner assigning med students patients and any type of work literally at all?
 
Why is a nurse practitioner assigning med students patients and any type of work literally at all?
Oh, they’re not. Sorry for the weird phrasing. Of the 24, the doc gets 12 and the NP gets 12. And of the doc’s 12 patients, myself, the other med student, and the doc write four notes each. So the NP is writing all 12 of her notes alone... though the doc is signing all 24 of the notes at the end of the day.
 
My school is having us take the OMM COMAT next week and I have done absolutely no OMM since Level 1 in June. Is going through Savarese for a couple days beforehand sufficient? I have no desire to honor this, just want to pass and move on with life.
Taking it next month, did TurnUp2OMT because I couldn't stomach the idea of doing anything else. Kinda nervous for it because OMM is always my lowest section.
 
Top