Thoughts on when to take COMLEX PE & CE

[manyeeDO]

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Hi all, I was just wanting people's thoughts on how I was planning to do Step II.

Right now I have scheduled the exams for the first week of our 3rd rotation of 4th year. The first two rotations are urban med which is essentially outpatient FP. I have PE scheduled for the Monday 4/8 and CE scheduled for the Friday 8/8. I am taking two weeks of vacation over this period, get the exams done the first week and then actually go on vacation the second week🙂

Anyway, I'm fine with when I'm taking the written exam, I'm just unsure as to whether when I'm taking the PE is a good idea. Is it a bad idea to take these two exams so close together? I had heard it was a good idea to take PE after our urban med rotation since you've basically been doing what the PE tests for the previous two months.

Anybody's thoughts either way would be appreciated!

 

[jacksparrow82]

I don't think its necessary to take the PE that early in your 4th year. June or July are better IMO. Give yourself plenty of time to really study for the PE, its quite a pain to have to retake.

 

[manyeeDO]

Sorry, didn't proofread my own post. I scheduled PE for 8/4 🙂. Or the Monday before I scheduled CE 8/8.

 

[jacksparrow82]

Gotcha! In that case, yeah I might try to seperate the two by more than a couple of weeks at least. In your situation, I wouldn't push the PE ahead any further, instead I would schedule it for June or July. That way you have plenty of time to retake it if you fail. This is a big problem with that exam now. If you wait until Sept. or Oct. to take it and then you fail you won't find out until late december, and by then its too late to get a date early enough to graduate on time.

 

[IsraAlienDoc]

Hi... does anyone know if it is possible to reschedule the COMLEX PE?? I just signed up but now i cant find any way to change the date on it....... any advice?

 

[jacksparrow82]

Hi... does anyone know if it is possible to reschedule the COMLEX PE?? I just signed up but now i cant find any way to change the date on it....... any advice?

This is another crappy aspect of the current PE system. In order to reschedule an exam you have to first select "Cancel and Refund" your current date. This gives up your current reservation and you are only then allowed to go and select a different date. And here's the catch...every time you do this, you lose $50! What a crock! And in addition, there's no guarantee that another date will even be open after you give up your spot.