USMLE/COMLEX and board certification confusion...

[hockyfan]

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Hi everyone, had a question that I hoped someone could help me out with. I'm a student at a DO school, and I will be taking USMLE Step 1 and COMLEX Level 1 in a couple of weeks. I plan on only applying/going only to an ACGME residency program. I have a few questions...

• For the next 2 exams (step 2 and 3), will I be REQUIRED to continue to take COMLEX as well, or can I simply continue on with USMLE if I am in an ACGME residency?
  
• If I am required to continue to take COMLEX, do I need to take any further USMLE exams (ie., is there any advantage the way there is for Step 1)?
  
• If I do an ACGME residency in rad-onc, for example, would I then be board certified by the American Board of Radiology via ACGME? (even if I were to take COMLEX levels 2 and 3, if that is what's required) Or would it have to be American Osteopathic Board of Radiology?

Thank you in advance for any help!

 

[SpecterGT260]

I am under the impression that you need COMLEX 1 and 2 to graduate your DO school. Not all ACGME programs require usmle for entry (some primary care) however for those that do, I suspect they also require steps 2 and 3 for completion of the residency which you will need for certification


I'm not saying this via experience or familiarities with policy though. Just logic-ing my way through it

 

[Siggy]

More importantly, what does your state medical board require? In California, the Osteopathic Medical Board of California only accepts COMLEX.

http://www.ombc.ca.gov/forms_pubs/application_pkg.pdf


What good is being board certified if you aren't licensed to practice medicine anyways?

 

[RM38]

As far as I know you have to take COMLEX steps 1-3 to practice medicine in any field period. USMLE is optional for all fields, but for some fields (such as rad onc), they will want to see USMLE scores on step 1 and 2 so that they can directly compare your board scores to Allopathic applicants. If you do an Allopathic residency you can be board certified by the ACGME, but since you are a D.O. I think you will always need to be licensed under the AOA as well.

 

[group_theory]

I am under the impression that you need COMLEX 1 and 2 to graduate your DO school. Not all ACGME programs require usmle for entry (some primary care) however for those that do, I suspect they also require steps 2 and 3 for completion of the residency which you will need for certification


I'm not saying this via experience or familiarities with policy though. Just logic-ing my way through it

It is the requirement of all DO schools (since it is an AOA requirement for accreditation) that all graduating students MUST PASS Level 1 and Level 2 (both parts) of COMLEX in order to graduate. So if you decide not to take COMLEX Level 2, then you have decided not to graduate from a DO school.


Taking USMLE (for DO students) is only to show residency programs that you are competitive. Some will accept COMLEX. Others will require USMLE Step 1. USMLE Step 2 is optional (since a lot of US MD students haven't taken it yet when they apply and interview) but it can help PDs at ACGME programs know your skills and strength. But it is optional and not an absolute requirement.

USMLE Step 3 is a 2-day expensive test to be taken once you are in residency training (doesn't have to be intern year). It is completely optional for DO students, and doesn't confer any additional advantage. I have never heard of any ACGME residency programs that require completion of USMLE series as part of their requirements (usually if they have that wording, they will accept COMLEX, since the purpose of the requirement is to make sure their residents are eligible for licensure)

As mentioned, there are states that absolutely require COMLEX for licensure and will not accept USMLE.


As for board certification, if you are in an ACGME program, you take ABMS board. If you are in an AOA program, you take the AOA Boards.* If you are in a dually accredited program, you have the option of taking one or the other (or both). Whether you have taken COMLEX or USMLE does not factor into this decision whatsoever.


*not entirely true - you can do an acgme residency and petition the AOA via resolution 56 to accept it as AOA equivalent, then you can take the AOA Board Specialty boards)


/took COMLEX 1 and USMLE 1 and did well
//went to an acgme university program
/// finished the COMLEX series, didn't take USMLE 2 or 3
////currently board-certified through an ABMS board
/////once done with all my training, all my board certifications will be through the ABMS boards

 

[hockyfan]

It is the requirement of all DO schools (since it is an AOA requirement for accreditation) that all graduating students MUST PASS Level 1 and Level 2 (both parts) of COMLEX in order to graduate. So if you decide not to take COMLEX Level 2, then you have decided not to graduate from a DO school.


Taking USMLE (for DO students) is only to show residency programs that you are competitive. Some will accept COMLEX. Others will require USMLE Step 1. USMLE Step 2 is optional (since a lot of US MD students haven't taken it yet when they apply and interview) but it can help PDs at ACGME programs know your skills and strength. But it is optional and not an absolute requirement.

USMLE Step 3 is a 2-day expensive test to be taken once you are in residency training (doesn't have to be intern year). It is completely optional for DO students, and doesn't confer any additional advantage. I have never heard of any ACGME residency programs that require completion of USMLE series as part of their requirements (usually if they have that wording, they will accept COMLEX, since the purpose of the requirement is to make sure their residents are eligible for licensure)

As mentioned, there are states that absolutely require COMLEX for licensure and will not accept USMLE.


As for board certification, if you are in an ACGME program, you take ABMS board. If you are in an AOA program, you take the AOA Boards.* If you are in a dually accredited program, you have the option of taking one or the other (or both). Whether you have taken COMLEX or USMLE does not factor into this decision whatsoever.


*not entirely true - you can do an acgme residency and petition the AOA via resolution 56 to accept it as AOA equivalent, then you can take the AOA Board Specialty boards)


/took COMLEX 1 and USMLE 1 and did well
//went to an acgme university program
/// finished the COMLEX series, didn't take USMLE 2 or 3
////currently board-certified through an ABMS board
/////once done with all my training, all my board certifications will be through the ABMS boards

Perfectly answered and addressed all of my questions/concerns - thank you very much! If you don't mind my asking, could you tell me what field you chose to go into, and whether you think there was any factoring of taking/not USMLE 2 into you acceptances/rejections?

Also, as far as licensing in states that require taking the COMLEX... there is no requirement, however, that you be board certified through the AOA, correct? In addition, if I understand correctly, although you can petition the AOA to accept your ACGME residency, there is no requirement to do so if you choose to become board certified through the ABMS?

 

[Igor4sugry]

I took comlex I & II & IIPE, and took usmle I & II
I did not take usmle PE.

As stated by others there is no requirement to take USMLE Step III. But you must complete COMLEX Step III to get licenses in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Florida, Oklahoma, Maine, Tennessee, California, Arizona.

 

[tspath84]

group_theory explained it very well above. As a DO student you will have to take Comlex 1, 2 (CE&PE) and 3 and pass all parts to be able to get a license as a DO in whatever state you practice in. As mentioned above, the USMLE is an option for DO students to allow you to be on an even playing field with MD students when you apply to ACGME programs since many programs like to see them even if they take COMLEX. The exams are scored differently and some programs have a hard time comparing the scores, so it's best to be on the same page by having the USMLE. HOWEVER, you don't have to take all the steps of USMLE. Most applicants will take USMLE 1, and USMLE 2 CK (the computer portion ONLY). There is no need to take the USMLE 2 CS(practical) or USMLE3. And as a DO when you take COMLEX3 it's only a 1 day computer test compared to USMLE3 which is 2 days 🙂
Good luck with the test!

I too am a soon to be graduate of DO who took USMLE 1 and 2, am attending a ACGME program and only applied ACGME. I will only take COMLEX 3 sometime in the next year.