First of all kpax, this is a great question. The answer, on the other hand, is not an easy one. The answer is..... it depends. There are all sorts of allopathic programs in every specialty that will take just your COMLEX and call it good, but there are also other programs that won't even look at you without the USMLE as an even comparison. There is a saying that if they don't except your licensure, they won't except your degree. I am here to say that some in some places this is true, but in MOST cases they just want an even comparison. For example, two years ago a well known allopathic residency program (rads) in my area turned down a friend from my school saying no USMLE no consideration (his LOR writer asked for him), this year another friend from my school matched at the same place and he took the USMLE. Both DO's trying for an allopathic program and one was taken by the program the other was not. If I were you, if you feel good about doing well on the USMLE (practice tests, Kaplan Q-bank, ect,), take it. If not, don't. You will open doors for yourself if you do well on it and you may close doors if there is a descepancy between your COMLEX and USMLE. Another factor to take into consideration is, what do you want to do? If the answer is FM, IM, Peds, Gen Surg, or psych, I would say forget about the USMLE. If it is Neurosurg, derm (good luck and God speed), rads, or orthopedics, I say go for it.
