USMLE vs. COMLEX

[petomed]

Apologies in advanced if this has been asked 10x. As with most DO students, I like the idea of taking the USMLE series. But I'm concerned about being able to pass them when my degree hangs in the balance for the other set of exams, COMLEX.

I'd like to know if I will be without question prepared for COMLEX if I focus all my board prep on USMLE material, of course with still including the OPP topics that will appear only on COMLEX. I'm told the tests are similar but that USMLE typically includes more minutia. So, will I be in a good place on COMLEX if I really only study for USMLE?

Please, only those who sat for both COMLEX and USMLE. Speculation is appreciated but adds no value.

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[Kardio]

I was well prepared for both COMLEX and USMLE by exclusively studying USMLE oriented material (plus some OMM). I was consistently above the average COMSAE scores (a scored test my school uses to assess readiness for COMLEX), though my in-house exam scores were trash over M1/2. My friends wish they had spent more time preparing for the USMLE series and some were unable to take it because they prioritized the wrong material.

 

[FutureInternist]

I was well prepared for both COMLEX and USMLE by exclusively studying USMLE oriented material (plus some OMM). I was consistently above the average COMSAE scores (a scored test my school uses to assess readiness for COMLEX), though my in-house exam scores were trash over M1/2. My friends wish they had spent more time preparing for the USMLE series and some were unable to take it because they prioritized the wrong material.

Agree…
Study for USMLE.
Plan for COMLEX 4 days after USMLE
Day 1 - Rest
Day 2 & 3 - 4-5 hours of Savarese book
Day 4 - COMLEX

Any drop in knowledge in these 3 days will still be sufficient to do well on COMLEX since Qs missed in it are more a “Guess what the F are we thinking” rather than actual lack of knowledge

 

[sylvanthus]

Agree…
Study for USMLE.
Plan for COMLEX 4 days after USMLE
Day 1 - Rest
Day 2 & 3 - 4-5 hours of Savarese book
Day 4 - COMLEX

Any drop in knowledge in these 3 days will still be sufficient to do well on COMLEX since Qs missed in it are more a “Guess what the F are we thinking” rather than actual lack of knowledge

This. I studied primarily for usmle and took a day or two between usmle and comlex to study OMT. You can turn half your brain off for comlex. Had a migraine, legit difficulty seeing during part of the exam and crap sleep the night before due to construction work and scored a 732. Too bad MD residency programs didnt care or even understand the score.

For comlex alot of times you end up guessing what they are thinking and what they want and can almost entirely ignore the OMM findings on the majority of the questions.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

The COMLEX exams are by in large easier than the steps. If you're studying to do well on the steps you will by extension pass the comlex with ease. For level 1 I studied OMM for 4 days. For Level 2 I studied 2 days. For level 3 I honestly just did questions for 2 weeks and watched a video on sacrum and inominantes.
Cranial never made sense to me and thus I was willing to lose the points there.