USMLE world vs COMBANK for COMLEX

[dangit]

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I've spent the last few hours searching the forums for answers and so far I've found that for COMLEX prepration, USMLE world is very good and it will be adequate as long as you do Savarese questions as well.

I've also read that COMBANK is a decent qbank for the COMLEX.

Would it be overkill if I did USMLE world + Savarese (green OMT book) and COMBANK? Or should I leave out COMBANK?

Thanks!

 

[83462]

^bump

 

[83462]

Are either one (assuming you do questions from Savarese) better for the COMLEX? I heard the question style for the COMLEX is a bit different. Can anyone outline some differences?

 

[oceanillusion42]

I've spent the last few hours searching the forums for answers and so far I've found that for COMLEX prepration, USMLE world is very good and it will be adequate as long as you do Savarese questions as well.

I've also read that COMBANK is a decent qbank for the COMLEX.

Would it be overkill if I did USMLE world + Savarese (green OMT book) and COMBANK? Or should I leave out COMBANK?

Thanks!

Thats what I'm doing. I'm placing more emphasis on U world, but I have also been doing COMBANK a decent amount. As it gets closer I will go thru Savarese. But also bear in mind I'm taking both USMLE and COMLEX.

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

Are either one (assuming you do questions from Savarese) better for the COMLEX? I heard the question style for the COMLEX is a bit different. Can anyone outline some differences?

From my research UW for the concepts, Combank for the question style and OMM.

And of course Green Book

 

[sylvanthus]

From my research UW for the concepts, Combank for the question style and OMM.

And of course Green Book

Good plan.

 

[BigSib]

From my research UW for the concepts, Combank for the question style and OMM. And of course Green Book

You definitely have to do a COMLEX-specific question bank. The question style is much different than the USMLE, even for questions unrelated to OMM.

Savarese (green book): you must at least skim through this.
First Aid for the COMLEX: I was not impressed; would not recommend.
Foundations: This is a primary textbook for writing OMM-specific questions; always good to look up the obscure things like piriformis syndrome, tender points, etc.
Atlas of Osteopathic Techniques: There aren't too many technique-oriented questions on Level 1, so I would not advise looking at this.

 

[BigSib]

I heard the question style for the COMLEX is a bit different. Can anyone outline some differences?

COMLEX vs. USMLE
1. The USMLE may have A-J options; the COMLEX will only have A-E. The USMLE likes to eliminate all guesswork involved by providing opposites of all distractors and correct answers.
2. Question stems may include osteopathic structural examination findings, most commonly viscerosomatic/Chapman's relationships, which may seemingly be the only indication for an answer choice.
3. The USMLE has more basic laboratory techniques (gel electrophoresis, genetic interpretation) and hard basic sciences like biochemistry pathways than the COMLEX.
4. The COMLEX tends to use pathognomonic, 'classic', findings presented in such a way that you have difficulty recognizing that it's right in front of you. This is a bad example, but they will not say "positive Babinski sign" but rather "extension of the great toe upon plantar stimulation."
5. The COMLEX wants to know 'what is the most likely' while the USMLE often asks for associations in attempt to make them third order.
6. The COMLEX generally has shorter question stems and has about 50% multiple-part (one stem with two questions) question types with some matching. There is more randomness to the COMLEX with sometimes questions being a single sentence and other times taking up half the page. The USMLE mostly has single questions with longer stems; sometimes it may be better to read the question and gloss over the answer choices before delving into the question stem.
7. As for images there is more histology on the USMLE (see #3).
8. The USMLE will provide more theoretical situations (e.g., a researcher wants to know XYZ) than the COMLEX, which seemingly has none. The COMLEX is more about patient presentations.

 

[83462]

Thank you everyone! BigSib, excellent outline of the differences!

 

[PharmDtoDO]

I'm going through FA twice, doing as much of UW as time permits + all of the COMQUEST questions. I don't think Comquest was out a year ago for Level 1 but I've heard really good things so far. Should I read all of Savarese + do all the questions or are the questions in the back sufficient? I am hoping to do at least one COMSAE before the test to make sure I have a good buffer.

 

[PharmDtoDO]

COMLEX vs. USMLE
1. The USMLE may have A-J options; the COMLEX will only have A-E. The USMLE likes to eliminate all guesswork involved by providing opposites of all distractors and correct answers.
2. Question stems may include osteopathic structural examination findings, most commonly viscerosomatic/Chapman's relationships, which may seemingly be the only indication for an answer choice.
3. The USMLE has more basic laboratory techniques (gel electrophoresis, genetic interpretation) and hard basic sciences like biochemistry pathways than the COMLEX.
4. The COMLEX tends to use pathognomonic, 'classic', findings presented in such a way that you have difficulty recognizing that it's right in front of you. This is a bad example, but they will not say "positive Babinski sign" but rather "extension of the great toe upon plantar stimulation."
5. The COMLEX wants to know 'what is the most likely' while the USMLE often asks for associations in attempt to make them third order.
6. The COMLEX generally has shorter question stems and has about 50% multiple-part (one stem with two questions) question types with some matching. There is more randomness to the COMLEX with sometimes questions being a single sentence and other times taking up half the page. The USMLE mostly has single questions with longer stems; sometimes it may be better to read the question and gloss over the answer choices before delving into the question stem.
7. As for images there is more histology on the USMLE (see #3).
8. The USMLE will provide more theoretical situations (e.g., a researcher wants to know XYZ) than the COMLEX, which seemingly has none. The COMLEX is more about patient presentations.

Thanks 👍

 

[MrBeauregard]

I'm going through FA twice, doing as much of UW as time permits + all of the COMQUEST questions. I don't think Comquest was out a year ago for Level 1 but I've heard really good things so far. Should I read all of Savarese + do all the questions or are the questions in the back sufficient? I am hoping to do at least one COMSAE before the test to make sure I have a good buffer.

If I were you I would modify my plan as follows: FA 2x + finish UWorld in its entirety (plus redoing all incorrects) + as much COMQUEST as time permits.

Finish the better learning tool/question bank first before using the subpar resource.

 

[BigSib]

... + as much COMQUEST as time permits. Finish the better learning tool/question bank first before using the subpar resource.

I would not completely disregard Combank; refer to the Combank vs. Comquest threads for that discussion. It would be best to take both banks.

Savarese also has some questions at the end of the hardcopy textbook.

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

Doing Combank followed by doing a bank that makes me think instead of looking for the "magical word" makes me feel stupid.

 

[MrBeauregard]

I would not completely disregard Combank; refer to the Combank vs. Comquest threads for that discussion. It would be best to take both banks.

Savarese also has some questions at the end of the hardcopy textbook.

Never said to disregard COMBANK. UWorld is the superior resource in every regard so I think it's best to get through that first, then hit the second resource if time permits, whether that be COMQUEST or COMBANK.