what happens if you fail comlex 1, twice or even three times?

[wannabeaDO]

I'm guessing the DO school would just let you take it again if you failed it once, but what happens if you fail again? Do you get kicked out? Does it depend on the school? What school has the lowest passing rate or the most leniency regarding the comlex. I would be interested in attending that school. If I just want to be a family physician, and don't care about the "quality" of the residency program, would they take me if I failed my comlex many times?

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[Gold 5]

I'm guessing the DO school would just let you take it again if you failed it once, but what happens if you fail again? Do you get kicked out? Does it depend on the school? What school has the lowest passing rate or the most leniency regarding the comlex. I would be interested in attending that school. If I just want to be a family physician, and don't care about the "quality" of the residency program, would they take me if I failed my comlex many times?

While some of the folks who have taken step 1 can speak a little more forceful on this matter I have to think / trust that the folks on the admin committee understand what is required to get through med school. If you get in then if you apply yourself, you can pass first shot. I am not saying it is easy it is not but have some self confidence. To get into med school you have to have a stellar GPA and a decent MCAT probably well over half the folks who sat down for that exam. Trust in yourself😉

 

[slick27]

If you make it through the first two years and fail it twice than I'm pretty sure you are in the wrong career or have not applied you're self enought. I hear step 1 is better than the mcat.

 

[spicedmanna]

I hear step 1 is better than the mcat.

Well, probably only in terms of more relevant and interesting material. There are definitely questions that require more than 1-step reasoning. Make no mistake, Step 1 is certainly no walk in the park, especially the preparation process. You are going to spend two months (more or less) studying harder and longer than perhaps you've ever studied. It's anything but fun and my brain is way full. I would not want to repeat this part of my life again, EVER.

That being said, I agree with Gold 5. Have some faith in yourself, OP, and some trust in the process. Don't jump too far ahead here. Your step 1 is getting into medical school and doing well your first two years; then worry about boards.

 

[ShyRem]

This varies according to the school. I know of a student who failed step 1 twice, then got tested for "learning disabilities", from which the testing came positive for half a dozen "disabilities" including dyslexia. Considering this student honored most of their first two years, I call bunk on the "learning disabilities" thing. After studying for another year they took it again. I don't know how they did. Of note, their particular school of attendance states that if they fail step 1 three times, they are dismissed.

You should be very aware of your particular state and school guidelines for the number of times you are allowed to take step 1.

 

[tkim]

There are three issues when you fail the comlex:

1) your school may have a limit on how many times you can take it before being advanced or dismissed

2) failure of any of your steps will be a red flag to residency programs. your chances of matching decreases significantly with each failure.

3) certain states will not license you if you fail a step more than once or twice:

http://www.fsmb.org/usmle_eliinitial.html

Though if you look at the limits, they are much more lax for the COMLEX. Yay us. Not.

Bottom line: better not fail.

 

[DrWBD]

I'm guessing the DO school would just let you take it again if you failed it once, but what happens if you fail again? Do you get kicked out? Does it depend on the school? What school has the lowest passing rate or the most leniency regarding the comlex. I would be interested in attending that school. If I just want to be a family physician, and don't care about the "quality" of the residency program, would they take me if I failed my comlex many times?

Nice username 😀

Even if you want to be "just a family physician" you shouldn't settle for a low quality residency program. FP is just like any other residency, there are people with stellar board scores who train in outstanding FP residencies. Why would you settle for a poor residency program just because you're doing FP? The last thing modern medicine needs (and unfortunately has too much of) is mediocre (or worse) primary-care physicians.

Regarding your question about the COMLEX, there are really only two reasons people fail standardized medical testing like COMLEX or USMLE:
- they never really learned the material well during their pre-clinical training
- they are horrible test takers/have disabilities.

(Most of these people are the former, though they all convince themselves and others they are the latter.)

At your stage, you shouldn't be thinking about what happens if you fail, you should be setting yourself up to pass. Meaning, you should be striving to do the best you can in your pre-clinical classes (and getting help early if you aren't) rather than continuing to spiral downwards (something I saw happening to a lot of people when I was a student). If you do well in your classes and allow yourself enough COMLEX prep time you should pass.

 

[Jamers]

I'm guessing the DO school would just let you take it again if you failed it once, but what happens if you fail again? Do you get kicked out? Does it depend on the school? What school has the lowest passing rate or the most leniency regarding the comlex. I would be interested in attending that school. If I just want to be a family physician, and don't care about the "quality" of the residency program, would they take me if I failed my comlex many times?

I would seriously reconsider your statement. "just want to be a family physician" and poor training = poor physician. While you may get off easy, be sure your patients will suffer.

 

[scpod]

I'm guessing the DO school would just let you take it again if you failed it once, but what happens if you fail again?

I know someone who failed it twice. He spend 5 grand on a 2-month course and added 100 points to his score when he took it the third time. Note that he graduated a year behind because he was not allowed to continue on rotations until he passed. If however, he had failed again he would have failed out of school.

That may not be the way all schoolss handle it, though.

However, like has already been mentioned, you can't go into it either expecting to fail or happy with a crappy residency. Nobody wants a doctor who doesn't try his best. If you get into school and study hard, you should be able to pass.

 

[Norman]

I'm guessing the DO school would just let you take it again if you failed it once, but what happens if you fail again? Do you get kicked out? Does it depend on the school? What school has the lowest passing rate or the most leniency regarding the comlex. I would be interested in attending that school. If I just want to be a family physician, and don't care about the "quality" of the residency program, would they take me if I failed my comlex many times?

Go to law school....

 

[235750]

I hear step 1 is better than the mcat.

lol yikes, I have never heard that. I doubt this is the case

 

[slick27]

It will be for me at least. No verbal. lol. my 12 in biology is really going to pay off huge on step 1.

 

[endocardium]

It will be for me at least. No verbal. lol. my 12 in biology is really going to pay off huge on step 1.

Don't underestimate the boards and don't assume you won't need excellent reasoning/test taking skills. I scored thereabouts on my biological science section, as well, and I did not find the boards or the preparation process to be a piece of cake. If you want a sample, just take a look at some sample questions from USMLEWorld, especially the ones where fewer than 50% of the people got the right answer. They'll kick your ass with questions that require 3-5 step reasoning process. The actual boards aren't as tough and require fewer steps to get to the answer, maybe like 2nd-3rd order questions (in reference to the USMLE; the COMLEX is more straightfoward), but they are still pretty tough.

 

[ShyRem]

It is said that verbal scores correlate the best with board scores.

 

[slick27]

It is said that verbal scores correlate the best with board scores.

I heard that the verbal score is essential useless. The biology score was the best predictor, then physical sciences.

 

[spicedmanna]

I heard that the verbal score is essential useless. The biology score was the best predictor, then physical sciences.

Well, honestly, I've seen some of the studies, and they (the section scores) are all pretty weak predictors. I've seen the study you are talking about, but I have also seen the study that suggests that the VR section is the best predictor. Whatever. The best "predictor," in my rather unscientific observation and experience, of how you are going to do on your boards and beyond, is how much time and effort you put into actually learning the stuff your first two years and how well you review everything right before the boards. Basically, medical school is about having the discipline to put in the time and effort necessary for success; the rest generally follows. You just make the best of your baseline ability, whatever that happens to be.