COMLEX PE 2006 Post your experiences!

[sophiejane]

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[SexPanther]

We all signed a confidentiality agreement, and although this is an "anonymous" website, I wonder how many people will respond to your post. Bottom line: if you did well during your 3rd year, you should do fine on this. USMLE for Step 2 CS is worth a look if you feel like you really need to study.

 

[sophiejane]

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[Hernandez]

Anyone already taken the PE who wants to give the rest of us a heads up?

What kinds of cases did you see?

Any pointers?

Thanks!

I won't give you any of the cases I had, but I'll give a few generic pointers. As pointed out, you sign an agreement not to discuss the cases.

1) for the most part, those who want OMT flat out say so or something to that effect.
2) read the PE guide on the NBOME site,
3) you may watch the video they talk about on their website, but the one they have you watch prior to the test is very, very similar.
4) write fast. While their directions are ambiguous at best for the SOAP notes (make them stand on their own) it was a challenge to write an all encompassing note in the 9 minutes they gave. I could dictate the full note, but writing it and making it legible with my handwriting was difficult.
5) refer to #2, they want a soap note, but they also want a differential dx.
6) read the info in the chart closely before going in, just in case the pt asks you about some test results.
7) wash your hands in each room.
8) before you leave the room, ask the pt if they have any other questions or concerns.
9) don't mutter under your breath what a complete waste of your time and money this test is while in the room, I hear the mics are uber sensitive.
10) have someone great you at the door at 1515 hours with a beer and a cheese-steak (preferably not with Cheeze Whiz)
11) don't get lost on the way home and wind up in Jersey, ​

 

[Hernandez]

Which brings me to my next rant about PE. Why are we not given the right to refuse to have the recordings of us taking the test be used for grading purposes only and refuse to allow the NBOME to use them for any other purpose?

 

[sophiejane]

9) don't mutter under your breath what a complete waste of your time and money this test is while in the room, I hear the mics are uber sensitive.
10) have someone great you at the door at 1515 hours with a beer and a cheese-steak (preferably not with Cheeze Whiz)
11) don't get lost on the way home and wind up in Jersey,

!!!

so true....

By the way, there's a place to get a very decent cheesteak up the road from the test site, on Fayette. I think it's called Bedolla's or something like that.

Good luck, everyone. It's not really that bad (although I will let you know for sure when I know I've passed!)...

 

[Idiopathic]

By the way, you can pass everything and fail OMT and fail the exam. Remember that.

And you wont know how you failed OMT.

And its not because you didnt do OMT on everyone.

And its purely subjective.

And it may or may not be graded exclusively by the patient models.

And all of these things make it a total joke.

 

[Hernandez]

And it may or may not be graded exclusively by the patient models.

****, 1 pt model told me I wasn't helping her any with the OMT and it was one of the pts who asked for OMT.

 

[Atlas]

****, 1 pt model told me I wasn't helping her any with the OMT and it was one of the pts who asked for OMT.

How do you sign up for this test? I went to the NBOME website and I don't see where I'm supposed to sign up for it? Thanks.

 

[DrMom]

you have to log into the system to be able to sign up

 

[Hernandez]

How do you sign up for this test? I went to the NBOME website and I don't see where I'm supposed to sign up for it? Thanks.

Luckily for you, the NBOME has graciously provided this video to answer your questions

Sorry, go here it's in there, I promise

 

[Azcomstud]

Question for you all. Is there a person behind the glass watching/evaluating us or is it the patient that does the grading? At the end of our third year at AZCOM, we had to do 3 patient encounters and were told afterwards that the patient does the grading for the Comlex PE. Has anyone else heard this? I realize that it is all still recorded, but I would feel a lot better about the whole thing knowing no one is behind the glass.

 

[Hernandez]

Question for you all. Is there a person behind the glass watching/evaluating us or is it the patient that does the grading? At the end of our third year at AZCOM, we had to do 3 patient encounters and were told afterwards that the patient does the grading for the Comlex PE. Has anyone else heard this? I realize that it is all still recorded, but I would feel a lot better about the whole thing knowing no one is behind the glass.

I don't know if there is anyone actually behind the glass, but I would assume so, and the video shows someone back there.

As for who grades it.

"Candidates’ history-taking and physical examination skills will be documented by the standardized patient portraying the case immediately following the encounter. Doctor-patient communication, interpersonal skills, and professionalism will be evaluated by the standardized patient at that time. Written SOAP notes and OMT skills (by videotape) will be rated by certified osteopathic physician examiners"​

 

[sophiejane]

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[Idiopathic]

I don't know if there is anyone actually behind the glass, but I would assume so, and the video shows someone back there.

As for who grades it.

"Candidates’ history-taking and physical examination skills will be documented by the standardized patient portraying the case immediately following the encounter. Doctor-patient communication, interpersonal skills, and professionalism will be evaluated by the standardized patient at that time. Written SOAP notes and OMT skills (by videotape) will be rated by certified osteopathic physician examiners"​

Herein lies one of the problems: If you score poorly on H+P it is solely due to the patient's discretion and perception.