Does COMLEX matter for MD residencies?

[Jinxapotato]

Hi all!

I am a DO student who is about to take my COMLEX and USMLE. I am adequately prepared for both, but I still want to know, if an MD program would pay attention to my COMLEX if I have already given them my USMLE score (I heard you don't even need to submit your COMLEX on MD match?)?

The reason is that I am an international student, and my country's policy doesn't recognize AOA residencies, hence I am solely applying for ACGME residencies anyway.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[What'sTheWifiPassword]

Hi all!

I am a DO student who is about to take my COMLEX and USMLE. I am adequately prepared for both, but I still want to know, if an MD program would pay attention to my COMLEX if I have already given them my USMLE score (I heard you don't even need to submit your COMLEX on MD match?)?

The reason is that I am an international student, and my country's policy doesn't recognize AOA residencies, hence I am solely applying for ACGME residencies anyway.

Probably, considering you need to pass them to graduate.

 

[Lexdiamondz]

Your COMLEX score only matters if you don't have a USMLE score. Passing, however, does matter for ACGME residencies.

 

[wdoc]

I'm sure they will look at both but your USMLE score will hold more weight. With that said, it would be best if you had comparable scores on each test.. It would raise a few questions if you scored a 240+ on the USMLE but got sub 500 on the COMLEX.

 

[Mad Jack]

I'm sure they will look at both but your USMLE score will hold more weight. With that said, it would be best if you had comparable scores on each test.. It would raise a few questions if you scored a 240+ on the USMLE but got sub 500 on the COMLEX.

It won't cause many questions. "Why did you do bad on the COMLEX?" "I was too busy focusing on the USMLE and neglected studying OMM."

 

[wdoc]

It won't cause many questions. "Why did you do bad on the COMLEX?" "I was too busy focusing on the USMLE and neglected studying OMM."

Touché. That's why you give yourself 2-3 days between the exams to read the Savarese book to memorize OMM. Could avoid having the conversation all together.

 

[jw3600]

I'm sure they will look at both but your USMLE score will hold more weight. With that said, it would be best if you had comparable scores on each test.. It would raise a few questions if you scored a 240+ on the USMLE but got sub 500 on the COMLEX.

Also, this is borderline impossible. Below 500 on the comlex is probably missing half the questions. No one getting a 240 is doing that.

 

[IslandStyle808]

Also, this is borderline impossible. Below 500 on the comlex is probably missing half the questions. No one getting a 240 is doing that.

@Mad Jack tell em' that story.

 

[Jinxapotato]

Thanks for the input guys, I left about 5 days between my 2 tests for OMM. I just hope I don't get killed by COMLEX's horrible question and exam style...

 

[Jinxapotato]

Your COMLEX score only matters if you don't have a USMLE score. Passing, however, does matter for ACGME residencies.

Yeah that is more akin to what I was referring to. I took a COMSAE prior to any studying and got a 512...so I think I'll pass, but I don't want to pour so much energy into COMLEX specific Q bank and OMM that my USMLE will suffer.

 

[Mad Jack]

Also, this is borderline impossible. Below 500 on the comlex is probably missing half the questions. No one getting a 240 is doing that.

We had a guy with a 260 that failed the COMLEX. I don't know how, but it happened.

 

[Mad Jack]

Yeah that is more akin to what I was referring to. I took a COMSAE prior to any studying and got a 512...so I think I'll pass, but I don't want to pour so much energy into COMLEX specific Q bank and OMM that my USMLE will suffer.

There is actually a study out there that compared the COMLEX scores of people that used only UW, only COMBANK, or both, and the ones the used only UW scored the highest, while the ones that used only COMBANK scored the lowest.

 

[Jinxapotato]

There is actually a study out there that compared the COMLEX scores of people that used only UW, only COMBANK, or both, and the ones the used only UW scored the highest, while the ones that used only COMBANK scored the lowest.

Yeah I bet, UWORLD is that much harder than COMLEX Q banks...Yet our school was going around yelling at us about the importance of "incorporating a COMLEX specific Q-bank"....>.>

 

[ortnakas]

Yeah I bet, UWORLD is that much harder than COMLEX Q banks...Yet our school was going around yelling at us about the importance of "incorporating a COMLEX specific Q-bank"....>.>

I strongly believe that there's something to that-- UWorld is better at explanations but the question style is so different I think there's value to incorporating Combank/Comquest along with it. That's anecdotal though; the study @Mad Jack described is probably based on a lot more students than the "me and a few friends" I've based my own theory on.

 

[Mad Jack]

I strongly believe that there's something to that-- UWorld is better at explanations but the question style is so different I think there's value to incorporating Combank/Comquest along with it. That's anecdotal though; the study @Mad Jack described is probably based on a lot more students than the "me and a few friends" I've based my own theory on.

I believe it was two classes of students from DMU, I'll try and dig it up later. I use COMBANK for OMM and nothing more.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

It won't cause many questions. "Why did you do bad on the COMLEX?" "I was too busy focusing on the USMLE and neglected studying OMM."

I would never say i neglected OMM. I'd say that was a weakpoint for me during my education. It's the perfect "what's your weakness?" answer for ACGME residency.

 

[Mad Jack]

I would never say i neglected OMM. I'd say that was a weakpoint for me during my education. It's the perfect "what's your weakness?" answer for ACGME residency.

Eh, if you're in the "tried it, didn't buy it" camp it works.

 

[kenjixshadow]

Touché. That's why you give yourself 2-3 days between the exams to read the Savarese book to memorize OMM. Could avoid having the conversation all together.

Dude I'm trying to study for OMM right now. Does not work!!! I'll just memorize viscerosomatics and chapmans and YOLO it.

 

[jw3600]

We had a guy with a 260 that failed the COMLEX. I don't know how, but it happened.

How many beers did he have the morning of comlex?

 

[Mad Jack]

How many beers did he have the morning of comlex?

I wish that were the explanation. To this day it's an anomaly like no other.

 

[kenjixshadow]

I wish that were the explanation. To this day it's an anomaly like no other.

260 and fail COMLEX???? Hold my beer. JK. But yo, you only need like 50% to pass. Dude must have been tripping and that's probably gonna be me on Monday too lol. FML.

 

[Jinxapotato]

260 and fail COMLEX???? Hold my beer. JK. But yo, you only need like 50% to pass. Dude must have been tripping and that's probably gonna be me on Monday too lol. FML.

by this I assume you got a 260 already GL on Monday!

 

[IslandStyle808]

I had a hard time accepting that story for a while. But holy cow I would be devastated if I had a good USMLE score only to have a failed the COMLEX right after.

 

[hallowmann]

Hi all!

I am a DO student who is about to take my COMLEX and USMLE. I am adequately prepared for both, but I still want to know, if an MD program would pay attention to my COMLEX if I have already given them my USMLE score (I heard you don't even need to submit your COMLEX on MD match?)?

The reason is that I am an international student, and my country's policy doesn't recognize AOA residencies, hence I am solely applying for ACGME residencies anyway.

They need to know you passed it. The actual number won't matter much, but they need to know you passed it, and it would be best if you had 500+ (i.e. was not close to failing).

As far as not submitting it, no. You need to submit your COMLEX to ACGME programs, because that'll affect whether or not you can be licensed. If you don't submit it, it will be a big redflag, basically most would assume you failed it.

Now as for having to submit your PE score, that is really variable depending on the program, but most will say something like "we need it to rank you" or nothing at all.

Now if you're only applying AOA, then you literally cannot release your USMLE scores to them, or at least you couldn't in last year's ERAS.

 

[jw3600]

They need to know you passed it. The actual number won't matter much, but they need to know you passed it, and it would be best if you had 500+ (i.e. was not close to failing).

As far as not submitting it, no. You need to submit your COMLEX to ACGME programs, because that'll affect whether or not you can be licensed. If you don't submit it, it will be a big redflag, basically most would assume you failed it.

Now as for having to submit your PE score, that is really variable depending on the program, but most will say something like "we need it to rank you" or nothing at all.

Now if you're only applying AOA, then you literally cannot release your USMLE scores to them, or at least you couldn't in last year's ERAS.

I'm not so convinced an ACGME PD is going to care (or even notice) if you didn't submit comlex scores. Although admittedly I actually don't know.

 

[Jinxapotato]

They need to know you passed it. The actual number won't matter much, but they need to know you passed it, and it would be best if you had 500+ (i.e. was not close to failing).

As far as not submitting it, no. You need to submit your COMLEX to ACGME programs, because that'll affect whether or not you can be licensed. If you don't submit it, it will be a big redflag, basically most would assume you failed it.

Now as for having to submit your PE score, that is really variable depending on the program, but most will say something like "we need it to rank you" or nothing at all.

Now if you're only applying AOA, then you literally cannot release your USMLE scores to them, or at least you couldn't in last year's ERAS.

Thanks for the info!

 

[hallowmann]

I'm not so convinced an ACGME PD is going to care (or even notice) if you didn't submit comlex scores. Although admittedly I actually don't know.

I was asked multiple times at interviews (mostly by PDs) about COMLEX scores and getting them in before ranking (I had, but they hadn't updated their folders). I was also told this by PDs prior to applying.

Admittedly, I applied to mostly programs in a couple DO-heavy states and didn't get asked about it much at the state I applied to with less DOs.

 

[jw3600]

I was asked multiple times at interviews (mostly by PDs) about COMLEX scores and getting them in before ranking (I had, but they hadn't updated their folders). I was also told this by PDs prior to applying.

Admittedly, I applied to mostly programs in a couple DO-heavy states and didn't get asked about it much at the state I applied to with less DOs.

That's fair. Thanks.

 

[ortnakas]

Reverse question: for 2018 AOA match, does USMLE matter to DO residencies? Will those programs even see my USMLE score(s)?

 

[DOFOSHO]

Hi all!

I am a DO student who is about to take my COMLEX and USMLE. I am adequately prepared for both, but I still want to know, if an MD program would pay attention to my COMLEX if I have already given them my USMLE score (I heard you don't even need to submit your COMLEX on MD match?)?

The reason is that I am an international student, and my country's policy doesn't recognize AOA residencies, hence I am solely applying for ACGME residencies anyway.

MDs don't care. Most DOs can't decipher what a comlex score actually means, either.

 

[Jinxapotato]

Reverse question: for 2018 AOA match, does USMLE matter to DO residencies? Will those programs even see my USMLE score(s)?

I thought you can't even submit your USMLE via official means for AOA match? Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[sunealoneal]

For what it's worth, I scored above average on Step 1 and below 500 on COMLEX. Only applying ACGME.

I'll let you know how it all pans out!

 

[DrfluffyMD]

For what it's worth, I scored above average on Step 1 and below 500 on COMLEX. Only applying ACGME.

I'll let you know how it all pans out!

Comlex doesn't matter