Army HPSP as a D.O.: USMLE?

[thenyitmedicineman]

Hey there, SDN. I am an OMS-I in the Army's HPSP. Every Army HPSP OMS-II I have spoken to at my school has decided against taking the USMLE. I have heard that the Army only looks at your COMLEX score if you are in a osteopathic medical school.

Would any 2nd-4th year HPSP future osteopaths care to weigh in? Why have you chosen to take just COMLEX or both exams? Thanks in advance!

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[Slevin]

I'm on active duty. Graduated from a DO school. Only need the COMLEX.

 

[marinehrnt]

I'm applying for the match this summer. I have spoken with program directors from all the programs I will be applying and they all told me to only take the comlex. I guess there could be some directors that prefer the usmle but hasn't seemed to be in issue for other people I have spoken with.

 

[teacherman84]

I (AF) was set on EM or FM as an ms2 so I did comlex only. My buddy who wanted ortho or neurosurg took both (Navy).

I had no issues getting into my top choice in FM with only comlex, my buddy killed both and matched into neurosurg.

For most specialties it prob doesn't matter...for a few really competitive ones it likely does.

 

[j4pac]

The only scenario that you may need the USMLE is if you end up applying civilian one day...which depending on your desired specialty may or may not be a real possibility.

 

[thenyitmedicineman]

Thanks gents. I'm currently thinking neuro, which I don't believe is too competitive of a specialty.

 

[psychbender]

I will be yet another voice that says don't bother with the USMLE, just do well on your COMLEX.

 

[Gastrapathy]

I love threads where the OP only wants the opinions of people who have no ****ing clue about the answer to the question.

 

[asdf123g]

I love threads where the OP only wants the opinions of people who have no ****ing clue about the answer to the question.

what is your answer?

 

[thenyitmedicineman]

I love threads where the OP only wants the opinions of people who have no ****ing clue about the answer to the question.

Would you like to pitch in, then?

Unfortunately, there don't appear to be many resources on this topic available unless I actually speak to residency directors, which wouldn't happen until after I take Level I/Step I, so SDN is my best option!

 

[thenyitmedicineman]

whoops. Double reply. The ability to delete posts would be great

 

[Gastrapathy]

Most specialties, no problem with COMLEX. Highly competitive specialities, problem. Fail to match and need to get out for allopathic match. Problem.

 

[thenyitmedicineman]

Most specialties, no problem with COMLEX. Highly competitive specialities, problem. Fail to match and need to get out for allopathic match. Problem.

I've heard of people taking COMLEX I and II and JUST USMLE Step II so they could show how they compare to allopathics.

What are thoughts on that?

 

[Gastrapathy]

I've seen Step I scores as a solo test but never Step II.

 

[Slevin]

You should check out the GME slideshow on the Mods portal. That'll tell you how many spots per speciality and what the average board scores were to get in

 

[thenyitmedicineman]

You should check out the GME slideshow on the Mods portal. That'll tell you how many spots per speciality and what the average board scores were to get in

Yeah I saw the powerpoint. Here it is for those interested.
https://education.mods.army.mil/MedEd/HPSP/Powerpoint/GMESlideshow2014.pdf

I am just a bit skeptical of the numbers. There are never more than 2 applicants for one position in every specialty???

 

[Slevin]

You are reading it wrong. If you look at the top it says applicants per approved position. So for neurology in 2013 there were .67 applicants per position meaning there were about 3 applicants for the 4 positions

For EM in 2013 there were 1.76 applicants per position or 53 applicants to fill 30 positions.

 

[Goro]

Interestingly, more PDs are willing to accept COMLEX II than will accept COMLEX I.

I've seen Step I scores as a solo test but never Step II.

 

[thenyitmedicineman]

You are reading it wrong. If you look at the top it says applicants per approved position. So for neurology in 2013 there were .67 applicants per position meaning there were about 3 applicants for the 4 positions

For EM in 2013 there were 1.76 applicants per position or 53 applicants to fill 30 positions.

No, I understand what the values mean. I am skeptical that not even the most competitive specialties were above a 2.00 ratio.

 

[Gastrapathy]

People self select quite well.

 

[stdrpernot]

I went to BOLC over the summer (July 2016) and talked to COL Murray who currently oversees the varying residencies and is actually in charge of all the residency directors. He told us to "stay in our lanes" and that if you're MD take USMLE and if you're DO then take COMLEX. He said if any director says anything differently then make sure to contact him.

 

[backrow]

I went to BOLC over the summer (July 2016) and talked to COL Murray who currently oversees the varying residencies and is actually in charge of all the residency directors. He told us to "stay in our lanes" and that if you're MD take USMLE and if you're DO then take COMLEX. He said if any director says anything differently then make sure to contact him.

Until you end up getting deferred and now you didn't take the USMLE and now can't get into the residency you want.....if you want something competitive then I always recommend doing both to DO students. You never know where you're going to be when in the future, why shut doors now.


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[WernickeDO]

Until you end up getting deferred and now you didn't take the USMLE and now can't get into the residency you want.....if you want something competitive then I always recommend doing both to DO students. You never know where you're going to be when in the future, why shut doors now.


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I agree. If you're a DO student just take the USMLE when you're a 2nd year. You never know what the future will hold and if you find yourself doing time and getting out then you may wish you took the USMLE.

 

[Gastrapathy]

I went to BOLC over the summer (July 2016) and talked to COL Murray who currently oversees the varying residencies and is actually in charge of all the residency directors. He told us to "stay in our lanes" and that if you're MD take USMLE and if you're DO then take COMLEX. He said if any director says anything differently then make sure to contact him.

Did he beat his chest and whip it out too? Give me a break. PDs in competitive specialties can do whatever they want and do you really think some surgeon is going to care what a flea has to say? They rank you in private and Clint won't be in the room. No one is going to ask his opinion inside the .mil let alone some random civilian PD.

How much extra effort is it to take both?

 

[River Rat]

I'm a DO, I'm in my 3rd year of AD payback as a flight surgeon, I took both and I wanted to do Radiology when I was an MS4, and the military sent me on this route (don't get me wrong, I love it.) You're going to hear a lot of people tell you to just take the COMLEX around here. It really depends on what you want to specialize in, but even if you only wanted to do Family Medicine, you really don't know what the future may hold. I was one of two DO HPSP students in my school, class of 20~, that took the USMLE, and did well. It's opened up opportunities for me 4 years after the fact now that interviews are starting to come in, at some programs I never even dreamed of being able to set foot in. Just take it and keep your options open. It's the same material so there's no such thing as "studying for two different tests". If you do well on the USMLE, your COMLEX scores really don't matter.

Whether you are in it for 4, or in it for 20 years, you always want to keep as many options open as possible. Compared to my classmates in similar positions, it is nice to have that flexibility in deciding whether or not to stay military or not. I don't understand why anyone would ever limit their potential.