Post AOA/now ACGME pediatric programs...is COMLEX only still okay?

[frodohobo]

The previous AOA COMLEX avg was 474. Will it still stay in that range for next year's allopathic match or will their admissions standards drastically change?

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[SurfingDoctor]

The previous AOA COMLEX avg was 474. Will it still stay in that range for next year's allopathic match or will their admissions standards drastically change?

I will say for fellowship applications, COMLEX are weighted less than USMLE scores. This may not be true for residencies as I haven't seen the metrics for the residency interviews I've done. The AOA merger into ACGME likely won't change the way applicants are evaluated in the near future, but that's just my opinion.

 

[zafonte86]

I will say for fellowship applications, COMLEX are weighted less than USMLE scores. This may not be true for residencies as I haven't seen the metrics for the residency interviews I've done. The AOA merger into ACGME likely won't change the way applicants are evaluated in the near future, but that's just my opinion.

I was told by my program director that research and QI matter most for fellowship. Would you agree with that? Do boards actually play any part in that?

 

[SurfingDoctor]

I was told by my program director that research and QI matter most for fellowship. Would you agree with that? Do boards actually play any part in that?

That is true. Research/QI and LORs are probably the most important to get the foot in the door, and the interview matter afterwards, but everyone weighs USMLE scores because they have been shown to correlate board passing. Certainly not the most important as most applicants are kinda in the middle and the Research/QI tend to differentiate applicants more, but high scores and low scores stick out. And like I mentioned, they are part of the overall metric to evaluate the entire candidate.

 

[Staphylococcus Aureus]

I'm quite interested in thoughts on this question...

 

[Staphylococcus Aureus]

If an acgme program currently has DOs, will a good COMLEX only suffice? Also, are there any aoa programs shutting down by 2020?

 

[Staphylococcus Aureus]

So if one has an average COMLEX score and no usmle, what kind of programs are we looking at?

 

[zafonte86]

So if one has an average COMLEX score and no usmle, what kind of programs are we looking at?

You need to look at Freida and program websites to see what programs require USMLE and what cutoffs for comlex are. Some have a level 1 of 450 minimum and others 500 (those were the two scores I saw while trying to match last year). Other than that MD hospitals are usually very open to the comlex and you shouldn't have a problem with just the comlex. If your level 1 is low you need to show improvement with level 2. Also a good rotation goes a long way so audition in places you think you would want to attend and get letters of rec from faculty there.