What is COMLEX?

COMLEX stands for the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination of the United States and is also called Comlex-USA. It consists of a series of three osteopathic medical licensing examinations. COMLEX is administered by the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME) and is similar to the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE).

COMLEX is accepted in all 50 states. It is the most common method chosen by osteopathic physicians (D.O.s or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) to apply for medical licensure. The three steps of the examination are COMLEX Step 1, COMLEX Step 2 and COMLEX Step 3. The score applicable for all three exams ranges from 9 to 999. The mean applicable for all three exams is 500. In general, the score of most candidates ranges between 250 and 800. The minimum passing score however differs. It is 400 for COMLEX Steps 1 and 2, and 350 for COMLEX Step 3.

The Stages of the COMLEX Exam and COMLEX Questions

The COMLEX exam assesses many areas, including the candidates’ osteopathic medical knowledge and knowledge fluency, their clinical skills, as well as all other competencies, which are considered essential for practice as an osteopathic generalist physician. It is a graduation requirement for D.O. degrees as well as graduate medical education or residency training programs. The COMLEX exams are described briefly below to give an idea about each of them.

COMLEX Step 1: COMLEX Step 1 is normally taken after completion of the second year of medical school. It is computer based and includes the application of knowledge concepts found in the foundational sciences, patient presentations and physician tasks. It is a one-day exam that is conducted in two four-hour sessions. The categories covered in this regard include the following:

1. Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
2. Behavioral science
3. Osteopathic Principles
4. Physiology
5. Pathology
6. Anatomy
7. Pharmacology
8. Microbiology
9. Biochemistry

COMLEX Step 2: COMLEX Step 2 is usually taken when students are in either in the third year or the fourth year of medical school. It consists Step 2-Cognitive Evaluation (CE) and Steps 2-Performance Evaluation (PE).

The Step 2-CE Exam assesses the examinees’ knowledge of clinical concepts and medical decision-making. It includes the following disciplines:

1. Surgery
2. Family Medicine
3. Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine
4. Obstetrics and Gynecology
5. Osteopathic Principles
6. Internal Medicine
7. Psychiatry
8. Pediatrics
9. Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
10. Emergency Medicine

This is a one-day exam that is computer-based and includes two four-hour sessions.

The Step 2-PE Exam assesses the examinees’ clinical skills in handling patients based on certain predetermined criteria. The key skills needed include the ability to do the following:

(a) Communicate well with patients,

(b) Maintenance professionalism always,

(c) Take proper medical history,

(d) Conduct thorough medical examination,

(e) Document all findings in a proper systematic and logical sequence

This is a one-day exam of a seven-hour duration.

COMLEX Step 3: COMLEX Step 3is normally taken after starting a residency program. The exam assesses the ability to apply concepts connected with the clinical sciences, patient safety, and presentations, physician tasks as well as independent practice. The main emphasis is on certain requirements that are considered essential in an independent practice. These include proper management of patients, ensuring their safety, and making appropriate case-specific decisions. From the year 2018, the exam will change from a one-day to a two-day exam that will continue to be computer-based.

A Focus on the Little-Known Factors that Could Affect your COMLEX Step 1 Questions

COMLEX Step 1 performance has a strong correlation with scores achieved in the Medical Admission Test and the Grade Point Average of the first two years of medical school. The better the performance and scores in case of the latter, the better the performance and scores are likely to be for COMLEX Step 1 Exam.

Maintaining a proper and regular nighttime sleep schedule is extremely important. This ensures that the body remains charged, the mind is fresh and good health is continuously maintained. Accordingly, any necessary changes in sleep schedule should be done gradually and sleep during the day should be avoided.

Studying like crazy, especially the day before the exam is detrimental and adversely affects performance. Instead, it is better to start preparing as early as possible and then gradually reduce study hours as you come closer to the exam day. This ensures better retention, recall, and performance.

Going outside to exercise and take breaks in-between study schedules is vital. These help to relax and reenergize the mind and body. This, in turn, ensures better preparation and performance.

Regarding television, gradually lessening the amount is a good idea. This is especially important if you watch television regularly, as completely avoiding it may cause withdrawal symptoms. These withdrawal symptoms affect your concentration and reduce performance. Therefore, such drastic measures are best avoided.

Too much or too little caffeine can also cause problems. The best solution is to maintain your normal caffeine intake and if necessary, gradually lessen it. This will not hinder your body rhythm (through withdrawal symptoms) and therefore maintain your health and better your performance.

Sometimes, frustration will build up during the preparation process. This may then lead you to just dropping everything and going outside for a long break. The intention being, to forget about the exam completely. But, despite how difficult it may seem, it is important to face the exam and remember that it is a significant step that you are taking. A good solution is to calmly plan out the day’s schedule. This should include proper study time with good breaks in-between. As going outside is both refreshing and relaxing, it will keep your frustrations at bay. This ultimately ensures that you study harder and better and score well on the exam.

Finally, it is only since 2017, that NBOME changed the policy regarding the ten-minute break allotted for the two four-hour exam sessions. This break-time is now no longer deducted from the total time of each session.