COMLEX is one of the most common exams that Osteopathic physicians must pass to attain license to practice anywhere in Canada and the US. The exam has some basic schedules, formats and regulations.

COMLEX stands for Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination of the United States. This examination is conducted in four parts. If you aspire to become Osteopathic physician, undergoing this examination is important for attaining the license for practicing medical services across the United States.

There are four steps for this examination and each step must be cleared properly by the candidates. Among the four steps of examination, step 1 is considered as the most critical or complex. So, find COMLEX step 1 test dates, if you are preparing for it.

Different Steps on COMLEX and Difference with USMLE

As stated already on the above portion of this article, COMLEX has 4 steps for conducting examination. Candidates must pass all four steps to attain certification. These steps are given in the following section of this article:

• COMLEX Step 1
• COMLEX Step 2-CE
• COMLEX Step 2-PE
• COMLEX Step 3

COMLEX for osteopathic licensing is equivalent USMLE. The only difference is that the former is for DO students and USMLE is for MD students. To undergo the examination, you should check COMLEX step 1 test dates accurately. In the following section, a complete glossary has been provided to help students with information about this examination.

Estimated Time for Getting Prepared

Whenever you are preparing for an examination, time estimation plays an important role. Therefore, it is important to check COMLEX step 1 test dates and make routines accordingly for studying. Time scheduling depends upon the time that you want to put behind for studying daily. Generally, it takes three months to get prepared for step 1 examination. On the other hand, you need only 3 weeks for preparing for step 2 and only three days for step 3. Preparation time may vary from person to person. However, you need to schedule your preparation timing with perfection. Without proper planning, it is not easy to crack this test.

Right Time to Undergo the Exam

Now, you must be thinking what should be the ideal time for undergoing this examination? Well, age and time is no bar for undergoing the exam, but planning it on the early stage is beneficial. Ideally, you should undergo the exam on the second year of your medical school. So, if you are at the second year of medical course, you should check comlex step 1 test dates. A person can undergo this examination at least 6 times. What happens if you pass exam on first attempt, but you are not happy with the score? Well, there is no provision to sit for the exam once you pass it. Those, who cannot pass the exam, can make a total of six attempts.

Things That Need to Be Covered

COMLEX Step 1 is a complex examination, and thus a lot of things are included in the examination schedule. It is important to know about the subjects that will be incorporated in the test. This will help you better to start preparing after you get the COMLEX step 1 test dates. The subjects that will be included in this examination are:

• Anatomy
• Behavioral Science
• Immunology
• Micro Biology
• Biochemistry
• Molecular Biology
• Physiology
• Osteopathic manipulative medicines
• Pharmacology
• Other subjects

MD students, who want to undergo USMLE exam, should also prepare for the same subjects as mentioned above. The only subject that will be specially added for COMLEX students is Osteopathic Manipulative Medicines. Students can find online study materials and video tutorials for studying.

Things to Learn

As stated, you shall be eligible for undergoing COMLEX test 1, when you are at the second year of your medical school. So, you need to check COMLEX step 1 test dates accordingly and must prepare for studies. The things that you learn till second year of your medical course will be helpful for the exam, though you also need to learn about a few additional things. These things are described in the following section of this write-up:

• Management-related things
• Disease prevention and health promotions
• Latest diagnostic technologies
• Disease mechanism
• Physical examination and history of osteopathic treatment

Deep knowledge in the above mentioned topic is required for answering the multiple-choice questions.

Brief Knowledge about Scoring

When you have got the COMLEX step 1 test dates and you have started preparing for it, a brief knowledge on the scoring process is important to be learnt. The highest score for qualifying is 800 and lowest score is 200. Getting anything around 500 is considered as average.