Board Prep-COMLEX Level 1 Resources

LICENSING EXAM PREPARATIONCOMLEX Level 1 Resources

Types of Resources• Study Tools• Question Banks• Licensing Exam Preparation Courses• People who have already taken the exams

Study Tools• Firecracker• First Aid for the USMLE• Goljian Pathology• Lange Pharmacology Flash Card• Pathoma• Picmonic• Savarese• Step Up• Anki• CramFighter

Firecracker• Free trial!• 3 step approach to mastering licensing exam-relevant

material1. Learning key facts on a given topic using condensed contents2. Review quizzes on topics reviewed through Step 13. Utilizing key facts to apply knowledge to practice USMLE

questions• Features

• Personal study plan• 1,840 topics with 32,966 recall questions, 1,898 multiple choice

questions and 1,500+ USMLE –style questions• Passing score guarantee

• Cost $39 per month or $399 per year

Pathoma• Free trial for 1 month • Online pathology review with mailed book• Created by Dr. Sattar, an associate profession of

pathology at the University of Chicago and author of the female reproductive and breast chapter in Robbins Basic Pathology

• 35+ hours of online material• Cost $84.95 - $119.95 ranging from 3 – 21 month access

Picmonic / Sketchy Micro

• A picture is worth a thousand words. Picmonic takes that literally, by turning the information you need to know into unforgettable images and stories that will make studying easier than ever. We’re scientifically backed, research proven, and ridiculously effective.

• Free trial• 730+ Cards• Cost $24.99 per

month, $249.99 for 1 year or $499.99 for 4 years

SAVARESE

FIRST AID FOR USMLE

Question Banks• COMBANK• COMQUEST• USMLE Rx• UWorld

COMBANK• 2400+ COMLEX-style question database• COMBANK uses active learning principles to optimize

your Level 1 preparation through testing and real-time assessment

• Offers USMLE-style questions• Cost $109 - $389 for access ranging from 1 month to 1

year• New COMAT practice question databases

• Cost $49 per subject or $249 for all 7 subjects (each subject access lasts 1 month)

COMQUEST• 1,000+ COMLEX-style question database• Trains you to quickly and accurately recognize the critical

information you need to answer correctly and confidently, whether in minimal scenarios or longer-stemmed questions

• Familiarizes you with making detailed (and correct) diagnoses using limited background information

• Includes a set of matching and/or case-based question scenarios at the end of each practice exam

• May custom-draft your own practice exam to focus your studies precisely, reinforcing your knowledge where you need it most

• Partnered with SOMA• Cost ranges $75 - $350 depending on access length from 35 –

365 days

USMLE Rx• Free trial• Many students use during 1st and 2nd year of medical

school to link course work and First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 in preparation for licensing exams

• 2,500+ high yield Step 1 questions integrated with First Aid for the USMLE Step 1

• May customize tests by difficulty level and do self-assessment exams at no extra charge

• Predictive of actual USMLE performance• 100% Pass Guarantee• Cost $99 – $249 depending on access length from 1

month – until you pass

UWorld• 2,000+ high quality, unrepeated multiple choice questions• State-of-the-art, classic board-tyle questions created by

real life physicians• Detailed explanation and educational objective for each

question with excellent illustrations and charts that are easy to read and interpret

• Allows customization of practice tests• Price varies depending on additional purchase of self-

assessment exams• Q-Bank costs ranges from $125 - $399 depending on

access length from 30 – 360 days

Preparation Courses• Boards Boot Camp• Doctors in Training (DIT)• Eagle• Falcon• Kaplan• Northwestern• Princeton Review

Boards Boot Camp• Highest rated COMLEX preparation program in the U.S.,

representing the first nationally recognized boards preparation program designed and provided exclusively to osteopathic medical students/residents

• Offers independent study program with support of a study plan, books and online services

• Ultra program in an online lecture review with detailed study plan, all supporting books and materials and online services• 120+ online lectures in >85 high-yield lecture hours• Cost $1,800

• Elite program is online and LIVE lecture review• Online services – pre-course diagnostic exams, Level 1

practice questions, QuestionQuest (3,700+ questions database), post-course diagnositc exams and color online medical images and photos

Doctors in Training (DIT)• 34 “fun” primer videos with a “light-hearted” educational

approach and review questions for each topic covered• Videos follow a study guide book and Step Up to Step 1,

shipped to the purchaser when accompanied by First Aid for the USMLE Step 1

• Cost $825• Access to questions and video answers released in

January and access to videos releases in March• NO Q-BANK• OMM Review Add on for $150

• 6 hours of video following Savarese

Eagle• The USMLEagle Step 1 prep course consists of a 4, 7, or

10 week program. Each course has small class sizes allowing for more individualized attention to each student

• Workshops offered at various dates throughout the year in Orlando, FL

• Offers personal tutoring and education on test taking skills• Costs $3,950 - $9,950 (housing included)

Falcon• Live Courses – 7 and 10 weeks, 4-6 months (Ft

Lauderdale, Chicago or Dallas)• 300 hours of live lectures

• Online Courses – 10 and 12 weeks• Costs ranges from $2,799 to $6,499 (hotel included)• Provides Uworld access for 3 months and Becker’s Step 1

Q-Bank for 6 months with accompanying textbooks and 2 NBME practice exams

• Access to a Becker Medical Advisor• Pass Guarantee

Kaplan• 83 hours which can be completed in 39 hours with 1.5x

speed• 2,000+ USMLE-style question database• Live preparation with an in person course or online• $799 until your test, $599 for 3 months with Step 1

question bank (30% discount for AMA members)

Northwestern• Online video review ooffers 130+ hours of review videos

and all relevant supplemental study materials• Can be purchased all inclusive or subject-by-subject• Can be purchased for durations of 1-6 months• Additional cost for q-bank access• Cost ranges from $250 - $910 depending on length of

time and addition of q-bank

Princeton Review• Now only offers 48 hours of premier live online 1-on-1

tutoring for USMLE Step 1 for $13,200• You work 1-on-1 with one of the best tutors in the country• 3 full length practice exams• 7 1 hour subject based exams• Online review – recorded lessons• Skills and drills with extra practice questions• 7 comprehensive review manuals shipped to you• 3 months online 24/7 assistance

COMLEX Level 1 Research• 13 schools participated with an average age of 27• Scores on COMLEX

Average – 547Min – 385Max – 840

• Gender• Female – 52%• Male – 48%

Time Off from Classes

When COMLEX Was Taken

Does Doing Well in School Help?• Students in the top 20% of their classes scored an

average of 610 with min of 465 and max of 840

• Everyone else scores average of 522 with min of 405 and max of 679

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Score vs Amount Of Time Per Week

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How Much Time Did You Prepare?• How much time before Level 2 did you begin studying?

Most Helpful Resources

Second Most Helpful Resources

Least Helpful Resources

How Does your School Prepare You?

Tips from High Scorers• “Doing thousands and thousands of questions is a key to

success.”• “Classes do help you prepare so learn as much as you

can.”• “Glad I took them early to concentrate on 3rd year more.”• “Work hard the first 2 years. That is where most of your

knowledge will come from.”• “I wish I would have take a few more practice tests: NBME

and COMSAE.”• “I wish I would have relaxed more.”• “I could have done a larger variety of practice questions

other than COMBANK and COMQUEST.”

USMLE• 48% of students took the USMLE with an average of 224,

min of 111 and max of 290

USMLE – To take or not to take?• “No USMLE. I’m still unsure if it was a good or bad

decision. In many ways I think the COMLEX was all the stress I could handle at the time. I do know taking the USMLE would have opened up opportunities, but I think letters of rec., credentials and my personality can make up for that come interview time.”

• “No USMLE, and yes I am happy. I found that it is more important if you want to specialize. Also, I wanted to do a DO residency, so COMLEX was adequate and didn’t want to spend the extra money on USMLE.”

• “No USMLE. At this point I wish that I had taken it because unless you’re positive you want family medicine it shuts a lot of doors.”

USMLE – To take or not to take?• “No USMLE. I was going to take the USMLE but I took 2

practice exams and didn’t get the scores high enough that would help me. If you don’t score more than average (220 – or whatever score you need for the program you’re trying to get in to) then you shouldn’t take it unless your dream program doesn’t take COMLEX. AKA, if you’re not close to goal on the practice exam – don’t take it!”

• “No USMLE. I wish I had taken it. I want to go to a DO residency and it’s not going to stop me from that wish, but there’s a lot of rotations in the Pacific Northwest and beyond that will not even let you do a rotation there without a USMLE score and I think that has made elective rotation planning challenging. ”

USMLE – To take or not to take?• “Yes USMLE. I want to match with an allopathic program

and many require USMLE scores so I am happy I took it. I am also taking USMLE part II this summer.”

• “I took all of COMLEX and took Step 1 and 2 of the USMLE. I did not complete the USMLE series as it would also require me to take USMLE CS as well. I am in an allopathic residency and fellowship, and I have been involved in recruitment for both. There have been DO applicants during residency and fellowship, and both times the reviewers utilized the tool from the NBOME to convert COMLEX scores to percentiles to compare to those who took the USMLE.”

USMLE – To take or not to take?• “I consciously decided not to take the USMLE for the following reasons:

• I was REQUIRED to pass COMLEX.• I was being trained with an emphasis on COMLEX• If I scored well on the COMLEX, could at best emphasize my performance (or quite

possibly call it into question) if I took the USMLE.• I didn't have $1,000 to basically give away to create more stress for myself• I figured if a program wasn't smart enough to compare a COMLEX score to a

USMLE score, they probably weren't who I wanted to do residency with anyway.”• “Reasons I would have considered taking it:

• If I passed the COMLEX, and truly (with guidance from my mentors) felt like I scored far below my potential - it would be a theoretical option for calling a lower score into question, provided you really do well on the USMLE.

• If my heart were truly set on a site that absolutely required USMLE (and they were unwavering on it).”