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Introduction to COMLEX

Introduction to COMLEX. A Primer for MS I Bob Fisk, Director Office of National Boards May, 2009. What value is a COMLEX discussion?. material on COMLEX is from systems; you need to appreciate importance of that as you learn material in systems

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Introduction to COMLEX

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  1. Introduction to COMLEX A Primer for MS I Bob Fisk, Director Office of National Boards May, 2009

  2. What value is a COMLEX discussion? • material on COMLEX is from systems; you need to appreciate importance of that as you learn material in systems • you may want to allocate some time this summer to review • you need to understand COMLEX now and know enough to ask questions that could help you begin to prepare

  3. What am I going to do today? 1. define role of Office of National Boards at WVSOM 2. introduce basics of COMLEX 3. discuss our past performance 4. provide some analysis of how to review 5. talk about resources available to you

  4. first, preliminaries… • Director, Office of National Boards • nationalboards@wvsom.edu • phone: 793-6840 • WVSOM National Boards Web site at http://www.wvsom.edu/students/NationalBoards.cfm?id=1566 • also: http://www.nbome.org for National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners

  5. provide information regarding boards to students and faculty counsel students on review and after failure maintain statistics on class performance provide resources to students for Board review, including Academic Skills workshops 5. provide data to faculty regarding exam questions (visit from NBOME) 6. gather comments/ideas from students who have taken the exam (postmortem) 7. administer Progress Exams (SUBEX, shelf exam) 8. assist students in petitioning for curricular changes to enhance student preparation so.. what do you do as Director?

  6. What is COMLEX? • Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing EXam • necessary or accepted for licensure in all 50 states • 3 Levels: • Level 1 (after 2nd year): CE only • Level 2 (in 4th year): CE and PE • Level 3 (after internship) CE only • Cognitive Exam (CE) on computer and • Performance Exam (PE) as simulated patient exam

  7. but…. really…. what is it? • seen as a licensing exam (for 3rd year student) by the NBOME • not so much as just a factual knowledge exam as an evaluation of the student using information from first two years to understand clinical situations you are viewing • ALL questions are in a clinical context • think: what would I be asked by preceptor in a clinical situation?

  8. what are the questions based on? • 1st dimension: patient presentation • 2nd dimension: physician task • Health Promotion/Disease Prevention • Diagnostic Technology • History & Physical • Management, • Scientific Understanding of Mechanism (75-85%) • Health Care Delivery • http://www.nbome.org/examinations.htm

  9. what else about Level 1? • offered all year, but especially in June and October • administered by Prometric • 400 questions/8 hours • 75-85% of questions in Scientific Understanding of Mechanism category

  10. WVSOM Stuff Charity begins at home…

  11. WVSOM Policy • must take Level 1 COMLEX in June or July after 2nd year • failure = BAD!

  12. Those rumors about… • eliminating Level 1 • this will happen… • but not until 2015 • schools will probably still have a year 2 exam • an additional PE will likely be added to L3

  13. Exam Data Basis • pass rate = # students passing on first attempt • performance • 400 is always passing • the mean for the group taking the exam • referenced to 500 national mean • classes referenced by year of graduation

  14. WVSOM COMLEX Performance • Level 1 • last June (2008): 82% pass rate • our students have traditionally performed in the lower side of the pack on Level 1 • Level 2 CE • last summer (2008): 91% pass rate • our students have traditionally been in 90% range • Level 2 PE: high pass rate • last year (2007-08): 98% • Why failure at all?—the BIG question • curriculum has everything needed • no problem with students accepted

  15. Pass Rate, L1 and L2

  16. Mean, L1 and L2

  17. Pass Rate after retake

  18. Pass Rate, all levels

  19. Mean, disciplines

  20. Why do students fail at all? • Task Force found no correlation between COMLEX score and • age • undergraduate school/GPA • state of origin • PBL/SBL • GME choices • some correlation with MCAT scores • HIGH correlation with end-of-year GPA, 1st and 2nd years

  21. Let’s Ask Students! the crux of the issue

  22. student survey • Did you begin review before end of classes? • passing students: 85% • failing students: 50% • does not specify how far before, how much per week, etc.

  23. student survey • have you taken a long computer exam? • passing: 50% had taken • failing: 34% had taken • what is the longest computer exam? • passing: 23% had taken 4hr or more • failing: none had taken 4 hr exam

  24. student survey • Did you fatigue during the exam? • passing: 33% fatigued after 4 hrs. • failing: 66% fatigued after 4 hrs. • passing: 37% never fatigued • failing: 100% fatigued after 6 hrs.

  25. Support

  26. Office of National Boards • mandatory info sessions in August and January • materials posted on Web site • available for counseling, advice

  27. Learning Specialists • will present additional Academic Skills hours in 2nd year • Donna Tolbert available for counseling • have posted materials on National Boards Web page

  28. Kaplan • students will receive • full set of Kaplan books (in August) • access to COMLEX QBank • access to ALL video presentations • 9 days of “live” reviews (mandatory) • also: ExamMaster question database for Level 1, 2, and 3

  29. Progress Exams • 2nd progress exam in May (4 hr) • in 2nd year • 3rd exam in January (6 hr) • 4th exam in May (8 hr) • results of 1st exam will be available

  30. Wisdom

  31. Let’s look at this differently…… • 80-90% pass the first time • 75% of those failing pass second time • almost everyone eventually passes (3 exceptions)! • so… what is the difference between the 1st and 3rd taking of the exam?

  32. First... • academic skills are an issue for EVERYONE • all students can benefit from improving academic skills • academic skills sessions available on voluntary basis • Web site has materials, or talk to Donna Tolbert

  33. So… be honest with yourself about academic skills

  34. Second... • How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice….. • So… • Progress Exams • Kaplan QBank COMLEX • Exam Master • question bank pertinent to Level 1 and Level 2 • available to ALL students

  35. Third… • Remember what this exam is about, so… • focus first on basics • for foundation disciplines, understand clinically-relevant material • patient presentation • you will have to properly diagnose! • drugs • first, know commonest drugs well • MOA, side effects, contraindications

  36. What can you suggest about review? • create a schedule and stick to it • define expectations and amend them if necessary • try new approaches if things aren’t working • vary topics to stay interested • integrate material as much as you can

  37. How About Summer? • make certain that fundamental material is mastered • exam items concern understanding of mechanism • come directly from systems (SBL) and • cases (PBL) • some practice questions can get you used to exam • begin organizing for Year 2 • email or meet with me or Donna if you want advice

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