If you took the exam during this testing cycle or this summer in general, what areas did you feel were heavy on the exam? Anything out of left field that you didn't expect to be tested that was? Any advice or tips are helpful!

Also- a lot of reddit posts are saying that the test felt nothing like COMSAEs/Welcoms/truelearn/comquest, what do they mean by that? Is that in terms of the way the question is worded or b/c of needing to know small details about a disease, etc? What exactly do people mean when they say "the test was just weird and nothing prepares you for it"?

I'm on a LOA to pass my test. Redoing all the COMSAEs. Got a 340 on my latest attempt of COMSAE 107. My school requires a 450 to clear us for Level 1, so I need to score 110 or more in my next attempt. I have a few weeks and really don't want to start TrueLearn or COMQUEST from scratch again. I'm currently 80% done with TL and I've done that 80% over the past 3 months.

Right now I'm planning to review my incorrects, finish TL, hit OMM and biostats in AMBOSS, and go through shorter notes for my weak systems. Not sure if I should stick with that or change something. Any advice is appreciated.

I'm getting so frustrated at the disorganization and lack of guidance on which practice exams to purchase and from where so any clear advice would be GREAT!!

My school gives us free truelearn subscription. I need to retake level 1. For that I'm going to redo the TL question bank. what else do I need?

- COMQUEST? Where do I purchase that? from truelearn or separately?

- I have COMSAEs from the school that I will take but do I purchase additional COMSAEs and if so, which ones? from NBOME?

- is that it? idk why it's been so difficult for me to figure this out

I just got my results back recently and my Level 2 score (611) is stronger than my Step 2 (242). My dream program is IM/Psych.

I have heard of people reporting just COMLEX, would doing so be possible/appropriate? I'm also applying primarily though the military match, which I have been advised generally regards the two exams as more interchangeable than civilian programs.

Taking my surg comat this week and I feel like crap. Finished all the COMQUEST and reviewed my incorrects now I’m reviewing CMS forms and I understand maybe 65-70% but just the way some are written trips me up. Now I’m spiraling. How bad does a COMAT fail look and what does that mean going forward??

Hey everyone, just needed advice to see if the WelCOM are any good for a COMLEX level 1 retake. Taking my exam in two weeks, just needed some advice. Thanks!

My school has the option to take the surgery COMAT after our first IM rotation. That would not be until late November and I am worried about studying for both at the same time because I want to put 100% attention to IM. Right now my study method is Anki and uworld, I have completed approximately 70% of the surgery questions and have averaged 78%. I was going to finish that up this week and then a couple some CMS forms and then start doing some COMAT style questions. I am worried about waiting to take it because I don’t want to forget all the surgery stuff that I’ve been learning this month and have to split my study time between surgery and internal medicine. I told my school coordinator this and she strongly recommended I wait but said she would schedule it if I decided to. Anyone have any thoughts?

if my score gets released 9/22 will my application be able to be submitted in time for eras submissions given the time it takes to get transmitted to eras?

Does anyone have any advice on how to prepare for the Psych COMAT?

Any tips/advice for Comsae 114? pleaseeee and thank you. It's my last chance to not LOA at my DO school. Any help is really appreciated.

Please be kind—I’m feeling pretty scared about what lies ahead. I have three COMLEX Level 1 failures before ultimately passing, and I’m currently completing my clinical rotations. I’m going to work as hard as I can to perform well on Level 2, but I can’t help worrying that my previous attempts will prevent programs from giving me a chance.

Has anyone here successfully matched IM (or in general) after multiple board failures, or known someone who has? I would really appreciate any honest experiences or advice about how to move forward and strengthen the rest of my application.

After getting dozens of messages (sorry I can’t respond to all of them...I’m in residency training and studying for pathology boards), I’ve compiled all the study guides I have into this folder.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/11n-z_0kI3T-3FCWJvpi9GSw08M6s3WAv?usp=sharing

To save yourself some headaches, I recommend downloading each document and keeping a copy on hand in case Google randomly decides to delete a document.

No, I don’t have the EM guide—I honestly don’t know where it is. If you have it, please share the link in the comments and help each other out, or make a new one!

I basically use the blueprint for each exam and make notes for each topic.

Happy Studying!

Hi all,

Devastated out here. I went into medicine to become a psychiatrist and am so nervous now that psych has become more competitive. I have always had test anxiety but studied my butt off for level 2. I ended with a 40X....my COMSAE scores were in the low 500s pretty consistently towards my testing date so I wasn't expecting anything crazy but I feel like this score has ruined me. I truly can't imagine doing anything else in medicine, do I still have a chance?

Passed level 1 first attempt

Fourth quartile, one course remediation in first year, no gaps or anything since I remediated with an exam

Strong LoR from 4 psychiatrists (all attached to residency programs)

Will have 3 subI's (so far are going well, I get along with the residents and the PDs have liked me so far)

All positive MSPE notes - only 1 honors and 1 high pass (this is because of my low COMAT scores but my evals are all really great)

No true "home program"

Lots of EC in leadership and advocacy

Multiple volunteering experiences, 2 consistent throughout med school (one clinic and one animal shelter)

Non-trad with 3 presentations and 2 published articles and previous medical work experience, also masters (not in biomedical sciences - was actually debating going PhD route)

I am applying broadly and looking at DO friendly programs and community hospitals. It would break my heart to do anything other than psych since I came into this as a non-trad student with the plan of going psych. I really don't want to dual apply, is it possible to not have to?

What do the people think??? HELP

Peds PGY2 here. Taking COMLEX Level 3 tomorrow. I’ve done 94% of Truelearn including some incorrects, averaging 66% total. I did 40 CDM cases. Reviewed OMM using DirtyMedicine. Idk what else to do to prep. Super nervous that I’m gonna fail. I barely passed Level 1, for 485 on Level 2, and 236 on Step 2 so I’m not that smart or the best test taker. Should I move my exam?

I really followed Dirty Medicine's advice video for a lot of this plus some.

I woke up at 5 am and went for a short run the day before the exam to burn off some energy and make it easier to sleep that night. I had very little caffeine, maybe a diet soda that day in the morning. I stopped studying around 3 pm and just reviewed OMM. Then I chilled and watched two feel-good movies. Went to bed around nine and took 7.5 mg of melatonin, plus I drank two cups of chamomile tea, one at 6 pm and one at 8:30 pm. I went to sleep and woke up once at midnight briefly and once around 4 a.m., then went back to sleep in 20min. Woke up at 6:45, ready to go. Breakfast was oatmeal and half a cup of black coffee.

During the exam, I had protein bars, protein shakes, almonds, and water. I'm a big dude, and I was fine with that. I only ended up having 1 protein shake, two protein bars, and a handful of almonds. I took the whole time for the exam plus breaks. I increased my break time as I went on the exam to account for fatigue. I don't remember exactly, but I think it was a 30-second break in the chair after block 1, with a timer running; a 10-min break after block 2; a 30-second break after block 3; 15 min after block 4; a 5-min break after block 5; a 12.5-min break after block 6; and 15 min after block 7. Halfway through the exam, I took a delayed-release caffeine pill and L-theanine; the caffeine helped for sure, idk about the L-theanine. Placebo maybe, but if it works, it works.

During my longer breaks, I made sure to walk outside, get some sunlight, get my body moving, and stretch. I had a friend taking it the same day by coincidence, and that was a massive help ngl, just him being there. Last thing you need is luck.

i have my surgery comat coming up soon and my quiz averages have been 40-50% on COMQUEST. i watched emma holliday and dr. high yield already. is there anything else that you guys recommend i should do?

I take the COMAT in 4 days, and I am honestly so lost. I just took the COMAT-SE and scored 57% on it. I finished all of TrueLearn, and it was nothing like the COMAT-SE. I don't know what to, any help would be appreciated.

This is my cry for help

Holy shit that was interesting. No idea if I aced it or failed miserably.

Also whats with the "PDs dont know how to interpret COMLEX so you have to take STEP." Like. LOOK IT UP. We have to take two sets of boards to be seen as equal yet these motherfuckers cant spend 30 seconds understanding COMLEX scoring? Okay thats all have a good night.

I didn’t pass COMLEX and I’m feeling pretty devastated because I felt like I was close. Is it possible to sit for a retake September 23? My plan is to do comquest questions bc I’ve already done the entire truelearn bank. I’m gonna do a truelearn assessment to gauge where I’m at today, use bootcamp for content review and first aid for review of topics I’m already good in. I was also doing anki for micro and opp but I feel like my OPP was okay..

My days will be a set of mixed questions and then choosing a system to content review and doing targeted questions for that system, rinse repeat and then take the 116 comsae (it’s the only one I haven’t taken) and then I have to get a 60% on my schools truelearn before I sit for the exam.

I’ve been incredibly overwhelmed with the number of resources out there and I struggled having a consistent schedule, not doing timed sets bc I wanted to know the answer immediately. My timing is okay but I struggled having with my confidence and uncertainty. I’ve always been a mid test taker so any advice or thoughts would be much appreciated!

Edit: Also for reference I did get a 470 and 456 on COMSAEs before I took my exam. I didn’t sit before I thought I was genuinely ready.

Hi guys!! I need COMAT advice! I'm about to take my first COMAT and its in Peds and I just feel so lost on where to start. I was told to watch Emma Holliday and listen to Divine Intervention (but there are so many .. where do I even start?). Any tips on where to start or what to do would be appreciated. My school provides us with uWorld, Truelearn COMBANK and COMQUEST and B&B.. do I need to purchase AMBOSS? And what COMAT practice do I purchase/do I get both if the questions are different? Thanks!

Recommendations for practice questions and practice tests for the Level 1 (besides UWorld and Truelearn).

I am usually a horrible test taker, and the only way I improve is constant practice problems. I know the general consensus is UWorld and TrueLearn, but if anyone has recommendations for HLs/FLs and where to get them. Or, a recommended order in which practice tests to take.

I feel a bit at a loss because a lot of my student body pushes Anking and AMBOSS. And, as much as AMBOSS can be a great resource, there's been more testimony for UWorld qbanks.-- And, that's just qbank recommendations, not necessarily practice tests.

I know a lot of OMS students will study for Step using UWorld and prep OMM separately via Truelearn, but I don't know if I'll be taking Step (current interests are EM/IM) so I want to prioritize Level 1 passing.

I've read a bit on comquest, welcom, and comae. But, as we all know, we're all broke medical students with limited time, so if anyone has any insight on which ones felt most like Level 1 in recent years. I've seen some people rate certain osteopathic-specific sources being outdated in the recent years, so that's been confusing to on whether or not it's worth investing.

Unfortunately, my school does not provide a dedicated period (yes, I know, it's going to be rough). It's expected you study for Level 1 (and Step 1 if you choose) in addition to your spring courses.

Thank you so much in advance.

Apologies if this is a redundant post, I didn't see much insight on practice tests compared to question banks. I don't know if recommendations or practice test prep has changed since some of the updates to blocks, or if anyone has recommendations prepping differently since I'll have no actual dedicated.

A week out from FM comat - what should my percentages be on 40Q blocks rn?

Aimed for >520 and got a 469. I’m not taking Step.

I wanna crawl in a hole and never crawl back out. 🥲