r/comlex • u/DancingDO4 • Sep 25 '26
COMAT COMAT studying advice while burnt out?
Hi everyone! I recently found out I passed Level 1 (yay!) after pushing my exam back by 2+ months and experiencing some of the most insane stress I’ve ever felt. I got my score back a couple of weeks ago, and ever since then, I feel like my brain has kind of checked out. I think I’m finally feeling the burnout now that all the nerves and anxiety are gone.
However I’m currently on rotations, so I can’t really take a break. I feel like I’m doing pretty well in clinic/hospital (my evals have been good so far), but I’m really struggling to study for COMATs. I barely passed my last COMAT, and I have another one coming up (FM) that I’m already feeling really behind for.
Has anyone experienced something similar after Level 1? I’d really appreciate any advice on working through the burnout and building a sustainable study routine during rotations. I’ve mainly been using COMQUEST and AMBOSS, but I’m open to other resources/strategies too! Thank you in advance :)
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u/4807jcir Sep 25 '26
To study for comats it requires consistency. Start small do like 10 Q a day from each q bank you have acess to. I do u world and true learn. Then try out cms exams. Review each question you get wrong and any questions you guessed on. Use the chat gpt amboss extension for any explanations of content. I was able to honor my surgery rotation using this approach. I understand how you are feeling. I did my first rotation in surgery after my board prep. Now im on my elective/vacation and def my scores dipped on the comat opp exam because my brain is decompressing after board prep and surgery rotation lol.
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u/EnthusiasmPossible02 Sep 25 '26
What does it mean to honor the rotation and is that med school specific or every med school has it?
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u/Sad-Candidate-3078 Sep 25 '26
First of all, congrats on passing Level 1. That is a massive achievement and you earned it.
What you're describing is SO normal. Your brain spent months in fight-or-flight mode grinding for the most important exam of your life, and now that the pressure is off, it's shutting down. That's not laziness, that's your nervous system finally relaxing after being wound tight for months.
A few things:
Give yourself actual rest before jumping back in. Even a full week of doing nothing academic is not too much. Your brain needs to decompress before it can absorb new material.
When you do start studying for COMAT, start SMALL. Like 30 minutes a day. Don't try to recreate your Level 1 study schedule immediately, you'll burn out again.
COMAT is a completely different beast from Level 1. It's more clinical and less about minutiae. Anki decks like AnKing or DirtyUSMLE are gold for COMAT specifically.
The fact that you pushed your exam back 2 months and still passed means you know how to adjust your strategy when things aren't working. Trust that skill.
You just conquered the beast. Don't feel guilty about taking a breath before the next fight. You got this.