OCOM COMLEX-USA

Board Preparedness Plan

The plan detailed below is designed to prepare OMS-II students for success on the 1st National board examinations. For success on the 2nd National board examinations, the clinical curriculum and third year mandatory procedures will be used as preparatory tools.

Although board study is typically termed “review,” OCOM prefers the term “Board Preparedness.” Board Preparedness begins on the very first day of the curriculum because it has been shown widely that the curriculum at a medical school is the best indicator of National board exam success. For this reason, the curriculum at OCOM has been designed with andragogical and heutagogical practices that lead to long-term memory and mastery of learning.  Thus, the curriculum at OCOM is the first form of board preparedness that continues throughout the first two years. There is a longitudinal course at OCOM (Learning Consolidation) that continues over the 1st two years and is designed specifically for board preparedness. The details below are additional procedures that will be incorporated alongside, and integrated with, the Learning Consolidation course.

  • Achieve and maintain curricular excellence

  • Utilize spaced recall techniques through application of knowledge during case-based learning (CBL)

  • Follow board preparedness instruction and complete all required board practice questions during the Learning Consolidation (LC) course

  • Take diagnostic exams designed to simulate the COMLEX-USA Level 1 and Level 2 examination

  • Utilize strengths and weaknesses identified during diagnostic exams to improve knowledge gaps and weaknesses

  • Take and obtain a minimal score on a school-provided NBOME COMSAE examination designed to identify strengths and weaknesses and simulate the actual COMLEX-USA Level 1 exam

  • Utilize short answer fill-in-the-blank questions (One-Liners) throughout the first two years as a recall tool

  • Utilize a board preparation time at the end of the second year and before taking COMLEX-USA Level 1 in May

OCOM Students are Prepared for Success on National Board Exams Because They:

Overview of the Board Preparedness Tools and Processes

Diagnostic Exam Examinees Matriculation Point
OCOM Integrated Curriculum All OMS Years Start of Matriculation
Learning Consolidation Course All OMS Years Start of Matriculation
One-Liners OMS 1 December Sem. 1
D3 OMS 2 January Sem. 4
D4 OMS 2 January Sem. 4
Combank Exam OMS 2 March Sem. 4
One-Liners Exams OMS 2 April Sem. 4
COMSAE OMS 2 April Sem. 4
COMAT Exams OMS 3 & 4 End of Core Rotations
Combank Core Rotation Q’s OMS 3 & 4 During Core Rotations

Both overall and subject-specific performance on the formative diagnostic exams is recorded and reported to the students. This allows students to identify areas of weakness and to compare their performance to the class mean and National mean on Nationally available exams. Additionally, students review these exams after taking them to identify any knowledge gaps and to improve National board exam test-taking techniques. 

With both COMLEX-USA Level 1 and USMLE Step 1 providing only a Pass/Fail score, measuring student readiness in subject-specific competencies is the responsibility of the school. At OCOM, we will monitor correlative data from each diagnostic tool to ensure that our students pass COMLEX-USA Level 1 on the first attempt to ensure achievement of basic science understanding that is a key component of our mission.

OCOM Board Preparedness Tools and How They Are Used

  • OCOM Curriculum:The OCOM curriculum is specifically designed to utilize integration and application of foundational science topics and clinical critical thinking skills. Systems are covered simultaneously throughout each of the courses and threads (anatomy & case-based learning) to allow students to learn and master material with contextual application, rather than memorization. This foundational information is the basis for National Board preparation.

  • Learning Consolidation Course: This course continues over all four years of the curriculum. It is designed for spaced-recall and consolidation of material that was learned previously utilizing a commercially available examination bank that is written with COMLEX-USA board style questions. This course continues over all four years to help prepare students for COMLEX-USA Level 1, COMLEX-USA Level 2, and COMLEX-USA Level 3 board examinations.

  • One-Liners Provided: Students are provided with a “One-Liners” self-assessment tool. This tool consists of a series of open-ended questions of factual information that the students can use for recall and practice over and over, as in an index card retrieval process. The one-liners are provided in the high-yield board topics of anatomy, pharmacology, and microbiology that are typically difficult to remember.

  • D3 & D4 Diagnostic Exams: In-house diagnostic examinations. Historically these diagnostic examinations have very strong correlation with actual board outcomes. The results can be used by the institution to access board preparedness and by students to access strengths and weaknesses.  They are truly diagnostic examinations with no course grade. The students are given two 200 question examinations taken on the same day, one in the morning, then a break and another in the afternoon. They are administered on the first day back from Christmas break at the beginning of the 4th semester. Students are provided overall results and subject results. Students are then allowed to review these examinations in groups without the correct answers provided. Once they have reviewed and decided on the correct answers, they are provided with the key. This examination provides practice for the rigor of taking an 8-hour examination and areas of weakness in time for improvement before the actual board exam.

  • Truelearn/Combank COMLEX Level 1 Practice Exam: This examination is a 200-question board preparation exam designed to assess where students stand as compared to the National average of Combank exam takers. This exam will be administered within the Learning Consolidation course.

  • NBOME COMSAE Examination: The Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Self-Assessment Examination (COMSAE) is provided by the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME) and used at OCOM to assess student readiness to take the COMLEX-USA Level 1 board examination. As required by OCOM Policy, a minimal score must be obtained on this examination prior to students taking COMLEX Level 1. The timing of this examination is projected to be April in semester four.

  • COMLEX Practice Questions:

    During each core rotation, OCOM students are required to complete COMLEX-USA Level 2 practice questions specific to the rotation specialty. Students must complete these questions and obtain a minimal score. This is a requirement for passing the core rotation.

  • National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME) COMAT Exams:

    At the end of each core rotation, students are required to take and achieve a minimum score on the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Achievement Test (COMAT) delivered by the NBOME. 

The OCOM Podcast: Taking the Boards

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube!

Preparing for board exams is one of the most challenging parts of medical school—but at OCOM, students aren’t doing it alone. In this episode of The OCOM Podcast, we dive into how OCOM supports student doctors through this intense process.

Tune in as we discuss:
📝 How OCOM prepares students for success on board exams
📈 Staying up to date with the latest study methods, techniques, and resources
✅ Insights on pass rates and what they mean for future physicians
💡 Strategies to manage stress and stay focused during board prep

Whether you’re a prospective student wondering what board prep looks like or currently studying for the boards, this episode is packed with tips and guidance to help you succeed.

FAQs

  • National board examinations “the boards” are licensure examinations required for physicians to practice medicine and for specialty expertise. There are two medical licensure boards; the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). The NBOME administers the COMLEX USA examinations and specialty boards. The NBME administers the USMLE examinations and specialty boards. Each National board exam is separated into 3 phases as described in the tables below.

  • USA Medical students cannot graduate from a medical school until they take and pass certain board examinations. They cannot enter a residency without graduating from a medical school and passing certain board exams. Physicians are not licensed to practice medicine in the USA without first completing a medical residency.

  • At OCOM, we feel very strongly that our curriculum prepares students for National board exams. In addition, we have instituted several well-established board preparation techniques, along with a few unique techniques, that will prepare students for success on the National board exams on the first attempt.

  • Osteopathic medical students are NOT required to take the USMLE. However, they are required to take and pass the COMLEX-USA Level 1 and Level 2 exams. For this reason, OCOM concentrates efforts on taking and passing the COMLEX Level 1 and Level 2 exams. Osteopathic medical school graduates that take and pass only the COMLEX exams are highly qualified for residency placement into any LCME residency. All LCME residencies accept COMLEX USA examinations for placement consideration. Students may elect to take the USMLE exam in addition to the COMLEX exam at a time of their choosing. When students elect to take the USMLE, they are counseled on whether or not they should take the USMLE and the risks and perceived rewards of taking it. 

  • Published data at Medical schools shows that curricular success is the best predictor of National board success for the first two levels of board exams. In addition, commercially available question banks and practice examinations produced by the NBOME and the NBME have shown strong correlation with National board success. At OCOM, we utilize GPA, practice board exams, and in-house produced predictors of National board exam success.

  • In preparation for National board exams, the modern medical student should concentrate on the curriculum first because it consistently shows high correlation with board scores. In addition, the student should take many board-style practice questions. It has been shown that there is strong correlation with the number of questions taken and board outcome. In addition to board preparation methods, it is highly recommended that students utilize recall techniques and contextual-based learning, rather than rote memorization alone. This leads to mastery of basic material. With mastery of material, a test taker can usually surmise a correct answer on a board examination, even if the answer is not immediately obvious. 

  • Yes! There are several forms of the COMSAE examinations available from the NBOME for purchase on their website. The NBME also provides practice exams through their website. Taking multiple practice exams prepares the student for the timing, rigor and question style of the “real” exam. It also identifies any knowledge gaps prior to taking the actual exam.

COMLEX-USA vs. USMLE

USMLE is Not Required for Osteopathic Medical Students or Physicians

COMLEX-USA

Timing Requirement
COMLEX-USA Level 1 Typically taken after two years of matriculation at an Osteopathic medical school. Must be passed to graduate from medical school.
COMLEX-USA Level 2 Typically taken after three years of matriculation at an Osteopathic medical school. Must be passed to graduate from medical school.
COMLEX-USA Level 3 Typically taken by an Osteopathic physician, either prior to or during residency. Must be passed to obtain a medical license and practice independently.

USMLE

Timing Requirement
USMLE Step 1 Typically taken after two years of matriculation. Can be taken by an Osteopathic medical student, but NOT required.
USMLE Step 2 Typically taken after three years of matriculation. Can be taken by an Osteopathic medical student, but NOT required.
USMLE Step 3 Typically taken after graduation, either prior to or during residency. Can be taken by an Osteopathic physician, but NOT required.