COMLEX-USA or The Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination of the United States is a series of three osteopathic medical licensing examinations administered by the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME) similar to the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). COMLEX-USA is the most common pathway by which osteopathic physicians (D.O.s) apply for licensure, and is accepted in all 50 states. The 3-digit standard scores of COMLEX-USA Level 1, Level 2-CE, and Level 3 have a range of 200-800 and a mean of 500. 400 is the lowest passing score for steps one and two; 350 for step three.
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COMLEX-USA Level 1 is taken after the second year of medical school. It is administered in one day and consists of two, four-hour exam sessions separated by a 40-minute break. Each four-hour session also includes a ten-minute break. Candidates are expected to know the basic mechanisms of health and disease process. Specifically, level one covers basic medical sciences, including:
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
Medicine · US Medical education
Schools · Physicians
COMLEX-USA Level 2, taken during the fourth year of medical school, consists of two parts: Level 2-Cognitive Evaluation (CE) and Level 2-Performance Evaluation (PE). Level 2-CE requires candidates to demonstrate knowledge of clinical concepts and medical decision-making. It is problem-based and symptoms-based, integrating the clinical disciplines of:
Level 2-PE was introduced in 2005. It is a one-day, seven-hour clinical skills examination and utilizes standardized patients (actors trained to present clinical symptoms) to test clinical skills. The only available testing site is in Conshohocken, PA, a suburb of Philadelphia. Specifically, candidates must demonstrate proficiency in:
The final examamination, COMLEX-USA Level 3, is typically taken after starting residency and, like step two, covers the clinical disciplines of medicine, including: