My watch list

COMLEX-USA

Osteopathic medicine
in the United States

Andrew Taylor Still, M.D. (founder)

Additional recommended knowledge

Weighing the right way

Don't let static charges disrupt your weighing accuracy

What is the Correct Way to Check Repeatability in Balances?

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.)

Medicine · US Medical education

Schools · Physicians

Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

AOA · AACOM · AAO · COMLEX

Allopathic & Osteopathic Comparison

Specialty Colleges · AOABS

This box: view • talk • edit

COMLEX-USA or Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination 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 mean of 500.

Level One

Step one 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:

Level Two

Level two, taken during the fourth year of medical school, consists of two parts: Level 2-CE and Level 2-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 exam and utilizes standardized patients (actors trained to present clinical symptoms) to test clinical skills. Specifically, candidates must demonstrate proficiency in: