COMLEX-USA
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{{Physician education and training in the United States}}
'''COMLEX-USA''' or '''Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination''' is a series of three [[Osteopathic medicine in the United States|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 medicine in the United States|osteopathic physicians]] ([[D.O.|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:
*[[anatomy]]
*[[behavioral science]]
*[[biochemistry]]
*[[microbiology]]
*[[osteopathic|osteopathic principles]]
*[[pathology]]
*[[pharmacology]]
*[[physiology]]
=== Level Two ===
{{Osteopathic medicine}}
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:
*[[emergency medicine]]
*[[family medicine]]
*[[internal medicine]]
*[[obstetrics]]/[[gynecology]]
*[[osteopathic|osteopathic principles]]
*[[pediatrics]]
*[[psychiatry]]
*[[surgery]]
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:
*history taking and physical examination skills
*integrated [[differential diagnosis]] and clinical problem solving
*written communication and synthesis of clinical findings (SOAP note format)
*osteopathic principles and/or osteopathic manipulative treatment
=== Level Three ===
The final exam, level three, is typically taken after starting residency and, like step two, covers the clinical disciplines of medicine, including:
*[[emergency medicine]]
*[[family medicine]]
*[[internal medicine]]
*[[obstetrics]]/[[gynecology]]
*[[osteopathic|osteopathic principles]]
*[[pediatrics]]
*[[psychiatry]]
*[[surgery]]
== External links ==
*http://www.nbome.org
*http://www.osteopathic.org
[[Category:Medical education in the United States]]
[[Category:Medical regulation]]
[[Category:Osteopathic medicine]]