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As the sitting National President of the Student Osteopathic Medical Association ( @NationalSOMA), I failed the “Humanistic Domain” of the COMLEX Level 2 PE. This domain claims to measure “Communication, Interpersonal Skills, and Professionalism” - because of this failure...
a lot of residency programs wouldn’t grant me an interview. If this exam was truly assessing us objectively, I would have been fine with that failure. But I find it hard to believe I was in the bottom 7% of osteopathic medical students regarding humanism...
Given my experiences as a student leader & former high school teacher, humanism was my strength. I didn’t have high test scores in biochemistry & microbiology. My strengths were in leadership & the ability to make change on campus & in my community. If I was going to fail...
the exam, I probably should have failed the biomedical/biomechanical domain if I’m being frank. But no, I failed the most subjective portion of the exam, graded mostly by standardized patients (SPs). Sure, I was nervous at times because the SPs were acting...
in a completely unrealistic fashion, but I was polite, displayed empathy and tried to meet the patients where they were. I have no doubt there were moments of awkwardness and moments I wish I could have back, but I don’t believe I failed in humanism by any metric.
Luckily I ended up at a residency program that I love, but some of my colleagues were dramatically harmed by failing this subjective exam.
Look, I love my profession & the DO community, but the statement from the @NBOME today does not meet the moment. @TheUSMLE & @TheFSMB has seen the writing on the wall and recongnized what this pandemic has made abundantly clear: these skilled clinical exams can be left to...
the med schools. There is no reason for us to spend the extra money on flights and exams (approx. $2,000) when we are already racking up $400,000+ in student loan debt. Our schools can assess us on clinical skills perfectly fine. The Level 2 PE adds little to our education.
But it does add to our personal debt & complicates the 4th year medical school schedule. I join other leaders and organizations in calling for a single licensing exam. There is no reason for DO students to be pressured into taking two exams. We already have a...
single accreditation system for residency programs. We can maintain Osteopathic distinctiveness with a single licensing exam. That job lies with the individual schools, the @AOAforDOs and @AACOMmunities
The @NBOME should work with @TheUSMLE and @TheFSMB to make a single licensing exam that works for Osteopathic medical students. This could be in the form of a condensed supplemental portion of the USMLE that covers Osteopathic principles and OMT.
I encourage everyone to read and share this article written by @drharrislakers and @jbcarmody https://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/fulltext/2021/02000/in_reply_to_lenchus.3.aspx
Osteopathic medical students deserve better! It’s up to DO residents and physicians to speak out on their behalf!
