Create your own Path
- US Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) student
- COMLEX Step 1 score : 441 (Second attempt)
- COMLEX Step 2 score : 456 (Fourth attempt)
- Graduated off-cycle due to second attempts on Exams.
A DO student found out that the rules of the system stopped him from having the best chance at matching... so what did he do? He changed the system!!! Check out his fascinating story:
So Dr. Barone, this is one heck of a story. I failed boards in the past and had taken time off due to family emergencies. I failed my level 1 Comlex exam with a 378 and passed on the retake with a 441. Hours before my level 1 my grandfather who is my best friend and who I lived with had a heart attack and I chose to sit for the exam anyways. Then I failed Level 2 with a 391 due to massive technical difficulties I experienced while taking it and I finally passed on the fourth attempt. I did amazing in school both undergrad and medical school. Got honors on a lot of my rotations and my most impressive letter of recommendation came from a transplant surgeon at Johns Hopkins who said in my letter that my work ethic and knowledge surpassed most of his 2nd year residents. It’s only when I take standardized exams that I do horrible!!!
I finally passed all my boards and then ended up graduating off-cycle. I searched for open residency positions all year and couldn’t find anything. I then applied to the match this year and came up with an idea. I asked the National Board if I could take the Level 3 COMLEX. I thought that it would be beneficial for me to take the level 3 exam with the extra off time I have in order to strengthen my application. They told me “No” because the requirements for DOs to take Level 3 include: graduating from Med school, being in residency for at least 6 months, and your program director attesting you are ready to take the exam.
I responded with a layout of why I should be allowed to go ahead and take the exam and 3 months later I receive my second response declining my request.
I didn’t go away and I created a 5 point document that laid out my reasoning and the evidence to back each point up. I demanded the board change the requirements to let me sit for the exam. Two months later, I received a phone call that the national board debated my attestation request and decided to grant me the opportunity to take Level 3! They informed me that they changed the eligibility requirements for everyone based on my recommendations as well. (See the letter attached below) It was a battle, but I just had to think outside the box.
Here's the best part....
I sat for the exam in December and continued my interviews. A program director that I told that story to seemed impressed and when I asked him, “Is there any reason you wouldn’t consider bringing me here as a resident?” He responded by saying no there wasn’t. He elaborated by saying that usually he would have cared about previous board failures, but what most people would have done was to fluff up other parts of their application and downplay the failures. He said that I decided to take my weakness head on and where there wasn’t a path, I created a path. That sort of mindset impressed him. For him that means when I face a challenge in residency, my character shows I will take it head on rather than ignoring any weakness or downplaying it. He said for that reason alone, he doesn’t care about my boards. Turns out they had an off-cycle spot open up and they offered it to me. I pulled out of the match and signed my contract. I just got my Level 3 scores back today and I passed the exam with a very high score! So for me, I am done with the boards and I start my family medicine residency next month! :)
M. T. February 9, 2019