VCOM College Catalog and Student Handbook

National Board Exams: COMLEX Level 1 and COMLEX Level 2 CE

The AOA Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) standards require a College of Osteopathic Medicine to set, as a part of graduation requirements, the successful passage of the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners’ (NBOME) Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examinations (COMLEX Level 1 and COMLEX Level 2 CE). Therefore, VCOM has set the passage of COMLEX Level 1 and COMLEX Level 2 CE as requirements for graduation and has set forth the schedules and timelines for passing these exams as below. COMLEX Level 1 VCOM students are required to pass the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners’ (NBOME) COMLEX Level 1 following completion of the OMS 2 year. Students are approved to sit for COMLEX Level 1 after successfully passing all requirements of the OMS 2 year, which includes passing COMSAE Phase 1. Students are notified in early January of their release to schedule the COMLEX Level 1 exam and the approved time period for testing by the Associate Dean for Pre-Clinical Medical Education and the Center for Institutional, Faculty, and Student Success (CIFSS). Students are recommended to schedule COMLEX Level 1 from mid-June to late July following the OMS 2 year. As soon as the student is notified in January, he or she must schedule the exam within this timeframe in order to secure a testing date and location within the approved testing window. If a student schedules the exam outside of the approved testing window, the student’s test date may be rescinded by the Campus Dean. Students must sit for COMLEX Level 1 by the first day of the OMS 3 year to be eligible for promotion to the OMS 3 year. Any student who has not taken the exam by this date will be temporarily withdrawn by the Campus Dean until the student receives a passing score for COMLEX Level 1. Once the student is temporarily withdrawn, they must sit for COMLEX Level 1 within 60 days or be dismissed by the Campus Dean. The student should be aware that he or she is not eligible for financial aid while temporarily withdrawn. Upon receiving a passing score on COMLEX Level 1, the student will be promoted to the OMS 3 year. Students must pass COMLEX Level 1 by the first day of their second semester of the OMS 3 year in order to be promoted to the second semester of the OMS 3 year. Those students on an ADPOS will have a different date for the beginning of their second semester due to delayed start and completion of their first semester. These students must speak to Clinical Affairs and CIFSS for the individualized date of the first day of their second semester. • Students who have not passed COMLEX Level 1 by the first day of the second semester of their OMS 3 year will be temporarily withdrawn by the Campus Dean and will not be promoted to the second semester of their OMS 3 year until they have passed COMLEX Level 1. These students will not be eligible for re enrollment or further financial aid until they pass COMLEX Level 1. The period of withdrawal may not exceed 180 days in a 12-month period or an academic year. Those students who do not pass COMLEX Level 1 within the prescribed timeline will be dismissed by the Campus Dean. o The 180-day requirement is cumulative within the 12-month period or academic year and includes any prior leaves or suspensions in that 12-month period or academic year. Therefore, students should work closely with CIFSS and the Campus Dean to ensure the total number of days of their remediation plan does not exceed the allotted 180 days. If the total time exceeds 180 days within a 12-month period or an academic year, the student will be dismissed. o Those students who pass COMLEX Level 1 within the prescribed timeline will be promoted to the second semester of the OMS 3 year and will be placed on an Altered Degree Plan of Study (ADPOS).

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