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 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 (by score or by remediation) and meeting the minimum score requirements in TrueLearn. Each year students are informed of the timeframe in which they are approved to sit for COMLEX Level 1 by the Associate Dean for Medical Education and CIFSS. Students are recommended to schedule COMLEX Level 1 from mid-June to late July following the OMS 2 year. Students should schedule their exam as soon as released 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 If a student schedules the exam outside of the approved testing window, the student’s test date may be rescinded by the Campus Dean.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 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 Altered Degree Plan of Study (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 placed on a Temporary Administrative Withdrawal by the Campus Dean, with a timeline to sit for and pass COMLEX Level 1 (typically not to exceed 60 days to sit), 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. o Temporary withdrawal may not exceed a 180-day limit. o Upon receiving a passing score within the 180-day limit, the student will be promoted to the second semester of the OMS 3 year and will be placed on an Altered Degree Plan of Study (ADPOS). o Those students who do not pass COMLEX Level 1 within the 180-day limit will be dismissed by the Campus Dean. • For students placed on an ADPOS for failure of COMLEX Level 1, every attempt will be made to provide rotations in the region to which the student was originally matched; however, due to a limited availability in the number of core rotations in some sites, the student may be required to do one or more of their rotations outside of the original core region to which they matched. VCOM students are limited to four scored attempts to pass COMLEX Level 1. As successful passage of COMLEX Level 1 is a requirement for graduation, those students who do not pass within four attempts will be dismissed by the Campus Dean. Students must sit for COMLEX Level 1 to be eligible for promotion to the OMS 3 year.

157