The purpose of this procedure is to administer Institutional Policy DO-14: Promotion Requirement National Board Examination – Passage of COMLEX.
This procedure applies to all WVSOM medical students.
WVSOM reserves the right to amend this procedure at any time.
The capitalized terms in this procedure have the same meaning as assigned to them in Institutional Policy DO-14: Promotion Requirement National Board Examination - Passage of COMLEX.
Unless otherwise specified in this procedure, all notifications required by this procedure may be made via e-mail using the student’s WVSOM email address.
All communication, including appointment requests, must be made through the Office of National Boards (“ONB”) at nationalboards@osteo.wvsom.edu or (304) 793-6202 or (304) 793-6829.
Students are responsible for scheduling COMLEX exam dates and locations. To schedule an exam, students must register with the NBOME, pay any applicable fees, and schedule a location and date with the appropriate testing facility within the exam window specified by ONB.
Students may take a COMLEX exam only on a date that they are active, full-time students at WVSOM.
Students on a Leave of Absence are prohibited from taking a COMLEX exam.
Students may not schedule an exam on a date that conflicts with a mandatory activity.
Students may take CL-1 or CL-2 exams outside the window with permission from the ADCE.
Students may change the date and location of a scheduled exam at any time, provided that the changed date is still within the exam window specific by ONB.
The exam window for taking CL-1 is defined by the Dean in consultation with the ONB.
Students may not take CL-1 if they have not accomplished the following before their exam:
Successfully completed all preclinical academic requirements; and
Completed readiness requirements described in Section 8 of this procedure and the CPC-L1 course syllabus.
Students should schedule their CL-1 exam prior to taking their qualifying exam.
No student may begin Year 4 until their passing CL-1 score is received by the WVSOM Registrar.
Unless granted an extension by the Dean, students who do not sit for their third and final CL-1 attempt within 6 months of completing all academic requirements preceding the CPC-L1 course, will be referred to the SPC for recommendations, which may include:
Dismissal
Repeating the second year of medical school
Students who have passed COMLEX Level 1 will be eligible to schedule CL-2.
The window for taking CL-2 is defined by the Dean in consultation with the ONB.
Students may not take CL-2 if they have not accomplished the following before their exam:
Passed CL-1;
Passed all Year 3 courses and requirements including Year 3 OSCE; and
Completed readiness requirements described in Section 8 of this procedure and the CPC-L2 course syllabus.
Students may schedule a date earlier than the exam window if approved by the ADCE. However, students may not take the exam before completing the required Year 3 rotations.
If students are off-cycle relative to their class of entry, a revised exam window for taking CL-2 will be determined by the ONB based upon the end of Year 3 rotations.
If the student wishes to take the exam outside of that exam window, the student must obtain permission from the ONB.
Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) will prepare for CL-2 by completing the CPC-L2 course wherever it may appear during their second, third year.
Unless granted an extension by the Dean, students who do not sit for their third and final CL-2 attempt within 6 months of starting Year 4, will be referred to the SPC for recommendations, which may include:
Students may apply for test accommodations from the NBOME for COMLEX exams. There is no guarantee that accommodations approved at WVSOM will be approved by NBOME, as their process is separate and distinct.
Students are encouraged to apply for test accommodations at least twelve (12) months prior to the exam window specified. Failure to do so may result in rotation delays, graduation delays, and loss of Federal financial aid for failing to progress.
Students must pass the CL-1 proctored qualifying exam approved by ONB before they take CL-1.
Students must pass the CL-2 proctored qualifying exam approved by ONB before they may take CL-2.
Students with a first attempt COMAT average > 100 standard score on average over all their required third year COMATs are not required to take a qualifying exam.
Students who exceed 60 in meeting the benchmark for the qualifying exam will have their progress towards clearance to take COMLEX reviewed by the Dean.
Students must take a proctored qualifying exam on the date(s) established that year by the ONB.
Students must take a qualifying exam in a proctored setting designated by the ONB.
Students who cannot attend the qualifying exam at the time(s) scheduled must obtain an excused absence from:
The ADPE for Level 1 qualifying exam.
The ADCE for Level 2 qualifying exam.
A makeup day and location for the qualifying exam will be specified by the ONB for students granted an excused absence from the originally scheduled date.
Students may not take a subsequent qualifying exam sooner than 21 days from their previous qualifying exam.
Students may not take a COMLEX exam until they meet the qualifying score, unless approved by the ONB. A COMELX exam scheduled prior to a student’s qualifying exam may be cancelled by ONB or ONB may request that the student cancel the exam if they have not qualified. If the student takes the exam without ONB permission, they may be referred to SPC for professionalism violation.
The qualifying score for a proctored qualifying exam will be set by the ONB and will be made available by the ONB annually.
A student who fails to obtain a passing score on the first attempt of a proctored qualifying exam shall meet with the ONB. Students may be mandated to complete a commercial prep program.
Students may not begin third year rotations until they have taken CL-1.
Students must attend the orientation for the Statewide Campus (SWC) to which they have been assigned.
Students may not begin fourth year rotations until they have taken CL-2.
Students will be academically dismissed if they do not pass CL-1 or CL-2 on their third attempts.
The ADCE will email the student and the Dean regarding:
Acknowledgement of the first or second failure.
Meeting with ONB and ADCE to review failure.
Changes to the student’s rotation schedule.
Initiating or continuing in the CRC and a timeframe for retaking COMLEX.
The Dean will provide to the student via email an official notification of a third failure and schedule a meeting.
Any student who fails CL-1 or CL-2 on their third attempt will be academically dismissed.
Any student who fails any COMLEX exam must complete a CRC.
Students must take a minimum of four weeks off clinical rotations for the CRC.
Students must meet with the ONB and ADCE to review the CRC syllabus.
Students may be mandated to complete a commercial prep program.
Students must adhere to any requirements for student communication of progress including but not limited to, usage of question banks, practice exams, and weekly progress updates.
Students are responsible for purchasing additional practice testing materials or programs.
Students may be required to meet with the Learning Specialists.
The ONB will direct and supervise the CRC for CL-1 and CL-2.
Students participating in a CRC are considered full-time, active students.
Students are required to pay full-time tuition and fees during the CRC.
The CRC may extend training beyond the student’s 4-year curriculum. Any medical school education required for graduation beyond the standard 4-year period will be assessed using WVSOM standard tuition and fees.
Students will continue to have access to WVSOM resources, including WVSOM email.
Students must retake COMLEX based on the timeframe in the CRC.
Permission to test after the CRC timeframe must be approved by the ONB. If permission is not granted, the student must take the exam by the timeframe previously specified unless granted an extension by the Dean.
Students may return to rotations upon retaking COMLEX for a first or second time.
Students retaking COMLEX a third time will remain off rotations until receiving a passing score.
Students who are unable to sit for an exam on the date and at the location specified because of illness, accident, tragedy, or other unforeseen emergency or who must leave an already-begun exam before completion of the exam because of illness, accident, tragedy, or another unforeseen emergency must:
Contact the NBOME as soon as possible to inform the NBOME of the situation;
Contact ONB as soon as possible and, if necessary, leave a message describing what happened;
Contact and inform the ADCE of the non-scored exam (if applicable);
Review and follow the processes outlined in the current NBOME Bulletin of Information to report any irregularities; and
Schedule and take the exam as soon as possible, in consultation with the Director of ONB.
If a student finds that an exam irregularity or other issue has interfered with the ability to perform normally on the exam, the student must:
Report the irregularity to the proctor for the COMLEX exam and ask that the proctor log the problem;
Contact the ONB and describe the issue; and
Review and follow the processes outlined in the NBOME Bulletin of Information to report any irregularities.
All students will be held to the deadlines specified in this procedure. If a student fails to meet a deadline to take or retake a COMLEX exam, the following will occur:
ONB will notify the student and the ADCE of the student’s failure to meet the deadline.
The ADCE will instruct the student to schedule the COMLEX exam for the next available exam date.
The ADCE will immediately remove the student from rotations, without allowing the student to complete any current rotations.
The student, after notification of the failure to meet the deadline and an opportunity for discussion, may be subject to disciplinary action.
Exceptions to this procedure can only be made at the discretion of the ONB in consultation with the Dean