Relationships between scores on the COMLEX-USA Level 2-Performance Evaluation and selected school-based performance...

Area of Science:

• Osteopathic medical education
• Clinical skills assessment
• Licensing examinations

Background:

• The Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination USA Level 2-PE (COMLEX-USA Level 2-PE) assesses osteopathic clinical skills.
• Understanding factors influencing COMLEX-USA Level 2-PE performance is crucial for medical education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between school-related academic variables and COMLEX-USA Level 2-PE performance.
• To assess the validity of the COMLEX-USA Level 2-PE as a measure of clinical skills.

Main Methods:

• Correlation analysis was used to assess relationships.
• Data were collected from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, class of 2005 (N=70).
• Selected academic achievement measures were compared with COMLEX-USA Level 2-PE scores.

Main Results:

• Significant positive correlations were found between COMLEX-USA Level 2-PE performance and weighted Physical Diagnosis grades (0.41), Osteopathic Principles and Practice grades (0.37), overall year 2 GPA (0.42), OSCE Physical Examination scores (0.40), and OSCE Total Station scores (0.33).
• These correlations, though modest, were statistically significant (P<.01).

Conclusions:

• School-generated academic variables show notable relationships with COMLEX-USA Level 2-PE performance.
• The findings support the validity of the COMLEX-USA Level 2-PE for evaluating the clinical skills of osteopathic physicians.