title: Relationship of admissions variables and college of osteopathic medicine variables to performance on COMLEX-USA level 3.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  New accreditation standards require that all US colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs) publically report the first-time pass rates of graduates on the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination-USA (COMLEX-USA) Level 3. Little is known about the extent to which admissions variables or COM performance measures relate to Level 3 performance.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the relationship of admissions variables and COM performance to scores on Level 3 and to assess whether a relationship existed between Level 3 scores and sex, curriculum track, year of graduation, and residency specialty in the first postgraduate year.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were analyzed from 4 graduating classes (2008-2011) of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg. Relationships were examined between first-attempt scores on COMLEX-USA Level 3 and Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores; undergraduate grade point averages (GPAs); GPAs in COM year 1, year 2, and clinical rotation years (years 3 and 4); and first-attempt scores on COMLEX-USA Level 1, Level 2-Cognitive Evaluation, and Level 2-Performance Evaluation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 556 graduates during this 4-year period, COMLEX-USA Level 3 scores were available for 552 graduates (99.3%). No statistically significant differences were found in Level 3 scores based on sex, curriculum track, graduating class, or residency specialty. The strongest relationship between Level 3 scores and any admissions variable was with total MCAT score, which accounted for 4.2% of the variation in Level 3 scores. The strongest relationship between Level 3 scores and COM year performance measures was with year 2 GPA, which accounted for 35.4% of the variation in Level 3 scores. Level 1 scores accounted for 38.5% of the variation in Level 3 scores, and Level 2-Cognitive Evaluation scores accounted for the greatest percentage of variation (45.7%). The correlation of Level 3 scores with passing the Level 2-Performance Evaluation on the first attempt was not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A weak relationship was found between admissions variables and performance on COMLEX-USA Level 3, suggesting that graduates with lower MCAT scores and undergraduate GPAs may have overcome their early disadvantage. Strong relationships were found between Level 3 scores and year 2 GPAs, as well as scores on COMLEX-USA Level 1 and Level 2-Cognitive Evaluation.
authors: From the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg hbaker@osteo.wvsom.edu.
authors: Helen H
authors: HH
authors: Baker
authors: From the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg.
authors: Victoria L
authors: VL
authors: Shuman
authors: From the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg.
authors: Lance C
authors: LC
authors: Ridpath
authors: From the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg.
authors: Lorenzo L
authors: LL
authors: Pence
authors: From the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg.
authors: Robert M
authors: RM
authors: Fisk
authors: From the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg.
authors: Craig S
authors: CS
authors: Boisvert
mesh_terms: D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000379:methods*; D008007:Licensure, Medical; D008297:Male; D010021:Osteopathic Medicine / Q000193:education*; D055360:Osteopathic Physicians / Q000193:education*; D014481:United States