Correlation of scores for the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination with osteopathic medical school grades

J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2001 Jun;101(6):347-9.

Abstract

The authors evaluated construct validity of scores for the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX-USA), the examination used to evaluate osteopathic physicians for licensure. They computed correlations between students' grades in the first 2 years of osteopathic medical school and their scores on the COMPLEX-USA Level 1 (N = 187) and Level 2 (N = 86), as well as correlations between third- and fourth-year clerkship grades and the COMLEX-USA Level 2. Correlations of Level 1 scores with grades for years one, two, and the first 2 years combined were .74, .80, and .81, respectively; for Level 2, correlations were .59, .70, and .71. Correlation between clerkship grades and scores for the COMLEX-USA Level 2 was .26. The strong correlation between COMLEX-USA results and grades for the didactic curriculum in the first 2 years of medical school provides evidence for the construct validity of scores for the COMLEX-USA Levels 1 and 2.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Education, Medical, Undergraduate / standards*
  • Educational Measurement*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Licensure, Medical / standards*
  • Male
  • Osteopathic Medicine / education*
  • Osteopathic Medicine / legislation & jurisprudence*
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • United States