There is limited data from osteopathic medical schools on factors that predict success on high-stakes first level licensing exams. The goal of this study was to describe relationships between student academic variables (i.e. MCAT, GPA), use of a third party resource, and COMLEX Level 1 and USMLE Step 1 performance. Academic data on all students from the Class of 2020 at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) were gathered from school databases in July 2019, after all students had completed their Level 1 exam, and linked to data from Osmosis, a web- and mobile- platform, which had been provided to all students during their first year of medical school. Among the 321 students in this study, MCAT total had significant associations with Level 1 total and Step 1 total, and GPA was associated with Level 1 total. Total number of Osmosis flashcards was associated with Level 1 total in unadjusted and MCAT-adjusted analysis. Total number of Osmosis MCQs were not associated with Level 1 total or Step 1. Based on these findings, those with low GPAs may be targeted for early intervention and remediation, which could involve recommendation to engage in more testing activities, such as flashcard repetitions.
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