Learn how KansasCOM students prepare for the COMLEX through structured study plans, faculty support, full-length practice exams, and wellness resources.

For students pursuing a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree, passing the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX) is a requirement for licensure and clinical practice. These board exams are designed to assess a future physician’s knowledge and clinical reasoning skills, ensuring they are prepared to provide patient care.

Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine (KansasCOM) students approach the COMLEX with a level of readiness that reflects more than personal discipline. Their preparation is elevated by a program intentionally designed with the structure, guidance, and support systems that prepare students.

Faculty and students alike have embraced a proven, structured, and supportive approach to COMLEX success. Here are the most effective study habits, strategies, and support systems that have helped KansasCOM students.

How KansasCOM Students Prepare for the COMLEX

1. Start COMLEX Preparation Early With KansasCOM’s Second-Year Study Plan

KansasCOM initiates board preparation early with a nine-month COMLEX study plan that begins every October in the second year. This strategic timing allows students to integrate board study with their regular coursework and encourages a disciplined weekly study routine.

Students begin board prep with:

  • Weekly content review tied to coursework
  • Scheduled time blocks for question practice
  • Regular check-ins with faculty advisors
  • A balanced plan that integrates breaks, review cycles, and progress benchmarks

Richard Winslow, Ph.D., senior associate dean for Student Affairs and Strategic Academic Programs, explains that successful students understand the importance of structure. He notes, “The students who are successful are those who can compartmentalize their lives and their studying effectively. They have a plan every week and work that plan consistently.”

This consistency is critical. Rather than cramming weeks before the exam, students build retention over time, minimizing anxiety and increasing understanding.

2. Use Trusted COMLEX Study Resources

KansasCOM provides students with access to five nationally recognized COMLEX prep tools, including Boards & Beyond, TrueLearn, and COMBANK. These resources offer both content review and practice questions based on the COMLEX blueprint.

Dr. Winslow emphasizes that each resource brings something unique to the table. “Boards and Beyond, for example, presents content differently than TrueLearn. And TrueLearn is developed by the same organization that produces the COMLEX, which means their practice questions are closely aligned with what students can expect on the actual exam.”

With a variety of resources, KansasCOM ensures that each student has access to tools that fit their style.

3. Practice With Full-Length COMLEX Exams

To prepare students for board exams, KansasCOM conducts five full-length, board-style practice exams throughout the prep timeline. These are not generic review tests; they mirror the COMLEX structure and timing as closely as possible.

Each exam generates performance analytics across different body systems. Performance analytics help students identify:

  • Strengths across body systems
  • Weak or inconsistent content areas
  • Patterns in question interpretation
  • Timing challenges or pacing issues
  • Trends across multiple practice exams

Faculty members then meet with students to help them develop individualized study plans based on this data.

“If a student scores high in cardiovascular and respiratory but is underperforming in gastrointestinal or neuroscience, we help them shift their focus to those weaker areas,” Dr. Winslow explains. “It allows students to make the most of their study time.”

Repeated, realistic practice also helps build confidence. “Every time a student sees a score increase, it reinforces that their work is paying off. That feedback is essential to maintaining motivation.”

The KansasCOM approach to consistency and practice exams ensures students enter test day with both knowledge and confidence.

4. Rely on KansasCOM Faculty, Tutors, and Peer Support

COMLEX preparation begins long before the study plan goes underway; it begins the moment students start their first courses. KansasCOM emphasizes accessibility. Every faculty member holds weekly office hours, giving students the opportunity to receive one-on-one support on challenging topics.

Additionally, tutors are available for each of the body system courses—from cardiovascular to musculoskeletal. These tutors are often advanced students who offer relatable, peer-level guidance.

Dr. Winslow highlights peer-to-peer learning: “So we encourage students to study in groups and to bounce questions and difficult topics off of each other.” He continues, “The idea being, if you can teach the topic to another person, you tend to be more likely to retain and understand the material better.”

This commitment to collaboration builds not only stronger academic performance but also an environment of mutual support in which students lift one another.

5. Protect Your Wellness While Preparing for the COMLEX

Medical school can be a demanding experience. Recognizing this pressure, KansasCOM offers proactive mental health resources and wellness initiatives. Wellness resources include:

  • Individual counseling services
  • Test anxiety workshops
  • Guided relaxation or breathing techniques
  • Student-led wellness initiatives and events

The Office of Counseling Services offers students tools to manage test anxiety, including relaxation techniques like in-seat breathing exercises during exams. In parallel, a student-led wellness committee organizes stress-relief activities throughout the rigorous second year.

“The second year is particularly intense because students are balancing both classes and board prep,” Dr. Winslow says. “Wellness support during this time is absolutely critical.”

National studies have shown that medical students face higher rates of anxiety and burnout than the general population, which makes KansasCOM’s commitment to wellness a vital part of its educational model. By emphasizing holistic wellness alongside academic success, KansasCOM prepares students to achieve both in school and throughout their medical careers.

6. Apply Proven COMLEX Test-Taking Strategies Taught at KansasCOM

Content knowledge isn’t the only factor in COMLEX success. Studies show that test-taking strategies improve students’ scores.

That’s why KansasCOM partners with Dr. Andrew Hyatt, a top-percentile COMLEX scorer who teaches practical strategies for maximizing test performance. Students participate in a campus seminar at which they learn how to approach questions logically, manage time, and build confidence.

“We encourage students to apply those strategies while practicing questions so that they become second nature by the time they sit for the real exam,” says Dr. Winslow.

Students learn strategies for:

  • Breaking down complex, multi-step questions
  • Identifying key clues and distractors
  • Managing time across long exam blocks
  • Building endurance for multi-hour testing
  • Approaching uncertainty with structured reasoning
  • Applying logic even when content feels unfamiliar

This holistic approach, where strategy is practiced just as rigorously as content, prepares students to stay calm under pressure while answering exam questions.

7. Keep Long-Term Clinical Practice in Mind While Preparing for the COMLEX

KansasCOM encourages students to see the COMLEX as part of their larger development, becoming compassionate, skilled physicians ready to serve their communities.

“This is about more than a test. It’s about becoming the doctor your community needs,” says Dr. Winslow.

That helps students stay grounded. Instead of focusing solely on scores, they are motivated to provide healing, advocate for underserved populations, and meet patients’ other needs.

The KansasCOM Advantage

KansasCOM’s COMLEX preparation model reflects its values: innovation, wellness, and community. With early planning, helpful resources, and faculty support, students are prepared to pass boards and start their medical careers.

Explore how KansasCOM prepares future osteopathic physicians to succeed on the COMLEX.