How TUNCOM Improved First-Year Student Utilization of Practice Questions With COMBANK, Powered by TrueLearn
A 20-fold increase in the number of questions taken was made possible through a unique feature in COMBANK
After the COMLEX-USA® shifted to a pass/fail reporting format, osteopathic medical schools nationwide have been striving to ensure students are adequately prepared for the exam as many schools observed that students were spending less time preparing for Level 1—this was reflected in the overall decline in first-time pass rates following the shift. This certainly gave cause for concern, especially as Level 1 performance is known to correlate with Level 2 performance, and with the Level 2 exam remaining a 3-digit score outcome, it was expected to become a more critical outcome for determining residency application and match success.
The Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine (TUNCOM) was no exception to these challenges—and they found an innovative approach to be the ideal solution.
Increasing student engagement and success with COMBANK
TUNCOM was already leveraging COMBANK, powered by TrueLearn, to augment their students’ learning and support exam prep.
Having seen the impact that COMBANK usage had on previous cohorts, TUNCOM focused on driving first-year student engagement with the question bank to facilitate early preparation and good study habits well in advance of students taking the COMLEX-USA® Level 1 exam.
The school took it one step further: they utilized a unique functionality within COMBANK that allowed second-year students to tag questions aligning with the first-year curriculum. This not only made it easy for first-year students to identify questions that were relevant to their courses and incorporate them into their study regimes but also enabled faculty to customize quizzes based on the tags.
In doing so, TUNCOM maximized the value and efficacy of the school’s COMBANK utilization and was able to create opportunities for second-year students to participate in scholarly activities, an important criteria that helps optimize residency application outcomes.
The results were remarkable.
TUNCOM students’ poster presentation at AACOM
TUNCOM students’ poster presentation at AACOM The 2027 cohort utilized the tagged questions and showed a 54% increase in student participation compared to first-year medical students from the previous year. Collectively, the number of questions taken went up by 20-fold! Within the first half year of the current academic year alone, the cohort had completed over 18,000 questions.
This means that TUNCOM students were regularly integrating practice retrieval and spaced repetition into their studies, both proven learning science strategies that help strengthen concept mastery and long-term knowledge retention. By empowering students to actively shape the utilization of the resource, they not only encouraged them to participate in self-directed learning but also paved the way for them to showcase their academic involvement and participate in research.
Their scholarly work didn’t go unnoticed; it was accepted for presentation at the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) Educating Leaders ’24 Annual Conference in April 2024.
TUNCOM students presented their work during a Learning, Curriculum, and Assessment poster session at AACOM, where they discussed their research and fielded questions from attendees.
The school’s success is a testament to the efficacy of its innovative approach and TrueLearn’s unique functionality, demonstrating the importance of lifelong learning habits as drivers of excellence in osteopathic medical education and for optimizing board exam outcomes.
Educator Blog
Educator Whitepaper