Student doctors score 100 percent on national exam, a med school first

One hundred percent of Campbell student doctors taking a critical national medical exam earned passing scores, a first for the Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine (CUSOM).

The exam, COMLEX-USA Level 3, is the final, standardized computer-based board examination required for Doctor of Osteopathic medicine students to achieve full and unsupervised medical licensure.

A total of 149 students tested for Level 3 from Jan. 20, 2025 to Dec. 20 2025, and the passage rate was 100%, said Lou Naylor, medical school registrar.

The national passage rate was 97.09 percent.

"This is a first for CUSOM," she says. "We have always scored in the high 90th percentile, but never have we had 100 percent for Level 3 since CUSOM's beginning."

Campbell's medical school seated its first class in 2013 and held its 10th graduation ceremony in May.

The Level 3 exam assesses foundational competency domains, osteopathic principles and patient care management necessary for generalist physicians, according to the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME).

Med school Dean Dr. David Tolentino said credit for the remarkable achievement spreads in many directions.

"A 100% pass rate is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our alumni, the strong foundation they received at CUSOM and the commitment of everyone who has invested in their journey to becoming outstanding osteopathic physicians."

The exam features multiple-choice questions and clinical decision-making interactive cases to evaluate biomedical, clinical and osteopathic manipulative medicine knowledge applied to real-world patient scenarios. The NBOME administers the Level 3 tests during residency - typically postgraduate years one and two - after students pass Levels 1 and 2.

"Although COMLEX-USA Level 3 is completed during residency, it represents years of preparation that begin in osteopathic medical school," Tolentino says. "We are incredibly proud of our graduates for reaching this milestone and grateful to the residency faculty who continue to mentor and train them."

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