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Charting Outcomes™: COMLEX-USA Level 2-CE Exam Baseline

How to Interpret the Data

The Charting Outcomes™: Characteristics of Applicants who Matched to Their Preferred Specialty interactive reports consist of three components: 

Component 1 (Filters)

The right-hand column allows applicants to identify a specialty of interest, set the size of the database using a range of Match years, and enter characteristics using a variety of filters. Many of the filters allow for the selection of multiple options, so it is recommended that applicants include all options less than or equal to the intended value. For example, to filter the data based on 7 research experiences, check “no research experience,” “1-2,” “3-5,” and “6-10.”  

Components 2 and 3 (Charts)

The charts present the data based on the numbers and percentages of applicants matched to the specialty (and it was their preferred specialty) by their United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 2 CK scores or their Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination of the United States (COMLEX-USA) Level 2-CE scores. 

Top Chart (2)
The top chart shows the numbers of matched applicants in green and the numbers of unmatched applicants in red.

Bottom Chart (3)
The bottom chart computes the percentages of matched applicants using the numbers in Component 2. 

The sizes of the dots in both charts reflect the magnitude of the data points. By hovering the mouse over any data point, the data point will be highlighted within the same USMLE Step 2 CK or COMLEX-USA Level 2-CE score range. The “tooltip” pop-up provides some basic information on the data point. 

DEFINITIONS

Preferred Specialty
The specialty of the first program on the rank order list. An applicant does not have a preferred specialty when 1) a preliminary program is ranked first or 2) as part of a couple, the applicant selects “no match” as the first rank opposite the partner’s ranked program/specialty.

Matched/Not Matched to the Preferred Specialty
Whether or not an applicant matches to the specialty of the first program on their rank order list.

Applicant Type 

  • U.S. MD Senior: A student who graduated from a Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accredited medical school between June 30 of the calendar year the Match opens and 9 p.m. ET on the Rank Order List Certification Deadline in the year of the Match.  
  • U.S. DO Senior: A student who graduated from an American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) accredited medical school between June 30 of the calendar year the Match opens and 9 p.m. ET on the Rank Order List Certification Deadline in the year of the Match.  
  • Previous U.S. MD Graduate: An applicant who graduated from a LCME-accredited medical school prior to the year of the Match. Previous U.S. MD graduates are not sponsored by their medical schools.  
  • Previous U.S. DO Graduate: An applicant who graduated from AOA COCA-accredited medical school prior to the year of the Match. Previous U.S. DO graduates are not sponsored by their medical schools.  
  • Canadian (Graduate of Canadian Medical School): A graduate of a Canadian school of medicine accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS) prior to July 1, 2025. Applicants who graduated from Canadian medical schools after July 1, 2025 are considered International Medical Graduates (IMGs).  
  • U.S. IMG (U.S. Citizen Student/Graduate of International Medical School): A U.S. citizen who is enrolled in, or is a graduate of, a medical school outside the United States that is not accredited by the LCME or the AOA COCA.  
  • Non-U.S. IMG (Non-U.S. Citizen Student/Graduate of International Medical School): A non-U.S. citizen who is enrolled in, or is a graduate of, a medical school outside the United States that is not accredited by the LCME or the AOA COCA.  

Number of Contiguous Ranks
The number of programs ranked in the first-choice (preferred) specialty before a program in another specialty appeared on the applicant’s rank order list.

Number of Research Experiences
The number of experiences during medical school, graduate school, or undergraduate school where the applicant reported serving as a member of a research team. Self-reported by applicants during the Match registration process.

Number of Scholarly Products
The number of abstracts/presentations/publications that were presented or accepted for presentation at a conference/meeting. Self-reported by applicants during the Match registration process. Beginning with the 2026 Main Residency Match, this category has been replaced by separate data fields specifically detailing abstracts, presentations, and publications, so this filter is available for 2022-2025 only. 

Number of Abstracts
The number of abstracts that were accepted for presentation at a professional conference/meeting and were subsequently published in a peer-reviewed journal. Self-reported by applicants during the Match registration process. This filter is available for 2026 only because prior to 2026, abstracts, presentations, and publications were assessed using a single item.

Number of Presentations
The number of presentations that were poster or oral presentations at professional conferences/meetings or school research days/forums. Self-reported by applicants during the Match registration process. This filter is available for 2026 only because prior to 2026, abstracts, presentations, and publications were assessed using a single item. 

Number of Publications
The number of publications that were peer-reviewed works such as journal articles, book chapters, and online publications as well as scientific monographs and case reports. Self-reported by applicants during the Match registration process. This filter is available for 2026 only because prior to 2026, abstracts, presentations, and publications were assessed using a single item.

Number of Work Experiences
The number of experiences during medical school, graduate school, or undergraduate school where the applicant was paid for knowledge or skills they applied to a particular field or job. Self-reported by applicants during the Match registration process.

Number of Volunteer Experiences
The number of experiences during medical school, graduate school, or undergraduate school where the applicant freely gave time and labor to a project, task, job, or service without payment. Self-reported by applicants during the Match registration process. 

Sigma Sigma Phi Honor Society Membership 
Whether an applicant is a member of the Sigma Sigma Phi national osteopathic medical honor society. Self-reported by DO applicants during the Match registration process beginning in 2026. 

DATA CONSIDERATIONS

  • Only specialties that offered 50 or more positions in each of the five most recent Main Residency Match cycles are included in the interactive reports. 
  • USMLE Step 2 CK scores in this report are from primary source data obtained through direct partnership with the USMLE and its sponsor organizations. COMLEX-USA Level 2-CE scores in this report are from primary source data obtained through direct partnership with the COMLEX-USA program and its sponsor organization. 
  • Data on number of research, work, and volunteer experiences, number of abstracts, presentations, and publications, having a PhD/other graduate degree, and Alpha Omega Alpha and Sigma Sigma Phi membership are self-reported; data are not verified or evaluated. 
  • Only applicants who consented to use of their data for research and reporting and who were not missing data for any of the characteristics in this report (i.e., for any of the available filters) are included in the interactive reports. 
    • Exception: Applicants do not need to have taken both USMLE Step 2 CK and COMLEX-USA Level 2-CE to be included in the report. 
  • As of 2026, USMLE Step 1 and COMLEX-USA Level 1 data are no longer included in the Charting Outcomes™: Characteristics of Applicants who Matched to Their Preferred Specialty PDF or interactive reports. The 2024 Charting Outcomes™: USMLE Step 1 Exam Baseline report and the 2024 Charting Outcomes™: COMLEX-USA Level 1 Exam Baseline report are available on the website. Please note that scores in the 2024 and prior reports were self-reported by applicants, whereas exam data in the 2026 reports are primary source.   

REMINDER

Data can become less representative and may not be helpful if the criteria are refined too narrowly and the sample size becomes very small.