COMLEX-1 and USMLE-1 are not interchangeable examinations.

Objectives: Osteopathic medical students must take the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX)-USA series of examinations, but not the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE-1) series. Few data are available describing the comparability of the two tests. This study sought to determine if COMLEX-1 scores could predict USMLE-1 scores among osteopathic medical students applying to an emergency medicine (EM) residency and to determine if the scores are interchangeable.

Emergency medicine residents do not document detailed neurologic examinations.

Objectives: Physical examinations performed by residents in many specialties are often incomplete and inaccurate. This report assessed the documentation of the neurologic examination performed by emergency medicine (EM) residents when examining patients with potential psychiatric or neurologic chief complaints.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of neurologic examinations documented by EM residents was performed.

Bone and mineral metabolism.

Although bones are normally thought of as supporting structures that fracture when one falls, bone is actually a very active metabolic organ. It is vital in the regulation of calcium and phosphate metabolism, magnesium storage, and in buffering metabolic acido-sis. Bone and mineral metabolism and some of their disorders are presented in this article.

Cardiac troponins.

Cardiac troponins I and T are proteins integral to the function of cardiac muscle. They are very sensitive markers for the detection of myocardial damage, and the ability to assay their serum levels accurately and quickly have revolutionized the concepts of minor myocardial injury and infarction. They are also powerful prognostic indicators of future adverse cardiac events.