are there breaks during shelf exams?

[boopitybop]

i have the bladder of like a 98 year old women and there is no way i an last 2 and a half hours without a break. if there are breaks, how do they work?

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[TheJanitor]

They let us get up and go to the bathroom but we had a proctor walk us to and from the bathroom and sign in and out.

 

[mimelim]

You can take bathroom breaks. But I would go have that checked out. 2.5hrs isn't exactly that long...

 

[gasblaster]

i have the bladder of like a 98 year old women and there is no way i an last 2 and a half hours without a break. if there are breaks, how do they work?

Protocol depends on the school. Some are more strict than others.

You have 2.5 hours to complete the exam. If you want a bathroom break, you can take it but there is nothing set aside for it. So whatever time you use to go to the bathroom is time taken away from the shelf.

 

[FunnyCurrent]

2.5 hrs? how are you going to do your surgery rotation?

 

[genswim24]

2.5 hrs? how are you going to do your surgery rotation?

I have peed during every shelf exam I have taken (finished with all of them). This is usually because I pump my self with coffee and/or sodas before these tests. I used the restroom at the end of nearly every block in my step exams too.

On the other hand, I have never had to pee once during an operative procedure. I have completed 5 months of surgical rotations, so I feel comfortable this won't be a problem. The key is just to make sure you don't drink too much before you operate. The other day, my attending was explaining how he spent his entire residency in a state of semi-dehydration. That is really the key to survival when you have to be in the OR for long cases.

As for the OP, as long as you aren't a really slow test taker, you should have plenty of time.