Enough Time IM Shelf

[Herpeto]

Do most people get the recommended allotment of time as per the NBME to take the IM shelf? Our school give us like 30-45 minute extra minutes (don't remember) above what the NBME recommends. Is that typical? Should I be as concerned with working feverishly since we have the extra time?

Also, are the questions on the shelf comparable to the MKSAP questions or are they easier?

Thanks

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[chocomorsel]

Do most people get the recommended allotment of time as per the NBME to take the IM shelf? Our school give us like 30-45 minute extra minutes (don't remember) above what the NBME recommends. Is that typical? Should I be as concerned with working feverishly since we have the extra time?

Also, are the questions on the shelf comparable to the MKSAP questions or are they easier?

Thanks

Gosh you are lucky. We get 2hrs and 10 minutes. I think that's the NBME time. Needless to say, many of us don't finish and just bubble the last 5-15 or so.

 

[SquidDoc]

Do most people get the recommended allotment of time as per the NBME to take the IM shelf? Our school give us like 30-45 minute extra minutes (don't remember) above what the NBME recommends. Is that typical? Should I be as concerned with working feverishly since we have the extra time?

Also, are the questions on the shelf comparable to the MKSAP questions or are they easier?

Thanks

OMG, that is not fair at all! I am competing and compared against other schools that give their students an additional 30-45 minutes??? That is just not right.

 

[sscooterguy]

OMG, that is not fair at all! I am competing and compared against other schools that give their students an additional 30-45 minutes??? That is just not right.

I don't really think its competing. If you're graded against your fellow students at your institution, it doesn't matter, right? At least at my school, we're graded against our own class that is taking the specific rotation at that time, not against the national mean whatever that may be.

We don't get extra time, but I think working feverishly throughout the year helped me on step 2. If anything, I think the extra 30-45 minutes may hurt you in the end if you don't compensate in your step 2 studies.

sscooterguy

 

[SquidDoc]

I don't really think its competing. If you're graded against your fellow students at your institution, it doesn't matter, right? At least at my school, we're graded against our own class that is taking the specific rotation at that time, not against the national mean whatever that may be.

We don't get extra time, but I think working feverishly throughout the year helped me on step 2. If anything, I think the extra 30-45 minutes may hurt you in the end if you don't compensate in your step 2 studies.

sscooterguy

At COMP, we are compared against the national mean for grading purposes. To get Honors, we have to score 1 standard deviation above the national mean, as well as score >90% on our standardized patient exams, and get >90% on our rotations evaluations. Time is important for these exams. Although I received high marks on my IM rotation evals, it is still important that I do extra well on the shelf to get honors. If I had even an extra 20 minutes, I could have gone back through a few more questions that I was unsure of and rethink everything with more accuracy. I think I had around 10 minutes to spare before time was called on the IM shelf. One person in my testing group had around 20 questions left at the 10 minute mark, and she had to bubble the remaining questions in as "B".

 

[NJEMT1]

At Tufts we are also graded against the national average so I agree it's unfair

 

[sscooterguy]

Ok then, that IS unfair. Have your school policies always been to grade against the national mean? How many people end up getting honors with your system, is it still top 10% Maybe my school is the exception? I'm surprised though.

sscooterguy

 

[Wrigleyville]

Uh, I don't think the time allotment is a "recommendation" from the NBME. This should be reported.