Fluctuation in scores in different Shelf exams?

[golfman]

Does anybody else have fluctuating scores on shelf exams? I do, and it's driving me crazy. I got in the 90th percentile on Psych, OBGYN, and Peds, but in the 50th percentile for both IM and surgery, the ones I tried the hardest to do well on! And no, I don't have test anxiety.

I have family medicine shelf coming up pretty soon. Don't really know what to expect!

Do most people find themselves in the same general area on different shelf exams, or is this fluctuation normal? There was not really anything much more I could have done effort-wise. I just found it weird.

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[MilkmanAl]

I'm all over the board on shelf exams, too. I wouldn't sweat it too much.

 

[myhandsarecold]

no, i have the opposite, i got better
Psych - 40~%
Family - 80~%
IM - 80~th
Surgery - 90~%
OB - 90~%

 

[astrocreep96]

I've been all over the place. I scored the worst on the shelf exams I studied hardest for, while I received the high score for the clerkship on another shelf I felt I totally half-assed.

 

[Ableton]

I've held fairly constant with a range of about 5 points in my raw score between the 4 exams I've done thus far. I've also put in a considerable amount more effort into certain ones (surgery, IM) than others (psychiatry).

 

[2012mdc]

I've been the opposite

Out of the 4 I've done so far, 3 (FM, IM, Surg) all have been within 6 percentage points of each other. Psych was the only negative outlier.

Didn't put too much effort into Psych so I understand the drop (although I didn't put much effort into FM either). I almost got identical scores on Surg and FM even though I put significantly more work into Surg. It seems pretty random IMO

 

[username456789]

Most of my shelf exam scores have been in the same range, except surgery. In fact, my Peds, OB, and Medicine shelf scores were all nearly identical, but I scored significantly lower on Surgery, and I studied my butt off for that one.

 

[xx216xx]

Most of my shelf exam scores have been in the same range, except surgery. In fact, my Peds, OB, and Medicine shelf scores were all nearly identical, but I scored significantly lower on Surgery, and I studied my butt off for that one.

It's honestly kind of encouraging to hear this from multiple people because I had the same thing happen. Everything so far has been in the 90th% with only peds to go, but my surgery score was in the 50th. I thought it was hard but I was kinda shocked when when I found out my score. Matter of fact, everyone in my surgery rotation bombed the test. My 50 was the highest and the guy that studied his ass off and wants to do ortho was in the 30's...we were both clueless how this happened to the point where I started thinking our school's scores were done incorrectly or something...i dunno though, what's done is done.