getting destroyed by aafp questions?

[theTruth_97]

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so I was unlucky and I got family medicine as my first shelf.

I'm going through these aafp questions and omg I literally miss every single one- is shelf as tough as these? (because if so I don't see how I could pass)

 

[Psai]

yeah family sucks to have as your first shelf

 

[KnuxNole]

The shelf is prett tough, but since it's the beginning of the year, the curve should help.

And don't feel bad. Remember, these are board questions that residents are expected to know.

 

[JustPlainBill]

Yep -- and remember -- FM is almost universally looked down on as the "specialty" people who can't match any other specialty have to go to -- in other words, the one for people with low board scores ---- lot of diverse info to remember ---

 

[PaxRoma]

Are these AAFP questions similar to the shelf? Half of these questions are about guidelines..and I'm also getting destroyed by them.

 

[JustPlainBill]

Are these AAFP questions similar to the shelf? Half of these questions are about guidelines..and I'm also getting destroyed by them.

IIRC, they are close to the shelf -- Get the Pre-Test for FM pocket book and carry it with you -- you can usually get through about 25 questions over lunch -- use it for downtime reading -- there's also an app that you can download from ABFM for actual board questions to do a few here or there when you don't feel like lugging a book around -- you can also download old board exams from the ABFM website --

 

[ABQ9988]

Even if you feel like you are getting a lot wrong, spend the time to read the explanations. Best way to learn from the questions. I thought they were excellent for the shelf, no other resource came close.

 

[PaxRoma]

Even if you feel like you are getting a lot wrong, spend the time to read the explanations. Best way to learn from the questions. I thought they were excellent for the shelf, no other resource came close.

I must have a strange shelf. The AAFP questions do not help at all. The shelf never ask for those criteria and recommendations discussed in AAFP. I should have studied Uworld instead because my shelf resemble Step 1 questions.

 

[justin1390]

My class agreed that AAFP questions helped a lot. As mentioned above, really make sure you read the answers, because you will often learn essentially 3-5 diseases in one question and how to recognize said diseases. Family medicine really, really sucks for a first shelf. There was a lot of joint (septic/gout/pseudogout) and what to do next in terms of imaging (MRI/xray/physical therapy) on my shelf too, so make sure you know the criteria and treatment, too. That said, schools can't fail 30% of their students just because it's the first test, there is a curve. Study hard and you should be fine. 🙂

 

[theTruth_97]

Any last minute tips? I have the shelf tomorrow

 

[angldrps]

any input on this by recent test takers?

 

[hallowmann]

any input on this by recent test takers?

The shelf is not like the AAFP in terms of question style, length, etc. Most questions on AAFP are 1st order and really short. That said, the content of the AAFP questions and explanations are spot on. Most people I know did a ton of those questions throughout the rotation (700-1400), studied the USPSTF A/B recommendations, vaccine schedules, and developmental milestones and they did average to well.