Getting slayed by shelf exams. Please help!

[PremedSurvivor]

Hi everyone,

I really, REALLY need advice on how to study for these. I'm inn the middle of third year and I am being slayed by shelf exams. In order of most recent to oldest:
Internal Medicine - 69 Used MKSAP and UWorld - All questions
Neuro - 68 Used Lange Clinical Neurology text, BLueprint questions, some Pretest and all UWorld
Psych - 77 Read FA for Psych twice and did all Pretest and Uworld Questions

Every single time, my comments will come back decent but my shelf scores end up ruining my grade (1 pass, 1 high pass and 1 pending). I've lurked on the forums to try and find good study strategies but I just seem to be doing horribly, and our school places a lot of emphasis on these tests. Generally, I'm a good test taker (40 on my MCAT, did well in preclinical courses) but I feel like there is something I am missing here. I notice that I invest way more time in studying than my peers, and yet they're doing way better. How can I study more efficiently?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[ewax]

Hi everyone,

I really, REALLY need advice on how to study for these. I'm inn the middle of third year and I am being slayed by shelf exams. In order of most recent to oldest:
Internal Medicine - 69 Used MKSAP and UWorld - All questions
Neuro - 68 Used Lange Clinical Neurology text, BLueprint questions, some Pretest and all UWorld
Psych - 77 Read FA for Psych twice and did all Pretest and Uworld Questions

Every single time, my comments will come back decent but my shelf scores end up ruining my grade (1 pass, 1 high pass and 1 pending). I've lurked on the forums to try and find good study strategies but I just seem to be doing horribly, and our school places a lot of emphasis on these tests. Generally, I'm a good test taker (40 on my MCAT, did well in preclinical courses) but I feel like there is something I am missing here. I notice that I invest way more time in studying than my peers, and yet they're doing way better. How can I study more efficiently?

It sounds like you're using all the right resources. Have you taken any of the nbme practice exams? It sucks that you don't get to see the qs you get right on those exams (nor are there explanations), but I think they're a good tool to gauge your weaknesses and see where you stand.

 

[PremedSurvivor]

It sounds like you're using all the right resources. Have you taken any of the nbme practice exams? It sucks that you don't get to see the qs you get right on those exams (nor are there explanations), but I think they're a good tool to gauge your weaknesses and see where you stand.

No. I haven't yet used those; I figured they would be useless without the answer key (since you don't even know if you got them right for the right reasons). Do you think they are worth investing in?

 

[sliceofbread136]

Well what's really the problem during the tests? Are you running out of time?

 

[PremedSurvivor]

Well what's really the problem during the tests? Are you running out of time?

Yes, that's definitely part of it. I guessed on at least the last 10 in Neuro and IM because I was running out. It's weird, because I feel like the tests are easier than UWorld, but I'm clearly getting a sizable amount wrong. Also, I seem to answer pimping just fine? My fund of knowledge clinical scores have been good (4/5, 5/5)

May I ask HOW you guys are using these materials? Like do you solve and review the questions the same day? What do you do on the weekends? How many times do you review the questions you get wrong? How do you prepare the week before the test?

I usually make a gigantic study guide for each topic, cobbled together from the questions/ texts and clerkship didactics we have. If anyone who isn't struggling like I am could walk me through their schedule and HOW they use these materials, that would be great!

 

[kenjixshadow]

CMS exams are pretty predictive for NBME scores. There's also OnlineMedEd if you haven't given it a try.

 

[ewax]

No. I haven't yet used those; I figured they would be useless without the answer key (since you don't even know if you got them right for the right reasons). Do you think they are worth investing in?

absolutely. they are very predictive and not extremely expensive.

 

[PremedSurvivor]

absolutely. they are very predictive and not extremely expensive.

I'll invest in them, but assuming they predict something not well, are there any methods/ resources you would suggest to work on areas of weakness?

 

[VisionaryTics]

Yes, that's definitely part of it. I guessed on at least the last 10 in Neuro and IM because I was running out. It's weird, because I feel like the tests are easier than UWorld, but I'm clearly getting a sizable amount wrong. Also, I seem to answer pimping just fine? My fund of knowledge clinical scores have been good (4/5, 5/5)

May I ask HOW you guys are using these materials? Like do you solve and review the questions the same day? What do you do on the weekends? How many times do you review the questions you get wrong? How do you prepare the week before the test?

I usually make a gigantic study guide for each topic, cobbled together from the questions/ texts and clerkship didactics we have. If anyone who isn't struggling like I am could walk me through their schedule and HOW they use these materials, that would be great!

Spend less time making study guides and more time answering questions. You should never be frantically guessing because you ran out of time. You're giving away points. You need to sharpen your test taking skills.

 

[PremedSurvivor]

Spend less time making study guides and more time answering questions. You should never be frantically guessing because you ran out of time. You're giving away points. You need to sharpen your test taking skills.

Okay, thanks! But how do you remember the logic behind the answer without study guides? Do you make flashcards of just the questions you got wrong?

Am I wasting too much time trying to remember every detail?

 

[Amygdarya]

Am I wasting too much time trying to remember every detail?

This may indeed be your problem. While Step 1 involves some amount of reasoning, it's mostly based on memorization of a gazillion of facts. Shelf exams (and, I'm assuming though I haven't taken it yet, Step 2) do rely on some factual knowledge but are more about pattern recognition and clinical reasoning. Basically, you don't have to know every little detail about a condition but you should be able to recognize it and know what's the next step in management (which involves both diagnosis and treatment). I think you may be bogged down by details and should try to take a step back and see the bigger picture. To that pint, I second VisionaryTics that you should rather do a lot more question (Pretest, blueprints etc) than spend a lot of time creating thorough study guides.

 

[Hangry]

This may indeed be your problem. While Step 1 involves some amount of reasoning, it's mostly based on memorization of a gazillion of facts. Shelf exams (and, I'm assuming though I haven't taken it yet, Step 2) do rely on some factual knowledge but are more about pattern recognition and clinical reasoning. Basically, you don't have to know every little detail about a condition but you should be able to recognize it and know what's the next step in management (which involves both diagnosis and treatment). I think you may be bogged down by details and should try to take a step back and see the bigger picture. To that pint, I second VisionaryTics that you should rather do a lot more question (Pretest, blueprints etc) than spend a lot of time creating thorough study guides.

This. And I always recommend onlinemeded videos (free) as a way to help learn to think clinically. Unfortunately most of his content is for medicine which you took already but should still be very helpful for the rest of your shelves. Will be helpful for step II ck as well