How difficult are shelf exams compared to Amboss/Uworld?

[ChordaEpiphany]

I've been doing Amboss questions somewhat casually as I prep to go back to the wards after a PhD (and try to shake off all this rust). My averages are around 30-40% through the first 150 questions or so. Overall averages for all users are ~50-60%. People say you typically need 90%+ on shelf exams to get honors at my school. I've traditionally done pretty well on med school exams (step 1 > 250).

Are there more "one hammer" questions on the shelf exams, or do people just massively improve as they keep studying? I've got an FM rotation in April and the shelf in June. Seems almost impossible to relearn everything I've forgotten about medicine and go from 30-40% with a poor grasp on the material to 90%+ on a very broad shelf in just 4 months, especially since I'll be getting maximum 2-3 hours of studying in per day and probably doing other things (e.g., research, presentations, etc...). Is there a final UWorld/Amboss block average you shoot for before the shelf to know you'll score well?

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[AnonymousDoctorGuyPerson]

I do better on shelf exams percent wise than UWorld blocks.

The questions are different though. Uworld is a learning tool so they add a lot of details to home a lot of things home at once. Shelf questions are far more ambiquous, though there are also a decent amount of dumb easy shelf questions as well that balances it out.

 

[ChordaEpiphany]

I do better on shelf exams percent wise than UWorld blocks.

The questions are different though. Uworld is a learning tool so they add a lot of details to home a lot of things home at once. Shelf questions are far more ambiquous, though there are also a decent amount of dumb easy shelf questions as well that balances it out.

Thanks. Step 1 was the same way I guess. Lots of gimme questions, but also plenty of very weird head scratchers that I basically never encountered during UWorld blocks.

Any idea what sort of UWorld percentages you should shoot for to be solid on the shelf? Can you finish off your rotation with 70-80% on UWorld blocks and still manage a solid 85-90% on shelf exams, or should I be aiming higher?

 

[OchemOficionado]

Uworld is definitely harder than shelf exams.

 

[AnonymousDoctorGuyPerson]

Thanks. Step 1 was the same way I guess. Lots of gimme questions, but also plenty of very weird head scratchers that I basically never encountered during UWorld blocks.

Any idea what sort of UWorld percentages you should shoot for to be solid on the shelf? Can you finish off your rotation with 70-80% on UWorld blocks and still manage a solid 85-90% on shelf exams, or should I be aiming higher?

I'd say yes, unless you're a bad exam taker you can certainly get 85%+ on Shelf exams after getting 70-80% on UWorld blocks consistently. I've gotten 90%+ on all my shelf exams (done them all except FM) and I was getting in that range on UWorld blocks. Granted, I def focus more on exams and care more about not making mistakes.

My roommate is not too great at exams (they overthink, get stressed out), and they were doing crazy good on UWorld blocks before the exam and wound up around 50th percentile.

 

[deleted1139416]

UWORLD has many esoteric and nitty gritty questions (e.g. postmenopausal women with bloody discharge must get BOTH ultrasound AND mammogram). Shelves are a bit more big picture and thinking type questions.