I failed Surgery shelf ... need advice

[jhu1]

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so yes, I did fail the shelf even though I spend ridicolous amount time studying for it ...
I studies case files 2x, kaplan lecture notes 2x, NMS case book 2x, and half of first aid for surgery and did multiple choice questions ...

I don't kow what went wrong but I felt like I was not prepared for the exam even when I was taking it ...

Will appreciate advice to what to study and how to prepare now ...

 

[njbmd]

so yes, I did fail the shelf even though I spend ridicolous amount time studying for it ...
I studies case files 2x, kaplan lecture notes 2x, NMS case book 2x, and half of first aid for surgery and did multiple choice questions ...

I don't kow what went wrong but I felt like I was not prepared for the exam even when I was taking it ...

Will appreciate advice to what to study and how to prepare now ...

If looks like you didn't have enought of a surgical knowledge base to review. You likely need to do something like read Lawrence or Becker from cover to cover and know the material in there rather than trying to rely on memorization of review books. You can't review what you haven't learned in the first place.

 

[ANCAdoc]

Do you have to repeat only the shelf exam or are they requiring you to repeat the surgery block and the exam?

 

[jhu1]

Do you have to repeat only the shelf exam or are they requiring you to repeat the surgery block and the exam?

Just the exam

 

[fever106]

I completed my surgery rotation first when I was a third year, so I had minimal background from the get go. I used the big NMS book to study from (not the case studies, the 500 page one in outline form). I didn't come close to failing, but it was by far my weakest shelf. In retrospect, when I was studying for step 2 ck, I found the USMLE world surgery questions to be very reflective of what was on the shelf. I think the NMS book I used was sufficient to pass comfortably, and with a better background knowledge (like what I obtained during medicine and pediatrics), I probably could have done better. However, since review books don't seem to be doing the trick for you, I would suggest investing in USMLE world and studying the surgery questions and answers. There is a lot of trauma stuff on the shelf, if I remember correctly, and the review books skim that topic. The world questions cover trauma in a lot of depth. Just my 2 cents.

 

[jhu1]

I completed my surgery rotation first when I was a third year, so I had minimal background from the get go. I used the big NMS book to study from (not the case studies, the 500 page one in outline form). I didn't come close to failing, but it was by far my weakest shelf. In retrospect, when I was studying for step 2 ck, I found the USMLE world surgery questions to be very reflective of what was on the shelf. I think the NMS book I used was sufficient to pass comfortably, and with a better background knowledge (like what I obtained during medicine and pediatrics), I probably could have done better. However, since review books don't seem to be doing the trick for you, I would suggest investing in USMLE world and studying the surgery questions and answers. There is a lot of trauma stuff on the shelf, if I remember correctly, and the review books skim that topic. The world questions cover trauma in a lot of depth. Just my 2 cents.

Thanks