IM SHELF - please help!

[brightside]

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Hi everyone,

I am so scared right now because I am writing the internal shelf exam in 2 weeks. I have coasted through most of my internal rotation and did not start really studyng until two weeks ago. I’ve been using MKSAP and occasionally, pre-test, and am not really sure if I am being as efficient as possible. I already know that there are subjects I need to cut out and as such, am focusing on cardio/resp/nephro/GI. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can be more efficient and also, what topics will be high-yield?!? I’ve read on this forum that studying only the MKSAP would be sufficient but I find that it doesn’t cover certain topics (ie. Neurology, endocrinology). Any advice would be much appreciated!

Wishing I’d started much sooner…..
brightside

 

[colbgw02]

Hi everyone,

I am so scared right now because I am writing the internal shelf exam in 2 weeks. I have coasted through most of my internal rotation and did not start really studyng until two weeks ago. I’ve been using MKSAP and occasionally, pre-test, and am not really sure if I am being as efficient as possible. I already know that there are subjects I need to cut out and as such, am focusing on cardio/resp/nephro/GI. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can be more efficient and also, what topics will be high-yield?!? I’ve read on this forum that studying only the MKSAP would be sufficient but I find that it doesn’t cover certain topics (ie. Neurology, endocrinology). Any advice would be much appreciated!

Wishing I’d started much sooner…..
brightside

you must be pretty far along if you're already writing the IM shelf exam. i'm impressed. j/k...

seriously, if you've been studying for 2 weeks, then i'd say you've already been studying for about 1 week too long, but i'm a slacker. the only suggestion i have is to concentrate some on infectious disease. as i recall, they do some extended matching between organisms/abx treatments and clinical vinnettes.

 

[punjabiMD]

buy the NMS Medicine book and do the clinical vignettes in the back including the practice exam. Study everything you don't understand from the text itself. If you have the time, do the questions at the end of each chapter. It was by far the best and most accurate source for the IM shelf when I took it.

the other main thing about that shelf (and probably the most important) is to budget your time very wisely. Many people end up not doing well because they don't use their time wisely.

 

[pastelist]

Hi brightside,
I didn't have much time to study for the IM shelf either because my school had so many writeups and presentations to do, so I tried to do questions whenever I got the chance, and ended up cramming. I did MKSAP 3 and USMLEWorld questions-- they are difficult and you have to pay for a subscription-- but doing those questions helped me do well on all my shelf exams (I got 99% on IM). Also since you'll be taking the shelf in september you'll have a better curve than students who take the shelf in the spring.
I also tried to read through Case Files but ran out of time, but I've heard it was useful, as well as NMS. Know how to distinguish between similar diseases-- limb girdle dystrophy vs polymyositis (based on ESR values, CPK); tendinitis vs bursitis; the different pneumonias (and abx treatments), indications for giving neupogen to chemotherapy patients, presentation of scabies, and common fractures (for example, what would cause a hook of the hamate fracture?). The questions were so varied it's difficult to predict what you'll get, and don't start to panic if you get four questions on the same disease, it has happened before.
Good luck

 

[NJEMT1]

Do we need to have memorized all the normal lab values or is a table provided? Thanks!

 

[sscooterguy]

Do we need to have memorized all the normal lab values or is a table provided? Thanks!

Table is provided, however, you should know most values. They usually give you grossly deranged values that you should recognize. One value that I remember was missing (or maybe I just could not find it), was TSH, T3, FT4.

I think for the last few days the most high yield thing to do is pretest, but one question at a time and reading the answer immediately. Infectious disease is definately high yield, most of the stuff is you know the answer or not (unlike cardio or acid base where you may be able to think your way through it). High yield cardio stuff would be murmurs and knowing all of the swan readings for different shock. Renal would be SIMPLE acid base. Pulm, know COPD, Asthma. Thats all of the big stuff I can remember. Good luck.

sscooterguy

 

[vmed]

HAs anyone actually taken this Shelf exam this academic year ? I imagine it changes quite a bit from year to year. I'll be taking it pretty soon as well. I just finished Pre-Test and got my butt kicked left and right so I am a bit nervous. I have less than a week left to study so I hope going though MKSAP in the next few days will do it.

 

[NJEMT1]

do we need to have memorized the corrections for acid-base disturbances?

 

[ambientbaby]

I just took it. I thought it was tough. I did MKSAP twice and my score was fine. Let me know if you have any specific questions. I had 1 acid/base question on my exam.

 

[brightside]

hey all,

thanks for everyone's input. so my exam is basically in 2 days. i've gotten through most of mksap and some of pre-test -- is there really such an emphasis on ECGs and arrhythmias on the actual shelf? if there is .... i'm kinda in trouble.....

any input would be appreciated!
brightside

 

[njbmd]

hey all,

thanks for everyone's input. so my exam is basically in 2 days. i've gotten through most of mksap and some of pre-test -- is there really such an emphasis on ECGs and arrhythmias on the actual shelf? if there is .... i'm kinda in trouble.....

any input would be appreciated!
brightside

Drop the Pre-Test stuff and stay with MKSAP for Medical Students. Go with one source and don't try to divide things by subject matter. MKSAP is more than enough.

 

[ambientbaby]

Just took it a few weeks ago. I had no questions that required detailed arrythmia knowledge. I had a few EKG questions that required you to look at trace and say it was Aflutter.

 

[SquidDoc]

Just took it a few weeks ago. I had no questions that required detailed arrythmia knowledge. I had a few EKG questions that required you to look at trace and say it was Aflutter.

Careful, giving test hints on an open forum can get you into trouble with NBME or your school.

 

[ms. a]

Drop the Pre-Test stuff and stay with MKSAP for Medical Students. Go with one source and don't try to divide things by subject matter. MKSAP is more than enough.

Good advice. Pre-Test is MUCH easier than the actual thing. MKSAP is a closer approximation. Just do as many questions as you can.

 

[thackl]

Glad I found this thread. I've been poking around casefiles, pretest and MKSAP. I plan to finish them all and use my favorite two in the final two weeks of the rotation (I'll take notes on the 2nd pass). Any recommendations for which two would be best at the end. Thanks😀

 

[Pikkaliu]

Don't forget Kaplan QBook!