...I never understood how presumably smart people, presumably the upper end of intelligence and education, presumably folks that have spent years and years developing study habits and test taking skills.... suddenly get into residency and become "dumb". Your need to study does NOT end when you start residency. At the very least it INCREASES. You are now a physician. Your patient's lives now depend on you having read and having the right answers.
The level of responsibility changes exponentially when you go from medical student to MD/DO. That exponential change continues when you go from trainee license to "unrestricted" license. It further continues when you go from trainee/rsident to ATTENDING. Do NOT fall for the trap or take the bait of... "being a nice guy/gal" is what is most important.
You need to be a good doctor first....a "nice guy/gal" at bedside that doesn't know what they should is dangerous...
Please, please, please..... continue to study. It is the right thing to do for you and most importantly your patient/s.
....have some pride too. I don't understand how someone that maintained 4.0 status in undergrad, went AOA in med-school, etc would accept below average test performance in residency. It should be very, very embarassing.