NBME Shelf Exams @ end of 1st Year

[snowhite]

I just looked at our final exams schedule and we have a required NBME shelf exam @ KCUMB (not a professor-written one like a previous poster mentioned about KCUMB). Do all schools have to do this? Also, I'm getting conflicting information (primarily by doing a quick search on SDN about shelf exams). Some students say that it's an "osteopathic-type" exam and others say that it's the one all the allopathic students take too. Also, this is at the end of the first year and everyone else is mentioning shelf exams at the ends of rotations-Does this mean we will take one every year?

Is the purpose of taking these exams to just gauge how you are doing against other students or as an indicator of how we'll do on the COMLEX/USMLE?

Also, as a side note, 4 hours is a LOOONG time to go without food and drinks. Is this how the COMLEX/USMLE are too? I always have a bottle of water with me and have to drink more than every 4 hours.

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[OnMyWayThere]

I've heard of schools replacing their exams with NBME so that they have standardized tests (i.e. no bad questions) and better preparation for boards. I'm not sure if your school is replacing your exams or this is an addition but it is a test that some schools integrate and some don't. It's not a requirement. In addition, a lot of schools (allopathic) have NBME shelf exams for core rotations to prepare for Step II. Osteopathic has an NBOME but I hear its poorly written, so osteopathic schools that want to administer shelf exams usually use the NBME. COMP just started using NBME for rotations and they will count as 17.5% of your grade... and they're supposed to be HARD.

For first 2 years, I think it's a good idea to replace exams with NBME exams so that you get all board relevant questions as opposed to what some of the instructors may have a bias towards asking. Is KCUMB going to administer shelf exams for material covered in 1st semester?

 

[snowhite]

Thanks for your input. Our school is doing the NBME shelf IN ADDITION to our end-of-year cumulative final which is earlier the same day for another 4 hours. We're REQUIRED to take the NBME shelf although it doesn't count for anything. If we don't, we have the "professional scorecard" system that comes into play and might ding us a few points. I'm not sure how they do the shelfs (or shelves? 😛) for 3rd or 4th year.

Wow, so COMP uses that as 17.5% of the grade? I guess that gives COMPers more reason to study harder.

What do you mean by "shelf exams for material covered in 1st semester"? I didn't know they had them semesterly, but we only have the end-of-year one. The way our system is worked out is we take a section (organ-system based, of course) for 5-6 weeks (so far) and at the and of each, we take the final for just that section. We have OMT practicals like 3 times interspersed throughout the year. At the end of the year (over the course of about a week) we have the section final, the Final FINAL (over everything in the year), 3rd OMT practical, Clinical Skills Assessment, Physical Exam Assessment and finally ending it with the Shelf. How does your school work?

Edit: I forgot that we have anatomy and a pathology practicals at the end of every section too. So, add this on to my list of finals week worries.

 

[OnMyWayThere]

Wow that sounds like a really stressful end of the year. For the first 2 years, just take tests written by professors and move on to the next class and don't look back. I meant last semester because shelf exams also come by courses (Medical Anatomy Shelf, Biochemistry Shelf....). But I guess yours is different. Our school will only give us a shelf for each core rotation so we'll definately be studying during those rotations.

 

[snowhite]

Wow that sounds like a really stressful end of the year. For the first 2 years, just take tests written by professors and move on to the next class and don't look back. I meant last semester because shelf exams also come by courses (Medical Anatomy Shelf, Biochemistry Shelf....). But I guess yours is different. Our school will only give us a shelf for each core rotation so we'll definately be studying during those rotations.

Oh wow, I didn't know they went by courses. I guess we couldn't do those because of how we won't have all of each of those courses' info completed until the end of year 2. It seems stressful to have to worry about those too and so I'm glad we don't have to do that. Although, I wonder then what material will be covered on the NBME...hmmm...

And yes, it is going to be a very stressful end of the year. I suspect I won't be sleeping for about a week and then afterwards sleeping for like 3 days straight. I suppose their intent was to keep us actively studying and understanding the info instead of just memorizing it for the tests (which is what I'd been doing). I hate though that our final final exam counts for one whole section grade in our GPA (i.e. it is equivalent to a grade in for example 5 weeks of cardio).

What are the shelfs like for each core rotation? Do residency programs look at these scores or are they mainly for the school?

 

[OnMyWayThere]

What are the shelfs like for each core rotation? Do residency programs look at these scores or are they mainly for the school?

You can find more info in the Clinical section of SDN on shelfs for rotations, I hear they are very difficult. The current 3rd years are the first class to take them so there isn't much word passed on to us yet. Residency programs will see the grade you earned (not what tests you took).

 

[box29]

We just took the Comprehensive NBME yesterday to gauge where we are in terms of board prep. The assistant dean of pre-clinical education told us it was not part of any grade for any class though. It was a pretty long 4 hours. We should get the results back next week.

 

[box29]

Has anyone else taken the NBME Comprehensive Basic Science Exam (CBSE)?

Or, if anyone has, how were the results of this exam in relation to your COMLEX I and/or USMLE I results?

 

[UltimateDO]

Do all schools have to do this?

We don't, but then we do not use the shelf exams for rotations either.

 

[natureboy503]

ok snow white, i am gonna try to help you out about the KCUMB testing system. at the end of the first year you take the NBME shelf exam just as a measuring stick against the other students. it doesnt count for anything and you have the end of year cummulative exam you have to pass. at the end of your second year you have the shelf exam and i think you have to pass it according to the KCUMB grading system to go to your third year, and you have the end of year cummulitive to pass in order to even take step I. .then you go to your third year. you have an end of year cummulative exam to pass at the end of your third year you have to pass before you can take step II. now i think i am sort of clear on all of this. if i am wrong can some of my classmates set me straight.

 

[CJDocS]

We just took the Comprehensive NBME yesterday to gauge where we are in terms of board prep. The assistant dean of pre-clinical education told us it was not part of any grade for any class though. It was a pretty long 4 hours. We should get the results back next week.

Do you know in general how students in your class did on the NBME?

 

[box29]

Do you know in general how students in your class did on the NBME?

We are on spring break right now so no, I do not know yet.

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

We dont have that ****.

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

I spoke too soon. They dropped that bomb on us today.

 

[box29]

I spoke too soon. They dropped that bomb on us today.

Fun! Fun! Fun! 😛

 

[cabinbuilder]

Do all schools have to do this? .

I don't know how it is now but LECOM did not require this when I was first year. It is optional for anyone who wishes to gauge how they may do on COMLEX. We don't have shelf exams after rotations either. Our rotation grade is solely based on the preceptor's opinion.

 

[premedgeek]

I spoke too soon. They dropped that bomb on us today.

OSU is doing NBME??? Is that IP program or ISP program?

Hmm, maybe I should start going to lectures... 😀