NBME Shelf Exams vs. USMLE Step 1

[zeloc]

I am referring to the basic science ones (pharm, physiology, behavioral, biochem, etc). How similar are the questions to the USMLE Step 1, and are the questions as difficult? I know the USMLE has two-step and three-step problems, do these questions show up on the shelf exams also? I'm a little confused because I understand these are third-year tests and the USMLE is taken at the end of the second year. I also read in an earlier post that the shelf tests are more knowledge/achievement and the USMLE is more integration/application. Is that correct?

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[Joel Fleischman]

I dont know but I thought the basic science shelf was hard as hell.

 

[HiddenTruth]

I am referring to the basic science ones (pharm, physiology, behavioral, biochem, etc). How similar are the questions to the USMLE Step 1, and are the questions as difficult? I know the USMLE has two-step and three-step problems, do these questions show up on the shelf exams also? I'm a little confused because I understand these are third-year tests and the USMLE is taken at the end of the second year. I also read in an earlier post that the shelf tests are more knowledge/achievement and the USMLE is more integration/application. Is that correct?

Not so sure which shelf u are referring to when u throw third year in there also. Let me break it down for you son.

1. There are individual SUBJECT shelf exams (physio, path, behav, etc). for basic sciences. I have only taken the behav sci and path one, last year---after class was out. I thought it was hard, but my path was really poorly taught too. But, i have heard that they are harder.

2. There is the CBSE (comprehensive basic sci examination)--kinda' like a shelf exam--same format and everything, but all basic sciences. It is much ahrder than step 1, and there isn't no real correlation out there, other than a pass/fail one.

3. CLINICAL shelf exams for 3rd years (peds, IM, surg, psych, etc.).

Hope this helps a bit.

 

[Stinger86]

I am referring to the basic science ones (pharm, physiology, behavioral, biochem, etc). How similar are the questions to the USMLE Step 1, and are the questions as difficult? I know the USMLE has two-step and three-step problems, do these questions show up on the shelf exams also? I'm a little confused because I understand these are third-year tests and the USMLE is taken at the end of the second year. I also read in an earlier post that the shelf tests are more knowledge/achievement and the USMLE is more integration/application. Is that correct?

The shelf exams and Step exams are concocted by the same entity (more or less), so yeah, the questions on all of them are relatively similar. In fact, I recognized several second year shelf exam questions on my Step 1. The main difference I noted was that the questions on my Step were, on average, shorter than the average shelf exam question.

And to address the confusion, there are basic science shelf exams (path, physio, etc) and clinical science shelf exams (surgery, psych, etc). You take the basic science ones during your first and second years, and you take the clinical science ones during your third year. The clinical science shelf exams are much, more clinical (obviously) and require more knowledge of signs/symptoms, diagnostics including work-ups, and treatment/follow up plans, and less knowledge of basic science processes/facts.

 

[Pox in a box]

There's a correlation between the shelf exam in pathology and Step 1.

 

[usmlequestion]

There's a correlation between the shelf exam in pathology and Step 1.

How can i get my hand on the shelf exams???? Please help.

 

[Pox in a box]

How can i get my hand on the shelf exams???? Please help.

Make friends with the janitor at the NBME headquarters, get him drunk, steal his keys, make copies of his keys, steal his "Don M" nametag and go to work busting through the file cabinets. In all honesty, you can't. And why would you? If you're going to that much trouble, forget the shelf exams and go for the gold: Step 1 baby!