Shelf exams

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butterfly0660

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I am preparing to take my first shelf exams (OB/GYN and Peds) and no one has even told us what to expect. I have heard that they are difficult to complete in the allotted time. Does anyone know how many questions are on them, or how much time is given to complete them? I would really appreciate any info....I am starting to freak out.

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butterfly0660 said:
I am preparing to take my first shelf exams (OB/GYN and Peds) and no one has even told us what to expect. I have heard that they are difficult to complete in the allotted time. Does anyone know how many questions are on them, or how much time is given to complete them? I would really appreciate any info....I am starting to freak out.

There are 100 questions on a shelf exam - all multiple choice. You have 2 hrs and 10 minutes to complete it (at least at my school that's the time allotted, but I think some schools might allow more). Don't freak out - just study blueprints for both peds and OB and you'll be golden :idea:
 
SurgeryChef said:
There are 100 questions on a shelf exam - all multiple choice. You have 2 hrs and 10 minutes to complete it (at least at my school that's the time allotted, but I think some schools might allow more). Don't freak out - just study blueprints for both peds and OB and you'll be golden :idea:


Thank you so much!!!!!
 
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Go fast. Don't spend too much time thinking, just read and pick an answer and go on to the next. You might want to start at the back of the exam because the questions there are structured somewhat differently and can take a bit longer. Keep track of the time as you go through. If you get frustrated that you keep narrowing it down to 2 answers and guessing, don't worry, lots of other people are having the same problem and it's scored on a curve. Good luck! (You'll be fine).
 
It takes some time getting use to the shelf exam. My first one was in surgery and I didn't have time to finish the last few questions. But you'll get use to it. The OB shelf is probably one of the easiest one along with neurology, but peds was quite difficulty, especially since you haven't had medicine yet. Pre-test should help.
 
I agree with what everyone has said. I found Ob/Gyn and Psych to be the easiest of all the Shelf exams. I used the First-Aid series to study for them though (am not much of a Blueprints fan), but both series do a great job. You should also do questions. Pre-Test and Appleton and Lange are good sources of questions, but I personally liked using Kaplan Q-Book for Step 2. You can buy it at any medical bookstore, and it is arranged into tests by subject matter (ex. Peds test#1, Peds test #2, ob/Gyn #1, etc). I found that Q-book is the most similar to the actual style of questions that you will see on the Shelf. About half of the Pre-Test questions are way too short, and Appleton and Lange tends to be very picky in certain areas that aren't stressed on the Shelf. When you take the test, you need to always be aware of time. Don't spend too much time on one question. I always tried to make sure that I was through question 60 by the time the half-way mark hit, because you start to get test fatigue and tend to go slower at the end. Also, the last 10-15 questions tend to be really long, and the # of answer choices can go as far as A-R (that's the longest one I remember, there may have been some with even more answer choices.
 
I have another question about shelf exams - when they give you treatment options, are drugs listed by their generic or trade name or do they give you both?
 
user2 said:
I have another question about shelf exams - when they give you treatment options, are drugs listed by their generic or trade name or do they give you both?

it's all generics. i.e. asiprin, albuterol, magesium, etc.
 
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