Shelf scores

[jmillski]

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A quick 'how important is' question- I have a pretty strong ~250 board score but can not get out of the 70s raw Nbme Shelf score. Do residencies see this and how big is it?

 

[RestoreSight]

Went on 15 interviews. Never received a single question in regards to shelf scores or even 3rd year performance in general. STEP 1 is huge in comparison.

 

[xanthomondo]

A quick 'how important is' question- I have a pretty strong ~250 board score but can not get out of the 70s raw Nbme Shelf score. Do residencies see this and how big is it?

I think whether or not residencies see it is dependent upon your school. Does your school list your shelf scores on your transcript or on your deans letter?

I had just one place (who were a pretty aggressive bunch of interviewers in the first place) ask me specifically about each of my rotation grades and when it came up that I didn't do well on a shelf they asked me why. Other than that it really isn't a big deal.

 

[jmillski]

Thank you all for the response. What did they consider a poor grade. I mean technically I'm getting above 50% natl avg but geez it's still very discouraging when every one comes back the same no matter the study time I put in.

 

[Doctor D]

My shelf grades have been great with raw scores 89-92 but I know for a fact that they are not on our deans letter. All they see is the final clerkship grade.

 

[Pastrami King]

Doubt it is an issue. All they care about is your overall grades on the clerkships- i.e. did you get honors. I doubt ophthalmology program directors know much about shelf exams, in what clerkships they're offered, or what a "good score" is.

 

[MstaKing10]

I don't think program directors have enough time to break down your clerkship scores and evaluate you based on your shelf exam then use that as a criteria for offering or not offering an interview. If they did, it would not have much weight, and honestly, you'd be better off avoiding a program like that.

So unless your scores are on either extreme (astronomically high or painfully low), which may impact your clerkship grades, deans letter or letters of rec...no one cares.

 

[vamosrafa]

A quick 'how important is' question- I have a pretty strong ~250 board score but can not get out of the 70s raw Nbme Shelf score. Do residencies see this and how big is it?

I don't know this with certainty, but I don't think programs have any way of obtaining this information. Unless your school has a wacky MSPE letter or transcript that puts that kind of stuff in, then nobody but you and your school should know your shelf scores. That being said I got a 93, 95, and 95 in Peds, OBGYN, and Psych shelf exams and nobody ever said a thing... they just cared about whether or not it boiled down to honors/AOA...