Shelf Scores

[MSUSpartan642]

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Do residencies actually look at what you got on a specific shelf? Or do they simply see what your final grade was? On our transcripts I imagine it doesn't have our shelf scores but I was not sure if that information was supplemental.

 

[Stellar Clouds]

Do residencies actually look at what you got on a specific shelf? Or do they simply see what your final grade was? On our transcripts I imagine it doesn't have our shelf scores but I was not sure if that information was supplemental.

Shelf scores are usually in your Dean's letter

 

[gravitywave]

Shelf scores are usually in your Dean's letter

Some schools do that? Didn't know that. I have heard of some residencies asking for them, though.

 

[PTPoeny]

As mentioned above it depends on your school. At my school shelf scores are on our transcript as a separate class from our clinical evaluations for every rotation.

 

[ruiner]

depends on the school. mine its a factor for honoring so they'll have a general idea how you did.

 

[secants]

Which score are they reporting? The percentile or the scaled/raw/etc one?

 

[Stellar Clouds]

Which score are they reporting? The percentile or the scaled/raw/etc one?

My school puts a score (not sure scaled vs raw) plus the percentile.

 

[mimelim]

If residencies are paying attention to your shelf scores, you are doing medical school wrong.

 

[Stellar Clouds]

If residencies are paying attention to your shelf scores, you are doing medical school wrong.

Should they be ignoring your step score as well?

Shelf scores are just another easy way to compare applicants (not saying that they should be doing this)

 

[tco]

Should they be ignoring your step score as well?

Shelf scores are just another easy way to compare applicants (not saying that they should be doing this)

I agree. Someone that has a 12 week IM rotation that scores higher on the shelf than someone that has an 8 week IM rotation is clearly the better applicant.

 

[mimelim]

Should they be ignoring your step score as well?

Shelf scores are just another easy way to compare applicants (not saying that they should be doing this)

Your Step score reflects how well you can accumulate knowledge and test, is relatively standardized and evenly tested. Your shelf score gives a ton of wiggle room for excuses as to why you didn't do well on it. It gives zero information to a program director that your Step scores don't give. Personally, I'd take the subjective opinion of an attending over a shelf score every day of the week.

 

[Stellar Clouds]

Your Step score reflects how well you can accumulate knowledge and test, is relatively standardized and evenly tested. Your shelf score gives a ton of wiggle room for excuses as to why you didn't do well on it. It gives zero information to a program director that your Step scores don't give. Personally, I'd take the subjective opinion of an attending over a shelf score every day of the week.

Point well taken.

 

[netminder]

. . . Personally, I'd take the subjective opinion of an attending over a shelf score every day of the week.

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