Trouble with Shelf exams

[InternationlDoc]

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To sdn rockstars,

I just took the psych shelf; I couldn't finish the test. Didn't get to the last 7 questions at all. Needless to say, no honoring this one. More importantly, this recurrent theme in my test taking disability is just annoying. This whole year all the shelf exams would be long vignettes etc. of the 93 questions that I attempted, I feel good about, but not even looking at 7 questions is just out of questions if you want to honor.

so would you sages help me with:

- how to read fast + comprehend fast? <-- bane of my existence
- how to just be an overall good shelf exam taker


Again, the psych shelf was not all THAT hard, I just took lots of time to process the info, which I believe was necessary since each case had confusing timings/symptoms etc. Let me know guys, I really want to work hard an do well on these shelves.

 

[Droopy Snoopy]

To sdn rockstars,

I just took the psych shelf; I couldn't finish the test. Didn't get to the last 7 questions at all. Needless to say, no honoring this one. More importantly, this recurrent theme in my test taking disability is just annoying. This whole year all the shelf exams would be long vignettes etc. of the 93 questions that I attempted, I feel good about, but not even looking at 7 questions is just out of questions if you want to honor.

so would you sages help me with:

- how to read fast + comprehend fast? <-- bane of my existence
- how to just be an overall good shelf exam taker


Again, the psych shelf was not all THAT hard, I just took lots of time to process the info, which I believe was necessary since each case had confusing timings/symptoms etc. Let me know guys, I really want to work hard an do well on these shelves.

Well I hope you at least filled in B or something on those last few questions. I think skimming to filter out all the useless stuff is key - the distractors, the normal labs, etc. At this stage of the game it'd be tough to re-adjust your whole model of reading comprehension. It is important to fix this though, because Step II is more of the same.

 

[InternationlDoc]

Thanks man. Yea i put C for all of them. Just needed 5 more minutes. oh well.
I am going to practice 1 min / question starting today for Ob/Gyn. Pretty pissed about the shelf, definitely want to turn in a good time for Ob/Gyn, my next shelf.

 

[DwyaneWade]

Can't help you there dude, my problem isn't so much reading the questions as is knowing the right answer

 

[pincheeric]

I recommend doing the last 10 or so questions first. Those are the ones that have about 20 options. I say this because they actually tend to be some of the easier questions, usually just ID the disease or treatment. Basically they are free points.

It's important not to get hung up reading all of the vignettes in tremendous detail. Half the time you get yourself all excited because near the end you figure out the disorder is Wegener's and then the last line says "She is diagnosed with Wegener's..." then asks what your first line therapy would be. Then you've wasted a ton of time when you could have just read the last line and known what the question wanted.

Most importantly you get better at the Shelf exams as you do more of them. I remember feeling really rushed on my first one (Medicine), but now I finish them with 30 minutes or so left. You'll get there.

 

[InternationlDoc]

Hey man,

I did exactly that. When I say "last 7" i mean 82-89. I did the 90-100 seeing as they were easy Dx and Tx from a list. Infact I couldn't believe NBME was asking questions the way some resources out there asked questions (linear, easy, straight forward)

Yea, I believe you man. I am not a gunner, but I know many people who just don't need this "Adjustment" phase. They just kick ass from the get go. I wanted to do very well this year from the momentum I gained in my M2 year, but alas here comes a HP. I am very determined now to just focus ALOT on my speed and hopefully will try to do well on my OB/Gyn shelf, atleast time wise.

Test taking skills are just so insanely important at this level.

Thanks for all the advice guys. and DW - you back from the dead?

 

[DwyaneWade]

Hey man,

I did exactly that. When I say "last 7" i mean 82-89. I did the 90-100 seeing as they were easy Dx and Tx from a list. Infact I couldn't believe NBME was asking questions the way some resources out there asked questions (linear, easy, straight forward)

Yea, I believe you man. I am not a gunner, but I know many people who just don't need this "Adjustment" phase. They just kick ass from the get go. I wanted to do very well this year from the momentum I gained in my M2 year, but alas here comes a HP. I am very determined now to just focus ALOT on my speed and hopefully will try to do well on my OB/Gyn shelf, atleast time wise.

Test taking skills are just so insanely important at this level.

Thanks for all the advice guys. and DW - you back from the dead?

I've been around, working pretty long hours and just took a shelf yesterday.

 

[indo]

Thanks man. Yea i put C for all of them. Just needed 5 more minutes. oh well.
I am going to practice 1 min / question starting today for Ob/Gyn. Pretty pissed about the shelf, definitely want to turn in a good time for Ob/Gyn, my next shelf.

The ob/gyn shelf seemed to be a lot of trigger words and trigger scenarios with only a few harder ones thrown in. I suggest doing tons of practice questions.

 

[InternationlDoc]

Glad to hear from you DW. Good job in Beijing so far.

Thanks for the words of wisdom there indo. I'll do as many questions as I can/time permits.