What is a shelf exam?

[freddydpt]

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I was reading about a "shelf exam" but I'm not finding much information other than it's made by the NBME. Could someone who knows more please elaborate.

Thanks!

 

[VCMM414]

I was reading about a "shelf exam" but I'm not finding much information other than it's made by the NBME. Could someone who knows more please elaborate.

Thanks!

Aka miniboard, a shelf exam consists of USMLE Step 1-like questions concerning 1 subject (eg. physiology, biochem, etc.).

 

[Bones2008]

I think the ones you're talking about are the shelf exams given to third years on their clinical rotations. Different programs use different criteria to grade students on their rotations, but most use standardized shelf exams (so named because they're taken off a shelf, not created by the program) as one part of the grading. It's nothing anyone in their first couple years of medical school need to worry about.

 

[uclacrewdude]

I think the ones you're talking about are the shelf exams given to third years on their clinical rotations. Different programs use different criteria to grade students on their rotations, but most use standardized shelf exams (so named because they're taken off a shelf, not created by the program) as one part of the grading. It's nothing anyone in their first couple years of medical school need to worry about.

weve actually taken a couple of shelfs in our first yr alone. theyre basically just meant to help you guage about how well youll do on the boards and stuff.

 

[freddydpt]

weve actually taken a couple of shelfs in our first yr alone. theyre basically just meant to help you guage about how well youll do on the boards and stuff.

Are they similar to USMLE I questions? or are they more topically based? Is there a way to get a hold of them while you study during the school year? This is interesting to me cause I never heard of them... and here I thought I research every little bit about medical education... learn something everyday!

 

[VCMM414]

Are they similar to USMLE I questions? or are they more topically based? Is there a way to get a hold of them while you study during the school year? This is interesting to me cause I never heard of them... and here I thought I research every little bit about medical education... learn something everyday!

Yea they are similar, yet still topically-based. As in, the question format is similar to USMLE, but a shelf may only consist of biochem questions, or physiology questions, or anatomy.... They are supposed to test your preparedness in a given subject area. I forgot that shelfs also exist that mimic USMLE II questions, and these you take during your rotations (they consist of subjects like pediatrics, surgery, etc.). AFAIK, there is no way to get a hold of actual shelfs, though plenty of study books like BRS series or Kaplan's Q-Banks offer USMLE-style questions for you to practice.

 

[Bones2008]

weve actually taken a couple of shelfs in our first yr alone. theyre basically just meant to help you guage about how well youll do on the boards and stuff.

diabolical.....just when you think you're safe from standardized testing for a while.

 

[tycho55]

Actually, most of the 1st and 2nd year courses at UTHSCSA end with shelf/NBME exams -- some graded, some not.