The Surgery Shelf exam is a critical milestone for medical students pursuing a career in surgery or related specialties. Scoring well on this exam not only demonstrates your knowledge and competency but also plays a significant role in residency applications. Attaining a 90th percentile score requires strategic preparation, dedication, and...

In medical education, shelf exams evaluate students' knowledge and clinical reasoning during core clinical clerkships. Administered by medical schools, often written by the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME), these pivotal exams determine students' readiness for clinical rotations and overall performance. Questions often arise about the correlation between NBME practice...

In my first clerkship, I quickly learned that the information medical students were expected to know was suddenly very different from the knowledge that got me through my pre-clerkship curriculum. Instead of the emphasis on basic science and foundations, the clerkship year and shelf exams required much more focus on...

Selecting a desired medical specialty marks a pivotal moment in a medical student's career. However, the process is intricate and evolves with factors throughout your academic journey. One of, if not the most important, contributors to this decision-making process is the exposure gained during clinical clerkships in medical school. In...

In the journey to residency, medical students' shelf exam performance holds significant weight in applications. Shelf exams, designed to assess students' knowledge and clinical reasoning in specific core clerkships, can play a pivotal role in shaping the narrative of a medical student's academic capabilities. In this article, we explore the...

As you dive into the world of pediatric medicine, you'll encounter a whirlwind of learning opportunities, patient interactions, and, of course, the looming shelf exam at the end of your rotation. With so much to absorb in a limited time frame, efficiency is key, especially on a rotation that is...

Clinical clerkships represent your transition from the classroom to the front lines of patient care. Central to this experience is the art and science of patient presentations—a skill that not only communicates the patient's condition but also reflects your depth of knowledge, critical thinking, and ability to collaborate with the...

Your journey through medical school is marked by crucial milestones, and arguably the most pivotal phase is your time spent in the hospital and clinic. These hands-on experiences in different healthcare settings provide a bridge between classroom knowledge and practical application. However, integrating research into clinical rotations enhances the educational...

Studying for the OB/GYN Shelf   So you’ve made it to your Obstetrics and Gynecology clerkship. OB/GYN is a fun and exciting field. However, between delivering babies, scrubbing into surgeries, and working in the outpatient clinic, you somehow have to find time to study for a shelf as well? On...

As of January 1, 2022, USMLE Step 1 officially became pass/fail. Historically, the Step 1 score served as a metric for competency of basic medical foundational knowledge and most importantly, was used by residency programs to determine an applicant’s competitiveness. One of the reasons for the change to pass/fail was...