Thread: SGU Clinical Exams vs. Shelf Exams

How comparable are the SGU clinical rotation exit exams compared to the Shelf exams??? I've been told shelf exam questions resemble Step 2 questions.

i think it is better for students that the school would have higher expectations with shelf exams. that i think should increase boards scores which in turn will hopefully translate into more competitive residency placements.

and it will probably increase lower core rotation grades, which can decrease your residency placement.

Also i was told that the Shelfs are curved nationally with the US med students so i am not sure how good that is.

Originally Posted by RussianJoo

and it will probably increase lower core rotation grades, which can decrease your residency placement.

Also i was told that the Shelfs are curved nationally with the US med students so i am not sure how good that is.

why would you think automatically that would lower rotation grades? It would still only be 20% of your grade...leaving 80% still subjective...plus if you gotta pick...higher CK scores will net you a better residency spot than clincal grades...

Originally Posted by rokshana

why would you think automatically that would lower rotation grades? It would still only be 20% of your grade...leaving 80% still subjective...plus if you gotta pick...higher CK scores will net you a better residency spot than clincal grades...

totally agree. my program ranked me based on my board scores...

Originally Posted by rokshana

why would you think automatically that would lower rotation grades? It would still only be 20% of your grade...leaving 80% still subjective...plus if you gotta pick...higher CK scores will net you a better residency spot than clincal grades...

actually according to this study clinical grades are far more important than step2 scores, as long as you don't royally mess up step2 your clinical grades matter more.

Selection Criteria for Residency: Results of a National Prog... : Academic Medicine

and this survey shows them to be about equally important.

http://www.nrmp.org/data/programresultsbyspecialty.pdf

I am going to go by published evidence than by word of mouth.

edit: nm i don't really care that much

Originally Posted by RussianJoo

actually according to this study clinical grades are far more important than step2 scores, as long as you don't royally mess up step2 your clinical grades matter more.

Selection Criteria for Residency: Results of a National Prog... : Academic Medicine

and this survey shows them to be about equally important.

http://www.nrmp.org/data/programresultsbyspecialty.pdf

I am going to go by published evidence than by word of mouth.

for US students dude...you are not one...I, CK are more important....they don't put that much stock in our good grades, but our bad grades rais a red flag...its the reality of going to an off shore school....

So... I just skimmed the clinical manual - and much to my dismay, found nothing in it about us new 3rd years doing shelf exams. I am so disappointed... I am so depressed... after taking step I, which seemed like pure joy compared to our horribly written SGU exams, I don't know if I can handle more of those.

Disconsolate....

As a followup comment... the aforementioned clinical manual also claims that in order to do well in the written SGU-administered exams, students MUST read the "required" textbooks (for any given rotation) in their ENTIRETY because "all" the questions are derived directly from the required books.

Is this true??? Because I was planning to use the books recommended on SDN's shelf prep forums. And most of the ones the SDN-ers recommend aren't the heavyweight texts that SGU says are required.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Originally Posted by failure2thrive

As a followup comment... the aforementioned clinical manual also claims that in order to do well in the written SGU-administered exams, students MUST read the "required" textbooks (for any given rotation) in their ENTIRETY because "all" the questions are derived directly from the required books.

Is this true??? Because I was planning to use the books recommended on SDN's shelf prep forums. And most of the ones the SDN-ers recommend aren't the heavyweight texts that SGU says are required.

Any advice would be appreciated.

They told us during the last year that the shelf exam was not going to happen because they could not find a secure location to accommodate all the students. They tried a high school in NY and it failed inspection because the seats were too close together. As much as I would like to say "study ______ book and you'll do fine!", the truth is, these exams can be very random (i.e. pediatric questions on a psych test, obgyn questions on a peds test). Best advice is to find a 3rd/4th year with the clinical m@cd@ddy because at our hospital most people had them and you were at a disadvantage if you didn't utilize them.