What is a shelf exam?
The Shelf exam is a 110-question exam taken at the end of every core clerkship. Each one:
- Is composed of shelved questions from Step 2 CK exams of the past
- Allows you 2 hours and 45 minutes to complete (with the exception of the family medicine shelf, which is 100 questions and allows 2 hours and 30 minutes to complete)
- Is graded on a curve; your percentile determines honors, letters of commendation, or satisfactory eligibility. Raw score is less important.
- Is taken on the Friday of the last week of your clerkship. Start times vary but will be sent out by the clerkship coordinator early in the block.
Studying for Shelf exams
It can be hard to find time during the clerkship to study, as many times you’ll be going in early and coming home in the afternoon. Also, clerkships are exhausting, and it can be hard to find the energy and motivation to study. Here are some general tips for all shelf exams:
- As always, the #1 tip for every exam period is to make time for yourself. We can’t express the importance of caring for yourself and taking time to allow that noggin to decompress. So, schedule time off.
- Start studying for the exams early. Shelf material will of course coincide with what you’ll need to know for the day-to-day of the clerkship, so getting the basics down early can go a long ways.
- The class of 2024 most commonly cited Anki (AnKing Step 2 and Cheesy Dorian), NBME shelf practice exams, and UWorld as their study resources for every block! Others used AMBOSS, OnlineMedEd (no longer free as of 2023 unfortunately), Emma Holliday lectures, and Divine Intervention podcasts as supplements.
- Lots of people made Anki cards over questions that they got wrong on UWorld and practice tests and found this very helpful.
- Most if not all people stuck primarily with UWorld, and began it early.
- For more resources for specific clerkships, see the clerkship-specific resource spreadsheet.