What is a good family medicine shelf score?

A good Family Medicine shelf score is generally considered to be at or above the 70th percentile, with scores in the 80th-90th+ percentile often needed for honors or to stand out for competitive residency programs, though passing standards and honor cutoffs vary by school, with some setting high passes around the 55th percentile. Aim for the 90th percentile for excellent performance and competitive honors, while scores above the 70th percentile usually signify strong clinical knowledge.

What is a good FM shelf score?

Percentiles between the 55th and 75th typically fall into high pass territory and reflect above-average mastery. Percentiles above the 75th are considered excellent and are usually associated with honors designations if you're only considering the shelf.

What is a good family medicine board score?

A passing score on the ABFM is 380. While any score above this threshold means you've passed, many physicians aim for higher scores to demonstrate strong mastery and ensure a comfortable margin above the minimum.

Is Family Med the hardest shelf?

Many students also find that the family medicine rotation itself is not too difficult, but the shelf is particularly demanding because it's so broad and has components from pediatrics, OB/GYN, internal medicine, and psychiatry.

How to score high on family medicine shelf?

Some schools give students a say in the order of their clinical rotations. If this is true at your school, placing family medicine later in the year is one way to improve your odds of success. Having more rotations before the exam helps you tackle the immense breadth of family medicine.

High Yield Family Medicine Review for Step 2 CK & Shelf Exam

Which is the hardest shelf exam?

The internal medicine (IM) shelf is often considered the hardest shelf exam out there. It is extremely broad, covering everything from cardiology to infectious disease, and it rewards both depth and clinical reasoning.

Is 60% enough to pass Step 1?

Yes, around 60% correct is generally considered the approximate pass mark for USMLE Step 1, though the exact percentage varies with each exam form, and the score is reported as Pass/Fail, not a number, so consistently scoring higher (like 65-70%) on practice exams (NBMEs) is recommended for a comfortable pass. The official passing score (around 196 before 2022, now just "Pass") isn't a fixed number of questions, as some are experimental, but aiming for about 60% on practice tests is a good benchmark, with 70%+ being a safer target for a strong pass. 

What's better, FM or IM?

In chess, the International Master (IM) title is higher than the FIDE Master (FM) title, with IM requiring a higher rating (2400+) and norms compared to FM (2300+) which can be achieved by rating alone, making the IM title a more difficult achievement in the hierarchy of titles (GM > IM > FM). 

Is family medicine prestigious?

Family medicine prestige

Family medicine is viewed by students as less prestigious than other medical fields, surgery specialties being at the top: “There is a very clear hierarchy in medicine, and family medicine is at the bottom… Above lab but below medical specialties.

Is UWorld enough for FM shelf?

Although UWorld is helpful for all of the Shelf Exams, it can be a little bit trickier to use for the Family Med Shelf than for some of the others. This is because UWorld doesn't make it easy to filter for the questions relevant to family medicine.

What is the pass rate for the FM exam?

Exam FM Course Survey Results

A majority (66.5%) of the survey respondents with an Earned Level reached 5.5 or higher, where they reported a 95.7% pass rate. By contrast, the rest of those respondents reported a 68.6% pass rate.

What is the hardest board exam to pass?

There's no single "hardest" exam, but the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) consistently rank as top contenders due to extremely low pass rates (CFA <15%) or immense study requirements (USMLE), alongside the intense India's UPSC Civil Services Exam and China's college entrance Gaokao, all demanding years of dedication for high-stakes career entry.
 

Is 267 a good step 2 score?

While a score of 245 generally places you at the 37th percentile, and is enough for some specialties, aiming for a score closer to the 75th percentile (around 260) is recommended.

Do residencies see your shelf scores?

While your NBME Shelf Exam scores are not directly reported to residency programs, they can still impact your application. Some medical schools use Shelf Exam scores to calculate class rank or determine honors designations, which can influence your residency application.

What is a passing score on family medicine board?

The passing score for the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) certification exam is a scaled score of 380, though this minimum passing standard (MPS) can change slightly year to year (e.g., 390 in some reports), using a 200-800 scale, meaning roughly 60% correct answers often suffices to pass. Osteopathic (AOA) exams use a similar 200-800 scale but require a 500 or higher. 

What is the average USMLE score?

Over the past three years, according to USMLE data, the average score for first-time takers from accredited US/Canadian medical schools has gradually increased from 248 to 250, well above the passing standard.

What doctor makes $500,000 a year?

Doctors in surgical and high-demand procedural specialties frequently earn over $500,000 annually, with top earners often being Neurosurgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Cardiology, and Thoracic Surgery, driven by complex skills, high demand (especially with aging populations), and lucrative elective procedures or emergency needs. Other fields like Radiology, Gastroenterology, Urology, and Anesthesiology also see average incomes exceeding this threshold.
 

Is there a shortage of family doctors?

In 2021, an estimated 117,000 primary care physicians in the U.S. left the workforce. This equates to an estimated national shortage of between 17,800 and 48,000 predicted by 2034. California alone has a shortage of 4,700 physicians today, and is expected to have an additional 4,100 deficit by 2030.

What doctor has the highest burnout rate?

Emergency medicine physicians experience the most intense burnout, with the highest emotional fatigue (68%) and depersonalization (55%). Therapists reported the next-highest rate of emotional fatigue at 61%, along with the highest mental fatigue (77%).

Who earns more, internal medicine or family medicine?

Pay. The salary of a family medicine physician compared to an internal medicine doctor varies. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual salary for a family medicine physician is $240,790. On the contrary, the mean annual salary for an internist is $201,440.

What is the lowest rank of doctors?

The lowest rank of a fully qualified doctor in the US hierarchy is often an intern (first-year resident) or junior resident, following medical school, while in the UK it's a foundation doctor, both undergoing initial postgraduate training under supervision before becoming independent specialists or general practitioners. They work under senior residents and attending physicians, handling patient care tasks but still learning.
 

What are family practice physicians not allowed to do?

Family practice physicians aren't allowed to treat complex conditions outside their scope, perform major surgeries, engage in inappropriate relationships (like sexual misconduct) with patients, break confidentiality, or treat themselves or immediate family for serious issues (especially with controlled substances). They must also adhere to ethical guidelines, avoid prescribing opioids or narcotics for family, maintain proper documentation, and not practice while impaired. 

What is the 7 year rule for USMLE?

The USMLE 7-year rule, primarily for International Medical Graduates (IMGs) seeking ECFMG Certification, mandates completing all required USMLE Steps (1, 2 CK/CS, and eventually 3) within seven years of passing the first exam; failure to do so invalidates earlier scores, requiring retakes, though waivers or extensions may be granted for documented issues like PhD programs, severe illness, or certain military service. Most U.S. medical licensing boards also enforce this timeframe for state licensure, starting from the first successful Step pass. 

How common is failing Step 1?

While most people pass USMLE Step 1, failure rates have increased, especially since the scoring change to pass/fail in 2022, with overall pass rates for first-time test-takers dropping, and international medical graduates (IMGs) and repeat test-takers facing significantly lower odds, though the exact number varies yearly, with thousands failing in recent years (e.g., over 11,000 in 2023). For MD students, first-time pass rates were around 90-93% in 2022-2023, compared to 82-83% for DO students and ~72% for IMGs in 2023, with repeaters seeing even lower success.
 

Has anyone ever gotten a 300 on Step 2?

The highest possible score for the USMLE Step 2 CK is 300, but no one has ever achieved a “perfect” score. A score around 280 would be considered a top Step 2 CK score.