Which shelf is the hardest?

The Internal Medicine (IM) shelf is widely considered the hardest shelf exam due to its immense breadth, covering a vast range of conditions and requiring deep clinical reasoning, while Surgery and sometimes Pediatrics are also frequently cited as very challenging because of their extensive, often multidisciplinary content and disconnect from typical clerkship focus. Difficulty is subjective, though, often depending on a student's interests and strengths, with some finding Surgery harder because it tests medicine knowledge, while others struggle with Psych's focus on drug side effects or Peds' broadness.

Is medicine or surgery shelf harder?

Each shelf has its own qualities that make it challenging.

Most students would agree the surgical shelf is difficult, not only because of its content, but also because of the time constraints the surgical rotations—after all, you're in the OR or on the floor for 12+ hours a day and barely have time to study!

Why is Psych shelf so hard?

The psych shelf is rough because you prepare doing psych questions and then the shelf is lots of psych but also lots of non-psych questions that just have psych-related answer choices, and sometimes the right answer is not psych related.

Why is the pediatrics shelf so hard?

At the same time, you'll be learning a lot of material and preparing for your Pediatrics Shelf Exam. This one is considered by many med students to be one of the more difficult Shelf Exams, mainly because of the wide variety of material that it can cover.

Is 75 on IM shelf good?

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.

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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 is 88 on peds shelf?

Scoring in the 90th percentile or higher on the Pediatrics Shelf Exam requires achieving an 87-88 equated percent correct (EPC) score, which translates to answering approximately 95-97 questions correctly out of 110.

What is the hardest year in medical school?

Most medical students find the first year hardest due to the overwhelming volume of foundational science and the drastic adjustment to a new academic environment, while others find the third year the most challenging because of the intense, long hours and emotional demands of clinical rotations in the hospital setting, but it often comes down to whether you find academic hurdles or clinical burnout more difficult. 

Are pediatricians the lowest paid doctors?

Pediatricians received the lowest compensation across primary care specialties in 2024, according to Doximity's 2025 Physician Compensation Report. Pediatric subspecialists' pay also was substantially lower than adult specialists, with gaps ranging from 24% for neurologists to 93% for those in hematology and oncology.

How common is it to fail a shelf exam?

The national pass rate is is 95%, which means 5% fail. This medical school had 50% of their students failing shelf exams. 50%. A shelf exam is a very basic exam that we take at the end of every clinical rotation to make sure that we're proficient.

Is obgyn shelf hard?

The OB/GYN shelf exam covers a broad range of topics including obstetrics, gynecology, reproductive endocrinology, oncology, and primary care issues related to women's health. The depth and breadth of the material can be challenging due to the necessity of understanding both surgical and medical aspects of care.

Will AI take over psychiatry?

AI and LLMs are not going to diminish the demand for human psychiatrists and psychotherapists, they are going to increase it wildly. Long ago in the 1990s, when I was a psychiatry resident, I had the fantasy that psychiatrists would one day be replaced by vending machines.

Are shelf exams curved?

Yes, NBME shelf exams are typically curved to account for variations in test difficulty and student performance. How does the curve work for NBME shelf exams? The curve adjusts scores based on the overall performance of the test-takers, which can help standardize results across different administrations of the exam.

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.
 

What is the rarest doctor?

There isn't one single "rarest" specialty, as it varies by location and data, but fields like Pediatric Ophthalmology, Wound Care, Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine, Medical Microbiology, and Fetal & Perinatal Pathology consistently rank among the least common due to extensive training, niche focus, or limited demand, with some specialties like Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology also having very few active physicians. 

What surgery is called the mother of all surgeries?

The surgery nicknamed the "Mother of All Surgeries" (MOAS) is Cytoreductive Surgery (CRS) combined with Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC), a complex, multi-hour procedure for cancers spreading in the abdominal cavity (like appendix or colorectal cancer) that involves extensive removal of cancerous tissue and bathing the abdomen with heated chemotherapy. It's called this due to its extreme physical demands, long duration, large incisions, and the need to remove all visible disease, making it like several major surgeries in one.
 

What is the most underpaid doctor?

These are the lowest-paid medical specialties, ranked by median salary:

• Pediatric Endocrinology: $218,000.
• Pediatric Infectious Disease: $221,000.
• Pediatrics: $243,000.
• Family Medicine: $255,000.
• Geriatrics: $275,000.
• Preventive Medicine: $275,000.
• Endocrinology: $276,000.
• Infectious Disease: $288,000.

How much do pediatricians make at Harvard?

Average Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians Pediatrician monthly pay in Boston is approximately $16,066, which is 124% above the national average.

Can pediatricians make 300k?

General pediatricians (primary care) have average incomes in the mid-$200,000s. Some subspecialties that involve more acute or high-stakes care pay significantly more. For instance, pediatric cardiologists and critical care specialists often earn between $290,000–$350,000 per year, well above a general pediatrician.

What is the 32 hour rule in medical school?

The "32-hour rule" in medical school admissions refers to a policy where some medical schools focus on an applicant's GPA from their most recent 32 credit hours, often in science courses, instead of their entire undergraduate GPA, benefiting students with a strong upward trend or a solid post-baccalaureate performance. Schools like Wayne State University and LSU Health New Orleans use variations of this to give more weight to recent academic efforts, allowing strong performance in later coursework or post-bacc programs to shine. 

What is the #1 med school in the world?

There isn't one single "No. 1" medical college, as rankings vary, but Harvard Medical School (USA) consistently ranks at or near the top across major lists like QS and U.S. News, often followed closely by institutions like the University of Oxford (UK), Johns Hopkins University (USA), and Stanford University (USA), with other strong contenders including University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and University of Pennsylvania (Perelman).
 

How rare is a 525 mcat?

A 525 MCAT score is extremely rare and exceptional, placing you in the top 1% (100th percentile) of test-takers, just three points shy of a perfect 528, making you a top-tier applicant highly competitive for even the most selective medical schools. While exact numbers vary, only a tiny fraction of test-takers (around 1 in 450 or less) achieve scores of 525+, signifying mastery of the material. 

What is the 70% percentile?

Being in the 70th percentile means you scored better than 70% of the people in a comparison group, or that 70% of the scores in a dataset fall below your score, placing you in the above-average range, as it's higher than the middle (50th percentile) but not the very top (90th-99th). It's a way to rank performance or measurements, common in tests, health (like height/weight), and other statistics.
 

How to cram for IM shelf?

Preparing for the internal medicine shelf exam requires mastering a broad range of topics, from cardiology to infectious diseases. Focus on high-yield resources like UWorld and Step Up to Medicine to solidify your clinical knowledge. Consistent review and practice questions are key to success.

How long is a shelf exam?

The duration of shelf exams can vary by specialty, but most are designed to be completed in a single testing session that lasts around 2.5 to 3 hours. Typically, a shelf exam consists of approximately 110 multiple-choice questions, which assess a broad spectrum of knowledge in a specific clinical area.