The Surgery Shelf Exam is one of the most challenging exams in medical school. With its mix of surgical knowledge, perioperative medicine, and clinical decision-making, students often struggle to balance studying with the demanding hours of their surgery rotation.
If you're wondering:
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How hard is the Surgery Shelf Exam?
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What are the best resources to use?
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How can I pass (or even honor) the exam with minimal study time?
You're in the right place.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll break down:
✔ The best high-yield resources (Pestana, UWorld, NBMEs, and more)
✔ Proven study strategies from top scorers
✔ How to balance shelf prep with a brutal surgery rotation
✔ Common pitfalls to avoid
✔ A step-by-step study plan to maximize efficiency
Plus, we’ll show you how our exclusive Surgery Shelf Exam Package can help you dominate the exam with less stress.
🚀 Click here to get the Surgery Shelf Exam Package now! 🚀
Why Is the Surgery Shelf Exam So Hard?
The Surgery Shelf Exam is notorious for being medicine-heavy, despite its name. Many students report seeing more internal medicine-style questions than actual surgical technique questions.
What’s Tested on the Surgery Shelf?
The exam covers:
✅ Perioperative care (pre-op & post-op management)
✅ Trauma & critical care (ATLS principles, shock, burns)
✅ Surgical subspecialties (GI, endocrine, vascular, breast, etc.)
✅ When to operate vs. when to manage medically
✅ Complications (infections, wound healing, electrolyte imbalances)
Unlike other shelf exams, you can’t just memorize facts—you need strong clinical reasoning skills.
Best Resources for the Surgery Shelf Exam (2024 Edition)
1. UWorld Surgery + Medicine (MUST DO)
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Why? The Surgery Shelf is ~30-40% medicine, so doing both UWorld Surgery and IM is critical.
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How? Aim for 60-80 questions/day if you have a week to study.
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Pro Tip: Focus on GI, electrolytes, perioperative care, and trauma.
2. Pestana’s Surgery Notes (High-Yield Book)
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Why? This short, concise book is the #1 recommended resource by students.
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How? Read it twice—once at the start and once before the exam.
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Pro Tip: The audio lectures (available online) are great for commutes.
3. NBME Practice Exams (Best Predictor of Score)
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Why? The NBMEs are the closest to the real exam.
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How? Take NBME 5, 6, 7, and 8 (if time allows).
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Pro Tip: Use these to identify weak areas 1-2 weeks before the exam.
4. Surgical Recall (For OR & Pimping, Less for Shelf)
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Why? Great for clinical rotations but lower yield for the shelf.
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How? Use it for quick review of high-yield topics.
5. Online MedEd Surgery + IM Videos (For Visual Learners)
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Why? Helps reinforce concepts quickly.
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How? Watch at 1.5x speed during downtime.
6. Anki (For Spaced Repetition)
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Why? Helps retain high-yield facts.
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How? Use the Dorian or AnKing Surgery deck.
Surgery Shelf Study Plan (1-Week vs. 4-Week Strategy)
If You Have 1 Week to Study:
📅 Day 1-2: Read Pestana’s Surgery Notes + 50 UWorld Surgery Qs/day
📅 Day 3-4: UWorld Medicine (GI, electrolytes, peri-op) + NBME Form
📅 Day 5-6: Second pass of Pestana + Incorrects
📅 Day 7: Final NBME + Review Weak Areas
If You Have 4 Weeks to Study:
📅 Week 1-2: Pestana + UWorld Surgery (40 Qs/day)
📅 Week 3: UWorld Medicine + NBME
📅 Week 4: Second pass + Incorrects + Final NBME
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Only studying surgery questions (you need medicine too!)
❌ Ignoring NBME practice tests (best predictor of your score)
❌ Cramming the night before (this exam requires reasoning, not just memorization)
❌ Skipping perioperative care (huge chunk of the exam)
How Our Surgery Shelf Package Can Help You
Studying for the Surgery Shelf while surviving a brutal rotation is tough. That’s why we’ve created the ultimate Surgery Shelf Exam Package, including:
🔥 High-Yield Notes (condensed from Pestana, UWorld, NBMEs)
🔥 100+ Flashcards (key concepts you must know)
🔥 NBME Breakdowns (most-tested topics)
🔥 Test-Taking Strategies (how to eliminate wrong answers fast)
🚀 Get the Surgery Shelf Exam Package Here! 🚀
Final Thoughts: Can You Pass with Just Pestana & UWorld?
Yes! Many students report passing (or even honoring) with just:
✔ Pestana’s Notes (read 2x)
✔ UWorld Surgery + IM (focus on incorrects)
✔ 2 NBME Practice Tests
But if you want to maximize your score with minimal effort, our Surgery Shelf Package gives you the edge.
📌 Bottom Line: Start early, focus on medicine topics, and practice with NBMEs.
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Good luck—you’ve got this! 🎯