It’s been a long time coming for me to write this post. But I finally get to it – here are the top resources to honor your psychiatry shelf!
Below I’ll suggest the top 5 resources which helped me kill my psychiatry rotation and shelf exam!
But first, I want to talk about Step 2 CK. I know you don’t want to hear it but that test will be here sooner than later. To help you, I’ve created a free step-by-step guide on how I studied to crush the exam.
You can find the free guide here.
Now let’s get to the top resources for the psychiatry rotation (If you want to become a psychiatrist, check out this post here!).
First Aid Psychiatry (A):
The nice thing about the psychiatry rotation is that the topics are easier to master (in my opinion).
Psychiatry is truly the ability to identify patterns, time frames, and behaviors to come to a diagnosis.
Because the material is a bit easier, your need for fancy resources is not needed.
So one of the top resources for the psychiatry shelf is first aid.
No it’s not the same first aid which gave you step 1 nightmare. This is First Aid Psychiatry.
It’s a pretty small book (about 150 pages) which makes it great for a rotation.
You can go through it several times through a rotation and it’s really all you need for the rotation.
Don’t worry I’ll share more resources for the psychiatry shelf next, but I’d recommend grabbing an updated edition of First Aid. The DSM criteria change throughout the years and the psychiatry shelf exams will also change accordingly.
You can check out First Aid For The Psychiatry Clerkship here.
See Reviews On AmazonOnlineMedEd (A):
OnlineMedEd has been one of my favorite resources during my third year in med school.
The same is true for your psychiatry rotation and shelf.
Honestly, I was expecting to use OME at all for this test, but the practice questions and videos blew me away.
The videos made psych so simple!
In particular, the psych drugs we have to know for the shelf always made my anxious. They never came easily to me.
But after using OME, I crushed that section on the test!
In addition, the practice questions surprised me. I thought after going through UWORLD that I would know what I needed to know. But then I started getting stumped by some of OME questions.
Those practice questions definitely saved my butt on the psychiatry shelf exam.
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UWORLD Psychiatry (A+)
UWORLD is almost always great for all your rotations. The same is true for your psychiatry shelf exam.
There are about 160-170 questions on the Psych section of UWORLD which is honestly more than enough.
UWORLD does a great job of giving you many versions of a disease like bipolar, schizophrenia, and depression so you can practice differentiating common presentations.
Honestly, you should be able to get a great score on your shelf exam by going through UWORLD 2X.
Two cycles through UWORLD is really the magic number to be able to distinguish minor differences between diseases. After that, you’ll be a pro at answer the clinical vignettes.
As always, I recommend going through UWORLD from day one and front-loading your questions.
There are two benefits to this.
- You learn the high-yield info quicker and can look more impressive on the rotation
- Have more time to review at the end of the rotation for the shelf exam.
Want to learn exactly how I studied for my shelf exams during my rotations? Check out this step-by-step post on how to ace on your shelf exams.
Click here to read the post!
NBME Psychiatry Shelf Exam Practice Questions (A):
There’s no better practice than questions from the makers of the real thing.
Thus one of the best resources to honor your psychiatry shelf exam are the NBME practice tests.
The psych shelf again is all about knowing the small variations between diseases. How does schizophrenia differ from schizophreniform? How do you distinguish between borderline personality and dependent personality disorders?
These small nuances are found through practice. So try to go through as many NBME practice exams (if not all) during your final two weeks of your rotation.
Lange Psychiatry:
I can’t give a grade to Lange Psychiatry because I didn’t use it. But it is a commonly recommended resource for the psychiatry shelf exam.
Are you someone who needs extra practice questions? How do 800+ questions sound?
Lange Psychiatry is similar to other resources like Pre-Test in that the entire text is Q&A format.
If you enjoy going through one subject at a time and then testing yourself, Lange Psychiatry is perfect for you.
In addition, the book has two full-length practice exams at the end to give you even more practice if you need it!
For students who have used the resource, it seems to be a great add-on resource to something like OME or first aid. You can then take it with you on the wards and do questions during downtime (I had a good deal during my psych rotation).
Check out Lange Psychiatry and the reviews from other students here.
See Reviews On AmazonThere you have it. These were the top resources for the psychiatry rotation. If you use one or more of these resources, you’re highly likely to crush your psych shelf exam and get honors on the rotation!
Have any resources that I missed? Comment below so I can add it to the list!
Enjoyed this blog post? Then I’m sure you’ll enjoy the following as well!
How I Raised My Step 2 Score By 25+ Points
Top Resources for Your Internal Medicine Rotation
How To Get Honors on Your Rotations
How To Write Better Progress Notes
How To Study on Your Clinical Rotation (Step-By-Step Guide)
Ultimate Guide on How To Study For Step 2 CK
How To Give Better Patient Presentations On Your Rotations [How To Get Honors]
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That’s it for now! Hope to see around soon!
Until next time my friend…
