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SOM Peer to Peer Resources

AOA Guidance

Do not underestimate this shelf; it can be pretty hard, especially if you’re taking it before Medicine, Pediatrics, and Ob/Gyn. It is a very comprehensive exam with many topics that are fair game. Know your common chronic diseases and musculoskeletal diseases very well because they come up very often on the shelf. AAFP recommendations are critical to learn. Treatment guidelines for diseases like hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and asthma will be covered. Make sure to review biostats as well, but there won’t be more than a couple questions.

 

Advice from the Class of 2021:
  • Exam Guru is highly recommended.
  • Use UWorld Ortho questions from the surgery section. AAFP wasn’t that good and had some wrong answers.
  • The NBME is a lot harder if you are taking it before Internal Medicine. If after IM, then don't need to do as many questions and can just do ExamGuru.
  • This is a hard shelf and very broad. It helps to have this later on in the year; if that’s not possible, just do your best with OnlineMedEd videos and learn USPSTF guidelines.
  • Having IM before helps, but the inverse is also true. Emphasis during this rotation is on MSK and derm.
  • Highly recommend Exam Guru since UWorld doesn't have a specific section for Family Medicine-specific topics and you would have to pick and choose to go through the medicine questions. AAFP also has good articles and management recommendations to go through for cases you see in the clinic.
  • Memorize USPSTF guidelines; Study musculoskeletal stuff (our school adds a clinical MSK section to the shelf).
  • Aquifer cases are long, but HIGH YIELD if you can manage them!
  • Highly recommend Exam Guru - I felt like it was the only resource with NBME-style questions. Know the USPTF guidelines!!!! It was also helpful to read the ambulatory medicine section of Step Up to Medicine. I felt the AAFP questions and most other resources were somewhat useless.

Resources

Practice NBMEs

AOA - "Good resource for practice questions that simulate the real thing."

OnlineMedEd - Family Medicine

AOA - "Specific videos recommended by OME for the Family Medicine shelf."

Exam Guru - Family Medicine

AOA - "A newer resource used by many students and comes highly recommended. Some of the questions are simple, but it is still a good resource."