Weekly Exam Instructions
Weekly exams are given using the software "Blackboard" via the Internet. The exams are password protected and the passwords will be active for the entire surgical clerkship rotation. These exams are provided to you as a study/learning tool for the NBME Surgery Shelf Exam and it's your responsibility to take one exam each week. These exams will count for 10% of your final grade.
Note: Your browser should be upgraded to the most current version before you attempt to take these exams. Free upgrades are available on the Internet.
Important: If your connection is interrupted at any time during your exam before you submit your answers, all answers will be lost—as a precaution, you may want to write your answers on a piece of paper as you take the exam in case your connection is interrupted, then you'll at least have your answers to reenter.
1. Log on to Blackboard.
2. Enter your user name (first initial and last name).
3. Enter your password (this was given to you as a second-year student when you were given access to Blackboard). If you do not remember your password, contact the Department of Surgery office on your campus to receive a new one.
4. This will take you to the first page of the program—under "My Courses" click on the appropriate course (Third-Year Surgical Clerkship or ROME/MILE Third Year Surgery)—this will take you to the Announcement Page.
5. Click on the exam you are going to take.
6. Enter the Password you were provided for the selected exam, then click Submit—the test is not timed and can be saved and resumed later. But once the test is completed, it cannot be taken again.
When you are finished taking the exam, at the end you will submit your answers. All multiple-choice questions will be graded immediately, and your grade will reflect only the multiple-choice questions. The essay will be graded manually by an instructor; then your grade is revised according to the points you received for your essay.
When the computer shows you your grade, it will also show you the question as well as the answer you selected and tell you if the answer you selected was right or wrong. It will not tell you what the correct answer is. You may print your exam results at this time to use as a study tool for the NBME Shelf Exam in Surgery. If you do not choose to print your exam at this time, it can be done at a later date under Student Tools.
At any time, you can go under Tools and view your grades and exams. If your recorded grade is an exclamation mark instead of a letter grade, this means that your essay question has not yet been graded. As soon as the instructor has graded your essay question, your grade will be revised and the final grade will be listed. If you wish to print your exam for review purposes, click on your grade for the exam you want to review, and it will appear on your screen. Click Print on the top control bar.