Free USMLE guides
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By Dr. Marish Asudani · Published · Updated
What free USMLE guides does Dr. Marish Asudani have?
59 free guides for Step 1, Step 2 CK and Step 3, in 15 topics: New in the Vault, Start here, Study plans, Study a system, First Aid, UWorld, NBMEs, Anki, Final weeks & exam day, Resources & tier lists, Consistency & mindset, Failed before, Med school & internship, Step 2 CK, Step 3 & the Match. Not sure where to start? Answer a few quick questions at drmarishasudani.com/guide.
✨ New in the Vault open →
Inside the Vault
The AI Tutor — A Teacher on Every Page of First Aid
Explains the Vault AI tutor (Gemini Pro) on every First Aid Guide page and Anki screen: 3-step answers, 30 questions/day, how to ask well
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Inside the Vault
Anki, Rebuilt — NBME 34, Timed Mode and First Aid on Every Card
Release notes: NBME 34 added to Booster, new Timed mode (60s per side), First Aid page linked on 6,474 cards, and where each deck goes
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Inside the Vault
ELI5, Test Yourself and the Rule-Out Button — How Every First Aid Page Teaches
Explains the First Aid Guide's ELI5 explanations (2,849, now in page order with topic tabs) and Test Yourself MCQs with the Rule-out elimination button
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Inside the Vault
Week 1 to Exam Day — The Whole Road, Before You Start
Explains the Vault schedule's Road to exam day: every block, 3 NBME 1 outcomes (continue/Patch/Rebuild), exam date = NBME 1 + 35 days
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Inside the Vault · 1-2 weeks
The NBME Booster — The Exam Is Already Published. Fourteen Times.
The NBME Booster Anki: forms 20-34 as 4,374 tutored one-line cards by system, run system-wise in the final 1-2 weeks
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Inside the Vault
What Is the First Aid Guide
Explains the Vault First Aid Guide: every one of 646 pages decoded with Focus On, ELI5, Test Yourself MCQs, walkthroughs, and the page-to-Anki-to-UWorld loop
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Inside the Vault
System Guides: Micro + Pharm
Hub of per-system micro and pharm guides: 11 systems plus antimicrobials and anaesthesia, with WRWRT/FWRT methods and SystemWise Micro chart
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🧭 Start here open →
Full plan · 16 weeks
16-Week Step 1 Plan (Screenshot Guides)
The 16-week Step 1 plan in 4 phases: Foundation (Sketchy+pharm days 1-9), Systems in fixed order with day counts, Revision 8-10 days, NBMEs from 27
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Full plan
How to Pass USMLE Step 1 in 2027 (Day 1 to Exam Day) — Video Guide
Chaptered companion to an 18-min video covering the whole Step 1 plan day 1 to exam day, each chapter linked to the deeper guide
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Resources
4 Resources, Not 40 — The Only Step 1 Stack You Need
The 4-resource Step 1 stack (First Aid, UWorld, Sketchy, Mehlman for systems under 65%) run through USMLE Vault
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Mindset
Canon Events — and the Fix for Each
10 common IMG prep mistakes (new plan weekly, B&B, UWorld cold, NBME 28 first, online NBMEs, two notes sets, waiting for internship) and the fix for each
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Inside the Vault
What Is Your One Resource
Explains USMLE Vault's 4 parts: Schedule, University videos/PDFs, First Aid Guide page-by-page, and Foundation/NBME Booster Anki decks; 3 days free
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Resources
Five Resources. Not Forty.
Step 1 needs 5 resources: USMLE Vault, First Aid, UWorld, NBMEs, Mehlman + Neil Randy, each one's job; drop Kaplan, B&B, Bootcamp
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🗓️ Study plans open →
Full plan · 16 weeks
16-Week Step 1 Plan (Screenshot Guides)
The 16-week Step 1 plan in 4 phases: Foundation (Sketchy+pharm days 1-9), Systems in fixed order with day counts, Revision 8-10 days, NBMEs from 27
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Inside the Vault
Week 1 to Exam Day — The Whole Road, Before You Start
Explains the Vault schedule's Road to exam day: every block, 3 NBME 1 outcomes (continue/Patch/Rebuild), exam date = NBME 1 + 35 days
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Full plan
How to Pass USMLE Step 1 in 2027 (Day 1 to Exam Day) — Video Guide
Chaptered companion to an 18-min video covering the whole Step 1 plan day 1 to exam day, each chapter linked to the deeper guide
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Day-by-day plan · 12 weeks
You Already Did UWorld — The 12-Week Plan
12-week Step 1 comeback plan for students who did most of UWorld months ago: audit, 5 weeks consolidation, Foundation Anki, NBME Anki, forms 29-33
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Full plan · 14 weeks
Step 1 During Internship — 14 Weeks
Marish's 14-week Step 1 plan during a full internship: phone-first setup, 10 habits, 3 phases (Sketchy/pharm, systems + UWorld, rapid review + NBMEs)
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Full plan · 5-5.5 months
How to Study for Step 1 in Final Year MBBS (Indian Edition)
Full Step 1 plan alongside Indian final-year MBBS: 11 systems x ~10 days with Marrow/DAMS/PrepLadder, consolidation, first NBME, exam in ~5.5 months
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Full plan · 24 weeks
Giving Step 1 in Third Year
24-week Step 1 plan for third-year students starting cold: 2 weeks foundation, 16 weeks systems in fixed order, 6 weeks NBMEs, 67-68% bar
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Full plan · 12 months
All Three Steps in Under 12 Months
Timeline to pass Step 1 (16 wks compressed), Step 2 CK (6 months) and Step 3 (45 days) in about 11 months with no breaks
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Day-by-day plan · 33 days
The Last Month Before Step 1: The Exact Day-by-Day Plan
Day-by-day 33-day Step 1 plan from NBME 27 to exam: repair round, NBME Booster, full 14-block days, NBMEs 28-33, final week
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Day-by-day plan · 6 days
The Whole of First Aid in Six Days
Revise all of First Aid in 6 days with the Foundation Anki (~2,400 cards, 2 systems/day, 350-400 cards), as pre-NBME reset or mid-system fix
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Real schedule · 34 days
Dr. E's Exact Schedule: 59% Baseline NBME to a Step 1 Pass in 34 Days
US MS3 in rotations goes from 59.5% baseline NBME to a Step 1 pass in 34 days: Foundation Anki, Sketchy deck, NBMEs in 20-question blocks, Booster
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Real schedule · 8 weeks
Ashna's Exact Schedule: NBMEs Stuck at 67% to a Step 1 Pass in 8 Weeks
NBMEs stuck at 67-68% and burnt out to a Step 1 pass in 8 weeks: Sketchy micro, First Aid + FA Guide by system, FA Foundation Anki, NBME Booster Anki, Vault Assessment
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Resources
Step 2 CK — Everything I Used to Score 254
Main free Step 2 CK guide: the 6 resources (notes, Mehlman, Divine PDF, AJmonics, Dr High Yield, Action Potential) and how to start, with the NBME/CMS order
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🫀 Study a system open →
Method · 8 weeks
How to Actually Complete First Aid
How to complete First Aid: 4 readings per system (Guide, UWorld apply, review in FA, Foundation Anki), 4-5 days/system, whole book ~8 weeks
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System plan · 6 days
Sketchy Micro in 6 Days
Day-by-day 6-day Sketchy Micro plan with the WRWRT method, organism lists per day and First Aid pages for same-night MCQs
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Method · 48-72 hours
Complete Pharmacology in 48 Hours
FWRT method to finish all Step 1 high-yield pharmacology in 48-72 hours, with a system-by-system drug-to-resource map and HY Pharm PDF
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System plan
Biochemistry, The Complete Playbook (Step 1)
Biochemistry playbook: split into 7 pieces placed before the systems that need them, a 2-3 day final pass, then repeated revision
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System plan · 6 days
Renal, Start to Finish, in 6 Days
Day-by-day 6-day renal plan: micro/pharm, FA pp. 596-628 active reading, Mehlman, Foundation Anki, UWorld renal with RPSR; renal is free on Vault
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Method
Biostatistics and Ethics
5-step order for biostats and ethics: decode FA pages, FA Guide + HY Biostats PDF, AMBOSS not UWorld, Neil Randy playlists, NBME Anki in revision
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Review
USMLE High-Yield Nutrition Review
High-yield nutrition content review: GI absorption, fat/water-soluble vitamins, minerals, drug-nutrient interactions, refeeding, archetypes, traps, counseling
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Method
Microbiology by System
Microbiology split into 9 system lists with organism counts, and the WRWRT method per organism, tested with First Aid Guide MCQs
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Inside the Vault
System Guides: Micro + Pharm
Hub of per-system micro and pharm guides: 11 systems plus antimicrobials and anaesthesia, with WRWRT/FWRT methods and SystemWise Micro chart
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Method
When Is a System Actually Finished?
5-point checklist for when a Step 1 system is truly finished: all UWorld done, misses traced to First Aid, last 2 blocks >65%, Anki cleared
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Method · 4 days per system
The RPSR Method — How to Solve UWorld
The RPSR method for UWorld: 4 prep days per system (FA Guide, MCQs, Mehlman, Anki), exact UWorld settings, per-question protocol, review in First Aid
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Inside the Vault
What Is the First Aid Guide
Explains the Vault First Aid Guide: every one of 646 pages decoded with Focus On, ELI5, Test Yourself MCQs, walkthroughs, and the page-to-Anki-to-UWorld loop
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Inside the Vault
Inside a First Aid Guide Page
Walkthrough of one real First Aid Guide page (p. 596): Focus On, Concept Walkthrough, How is this tested?, 5-second search, page MCQs
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Inside the Vault
ELI5, Test Yourself and the Rule-Out Button — How Every First Aid Page Teaches
Explains the First Aid Guide's ELI5 explanations (2,849, now in page order with topic tabs) and Test Yourself MCQs with the Rule-out elimination button
›
Inside the Vault
The AI Tutor — A Teacher on Every Page of First Aid
Explains the Vault AI tutor (Gemini Pro) on every First Aid Guide page and Anki screen: 3-step answers, 30 questions/day, how to ask well
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Review
First Aid 2025 → 2026: Every Change, System by System
Sample of the 367 First Aid 2025-to-2026 changes, 4-5 per system with page numbers, corrections to overwrite and why each matters
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📕 First Aid open →
Method · 8 weeks
How to Actually Complete First Aid
How to complete First Aid: 4 readings per system (Guide, UWorld apply, review in FA, Foundation Anki), 4-5 days/system, whole book ~8 weeks
›
Inside the Vault
What Is the First Aid Guide
Explains the Vault First Aid Guide: every one of 646 pages decoded with Focus On, ELI5, Test Yourself MCQs, walkthroughs, and the page-to-Anki-to-UWorld loop
›
Inside the Vault
Inside a First Aid Guide Page
Walkthrough of one real First Aid Guide page (p. 596): Focus On, Concept Walkthrough, How is this tested?, 5-second search, page MCQs
›
Inside the Vault
ELI5, Test Yourself and the Rule-Out Button — How Every First Aid Page Teaches
Explains the First Aid Guide's ELI5 explanations (2,849, now in page order with topic tabs) and Test Yourself MCQs with the Rule-out elimination button
›
Inside the Vault
The AI Tutor — A Teacher on Every Page of First Aid
Explains the Vault AI tutor (Gemini Pro) on every First Aid Guide page and Anki screen: 3-step answers, 30 questions/day, how to ask well
›
Day-by-day plan · 6 days
The Whole of First Aid in Six Days
Revise all of First Aid in 6 days with the Foundation Anki (~2,400 cards, 2 systems/day, 350-400 cards), as pre-NBME reset or mid-system fix
›
Review
First Aid 2025 → 2026: Every Change, System by System
Sample of the 367 First Aid 2025-to-2026 changes, 4-5 per system with page numbers, corrections to overwrite and why each matters
›
📝 UWorld open →
Method · 4 days per system
The RPSR Method — How to Solve UWorld
The RPSR method for UWorld: 4 prep days per system (FA Guide, MCQs, Mehlman, Anki), exact UWorld settings, per-question protocol, review in First Aid
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Method
When Is a System Actually Finished?
5-point checklist for when a Step 1 system is truly finished: all UWorld done, misses traced to First Aid, last 2 blocks >65%, Anki cleared
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Day-by-day plan · 12 weeks
You Already Did UWorld — The 12-Week Plan
12-week Step 1 comeback plan for students who did most of UWorld months ago: audit, 5 weeks consolidation, Foundation Anki, NBME Anki, forms 29-33
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📈 NBMEs open →
NBME strategy
The Exact NBME Order
Exact Step 1 NBME sequence 26-33 in 4 groups, what to finish before each, block format, what scores mean, pairing with Free 120
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Day-by-day plan · 7-10 days
Taking Your First NBME
7-10 day consolidation protocol before first NBME (Sketchy daily, Foundation Anki, 2 NBME 26 blocks/day), 2-pass block method, then NBME 27 simulation
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Method
NBME MCQ Protocol
4-phase method for answering every NBME question: which images/labs to look at, reading the stem, decoding last line, whispering answer; plus SIRS bonus
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Method
NBME Review Protocol
Same-day NBME review system: score check before answers, stem-only re-attempt, practice gap vs knowledge deficit, system-wise one-liner notebook, checklist
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NBME strategy
How to Score More Than 75% on Your NBMEs
5 moves to go from 68% to 75%+ on NBMEs: pacing, fix systems, same-day review, NBME Anki before next form, Neil Randy PDF + HY Arrows
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NBME strategy
Stuck at 62–65% on NBMEs
3 moves to break a 62-65% NBME plateau: Mehlman + AMBOSS for weak systems, Randy Neil and Mehlman Arrows PDFs, NBME Booster deck system-wise
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NBME strategy
How to Know You're Actually Ready
When you're ready to book Step 1: above 68% trending on NBME 31-33, ~25-min block pacing, one full 14-block day
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Inside the Vault · 1-2 weeks
The NBME Booster — The Exam Is Already Published. Fourteen Times.
The NBME Booster Anki: forms 20-34 as 4,374 tutored one-line cards by system, run system-wise in the final 1-2 weeks
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Inside the Vault
The NBME Booster, Pharmacology Only
The pharmacology-only NBME Booster deck: every NBME pharm question as flashcards, run on days 28-29 of the final week
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Inside the Vault
The NBME Images Anki: Every NBME Image, as Flashcards
Explains the NBME Images Anki deck (every NBME image as flashcards) and when to run it: final week, days 30-31 of last-month plan
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Inside the Vault
The Step 1 Assessments
Explains the 2 Vault full-length 280-question Step 1 assessments (Assessment 2 free): format, harder stems, report, and when to take each
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Real schedule · 34 days
Dr. E's Exact Schedule: 59% Baseline NBME to a Step 1 Pass in 34 Days
US MS3 in rotations goes from 59.5% baseline NBME to a Step 1 pass in 34 days: Foundation Anki, Sketchy deck, NBMEs in 20-question blocks, Booster
›
Real schedule · 8 weeks
Ashna's Exact Schedule: NBMEs Stuck at 67% to a Step 1 Pass in 8 Weeks
NBMEs stuck at 67-68% and burnt out to a Step 1 pass in 8 weeks: Sketchy micro, First Aid + FA Guide by system, FA Foundation Anki, NBME Booster Anki, Vault Assessment
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Inside the Vault
Anki, Rebuilt — NBME 34, Timed Mode and First Aid on Every Card
Release notes: NBME 34 added to Booster, new Timed mode (60s per side), First Aid page linked on 6,474 cards, and where each deck goes
›
🗂️ Anki open →
Method
How to Use the Vault Anki Decks
How to use the 2 Vault Anki decks: Foundation (FA page-by-page, 400/day, 5-6 day full pass) and NBME Booster (system by system, final 1-2 weeks), plus Pick & Mix
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Inside the Vault
Anki, Rebuilt — NBME 34, Timed Mode and First Aid on Every Card
Release notes: NBME 34 added to Booster, new Timed mode (60s per side), First Aid page linked on 6,474 cards, and where each deck goes
›
Inside the Vault · 1-2 weeks
The NBME Booster — The Exam Is Already Published. Fourteen Times.
The NBME Booster Anki: forms 20-34 as 4,374 tutored one-line cards by system, run system-wise in the final 1-2 weeks
›
Inside the Vault
The NBME Booster, Pharmacology Only
The pharmacology-only NBME Booster deck: every NBME pharm question as flashcards, run on days 28-29 of the final week
›
Inside the Vault
The NBME Images Anki: Every NBME Image, as Flashcards
Explains the NBME Images Anki deck (every NBME image as flashcards) and when to run it: final week, days 30-31 of last-month plan
›
Day-by-day plan · 6 days
The Whole of First Aid in Six Days
Revise all of First Aid in 6 days with the Foundation Anki (~2,400 cards, 2 systems/day, 350-400 cards), as pre-NBME reset or mid-system fix
›
⏳ Final weeks & exam day open →
Day-by-day plan · 33 days
The Last Month Before Step 1: The Exact Day-by-Day Plan
Day-by-day 33-day Step 1 plan from NBME 27 to exam: repair round, NBME Booster, full 14-block days, NBMEs 28-33, final week
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NBME strategy
How to Know You're Actually Ready
When you're ready to book Step 1: above 68% trending on NBME 31-33, ~25-min block pacing, one full 14-block day
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Resources · 14 days
The Final 14 Days
5 consolidation resources for the last 2 weeks before Step 1: Randy Neil PDF, Mehlman HY Arrows, NBME Booster, antimicrobials video, biostats PDF
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Day-by-day plan · 6 days
The Whole of First Aid in Six Days
Revise all of First Aid in 6 days with the Foundation Anki (~2,400 cards, 2 systems/day, 350-400 cards), as pre-NBME reset or mid-system fix
›
Day-by-day plan · 48 hours
The Day Before Step 1, and Exam Day
Exam day for Step 1: 20 questions, 3 breaths, 20 questions, then a 5-7 minute glucose break; plus a short version of the day before
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Inside the Vault
The NBME Booster, Pharmacology Only
The pharmacology-only NBME Booster deck: every NBME pharm question as flashcards, run on days 28-29 of the final week
›
Inside the Vault
The NBME Images Anki: Every NBME Image, as Flashcards
Explains the NBME Images Anki deck (every NBME image as flashcards) and when to run it: final week, days 30-31 of last-month plan
›
📚 Resources & tier lists open →
Resources
4 Resources, Not 40 — The Only Step 1 Stack You Need
The 4-resource Step 1 stack (First Aid, UWorld, Sketchy, Mehlman for systems under 65%) run through USMLE Vault
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Resources
The Resource Stack — Step 1, 2 & 3
5 resources per exam for Step 1, Step 2 CK and Step 3, in order of use, with each one's rule
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Resources
Five Resources. Not Forty.
Step 1 needs 5 resources: USMLE Vault, First Aid, UWorld, NBMEs, Mehlman + Neil Randy, each one's job; drop Kaplan, B&B, Bootcamp
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Resources
4 Resources I Would Never Use Again
Why Marish dropped Boards & Beyond, Kaplan, USMLE Rx and Pixorize for Step 1, and what replaces each
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Resources
How to Use Mehlman Medical
How to use Mehlman Medical: videos not PDFs (HY Arrows the exception), full system playlist in ~1 day as a fixed step in every system
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Resources
The Seven Sheets
7 free Step 1 sheets/decks (Sketchy, HY Pharm PDF, FA Guide, Neil Randy PDF, Mehlman Arrows, Foundation Anki, NBME Booster) with when each enters prep
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Method
How to Use the Vault Anki Decks
How to use the 2 Vault Anki decks: Foundation (FA page-by-page, 400/day, 5-6 day full pass) and NBME Booster (system by system, final 1-2 weeks), plus Pick & Mix
›
Resources
How to Use YouTube for Step 1
5 free YouTube resources for Step 1 (Mehlman, Neil Randy, Dirty Medicine, antimicrobials video, Vault page-mapped videos) and how to avoid rabbit holes
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🧠 Consistency & mindset open →
Mindset
The Accountability System — How to Actually Stay on Track for Step 1
The accountability system for Step 1: hard target score, hard exam date, ticked daily tasks, community (Vault check-ins, leaderboard, study partner)
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Mindset
The Part Nobody Plans For
Accountability for Step 1: Vault Accountability Partner check-ins, Monday-reset leaderboard (80% earns the day), and finding one study partner in your week
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Mindset
Canon Events — and the Fix for Each
10 common IMG prep mistakes (new plan weekly, B&B, UWorld cold, NBME 28 first, online NBMEs, two notes sets, waiting for internship) and the fix for each
›
🔁 Failed before open →
Day-by-day plan · 12 weeks
You Already Did UWorld — The 12-Week Plan
12-week Step 1 comeback plan for students who did most of UWorld months ago: audit, 5 weeks consolidation, Foundation Anki, NBME Anki, forms 29-33
›
NBME strategy
Stuck at 62–65% on NBMEs
3 moves to break a 62-65% NBME plateau: Mehlman + AMBOSS for weak systems, Randy Neil and Mehlman Arrows PDFs, NBME Booster deck system-wise
›
NBME strategy
How to Know You're Actually Ready
When you're ready to book Step 1: above 68% trending on NBME 31-33, ~25-min block pacing, one full 14-block day
›
Mindset
Canon Events — and the Fix for Each
10 common IMG prep mistakes (new plan weekly, B&B, UWorld cold, NBME 28 first, online NBMEs, two notes sets, waiting for internship) and the fix for each
›
🎓 Med school & internship open →
Day-by-day plan · 4 years
First Year to Final Year
Year-by-year MBBS roadmap mapped to Step 1: what to study in years 1-4, plus the one habit of writing everything into First Aid
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Method · 1 year
How to Study for USMLE in First Year
How first-year med students build Step 1 foundation: physiology (Guyton/Najeeb), anatomy, neuroanatomy, biochem system-wise, annotating everything into First Aid
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Method · 1 year
How to Study for USMLE in Second Year
Second-year Step 1 integration: Sketchy micro, then pathology (Pathoma, FA Guide, Robbins), then pharmacology via HY Pharm PDF, system by system
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Full plan · 24 weeks
Giving Step 1 in Third Year
24-week Step 1 plan for third-year students starting cold: 2 weeks foundation, 16 weeks systems in fixed order, 6 weeks NBMEs, 67-68% bar
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Full plan · 5-5.5 months
How to Study for Step 1 in Final Year MBBS (Indian Edition)
Full Step 1 plan alongside Indian final-year MBBS: 11 systems x ~10 days with Marrow/DAMS/PrepLadder, consolidation, first NBME, exam in ~5.5 months
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Full plan · 14 weeks
Step 1 During Internship — 14 Weeks
Marish's 14-week Step 1 plan during a full internship: phone-first setup, 10 habits, 3 phases (Sketchy/pharm, systems + UWorld, rapid review + NBMEs)
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Real schedule · under 12 months
MBBS to Match
Marish's MBBS-to-Match timeline: Step 1 in 14 weeks, Step 2 CK 254 in 20 weeks, Step 3 in 25 days, 3 USCEs, matched IM
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🩺 Step 2 CK open →
Resources
Step 2 CK — Everything I Used to Score 254
Main free Step 2 CK guide: the 6 resources (notes, Mehlman, Divine PDF, AJmonics, Dr High Yield, Action Potential) and how to start, with the NBME/CMS order
›
Method
NBME MCQ Protocol
4-phase method for answering every NBME question: which images/labs to look at, reading the stem, decoding last line, whispering answer; plus SIRS bonus
›
Method
NBME Review Protocol
Same-day NBME review system: score check before answers, stem-only re-attempt, practice gap vs knowledge deficit, system-wise one-liner notebook, checklist
›
🏥 Step 3 & the Match open →
Full plan · 12 months
All Three Steps in Under 12 Months
Timeline to pass Step 1 (16 wks compressed), Step 2 CK (6 months) and Step 3 (45 days) in about 11 months with no breaks
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Real schedule · under 12 months
MBBS to Match
Marish's MBBS-to-Match timeline: Step 1 in 14 weeks, Step 2 CK 254 in 20 weeks, Step 3 in 25 days, 3 USCEs, matched IM
›
Resources
The Resource Stack — Step 1, 2 & 3
5 resources per exam for Step 1, Step 2 CK and Step 3, in order of use, with each one's rule
›
Every guide here runs on one app
First Aid guide, Anki, NBME booster and assessments, in USMLE Vault.
Try USMLE Vault free for 3 days →Want a plan made for you? Book a free call with Dr. Marish