Free USMLE guides
🧪 Micro, pharm & biochem
The subjects that run through every system: micro, pharm, biochem and biostats. 11 guides.
By Dr. Marish Asudani · Published · Updated
How do I study micro, pharm and biochem for Step 1?
Start with 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. Then Microbiology by System and Complete Pharmacology in 48 Hours.
Start here · 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
›
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
›
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
›
Method · 90 minutes
All of Antibiotics in 90 Minutes
Memorise all Step 1 antibiotics: 1 free 90-minute video, FA Foundation Anki antimicrobial cards, HY Pharm PDF highlights, Osmosis groups, repeat 3x over 30 days
›
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
›
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
›
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
›
System plan · 3 days
Biostats and Ethics (PHS), Start to Finish, in 3 Days
Public health sciences (biostats, epidemiology, ethics) in 3 days: First Aid reading, playlists, FA Foundation decks, 6 UWorld blocks
›
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
›
Resources
The USMLE Micro Resources Tier List
Microbiology resources ranked: Sketchy, Mehlman micro, the FA Guide micro pages, Dirty Medicine, B&B, Pixorize
›
Resources
The USMLE Pharmacology Tier List
Pharmacology resources ranked: the HY Pharm PDF, Antimicrobials in 90 minutes, Mehlman pharm, the NBME Booster pharm deck
›
Not sure this is the right topic? Answer a few quick questions
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