Free USMLE guides
🗓️ Study plans
Full plans, week by week and day by day. 13 guides.
By Dr. Marish Asudani · Published · Updated
Which USMLE Step 1 study plan should I follow?
Start with 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. Then Week 1 to Exam Day — The Whole Road, Before You Start and How to Pass USMLE Step 1 in 2027 (Day 1 to Exam Day) — Video Guide.
Start here · 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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Every guide here runs on one app
First Aid guide, Anki, NBME booster and assessments, in USMLE Vault.
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