# The USMLE Pharmacology Tier List

> USMLE pharmacology resources tier list: the HY Pharmacology PDF and Antimicrobials in 90 minutes (S), Sketchy pharm, Osmosis, Mehlman, Neil Randy and the NBME Booster pharm deck (A), Dirty Medicine and Ninja Nerd (B), Pixorize (D), Kaplan (F).

URL: https://drmarishasudani.com/tier-list-pharmacology
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## Questions this guide answers

- **What is the best resource for USMLE pharmacology?** The High-Yield Pharmacology PDF and my Antimicrobials in 90 minutes video are S tier. Sketchy pharm, Osmosis, Mehlman pharm, Neil Randy pharm and the NBME Booster pharmacology deck are A. Dirty Medicine and Ninja Nerd pharm are B. Pixorize is D and Kaplan is F.

## Page text

USMLE Vault · Step 1 · Tier list 6 of 6
The USMLE pharmacology tier list
For IMGs who keep restarting pharm: the order that makes it finite.
By Dr. Marish Asudani · Published 26 October 2026
What is the best resource for USMLE pharmacology?
The High-Yield Pharmacology PDF and my Antimicrobials in 90 minutes video are S tier. Sketchy pharm, Osmosis, Mehlman pharm, Neil Randy pharm and the NBME Booster pharmacology deck are A. Dirty Medicine and Ninja Nerd pharm are B. Pixorize is D and Kaplan is F.
Read this first I studied pharmacology from Sketchy, Osmosis, Kaplan and Dirty Medicine before I found the method that worked. Pharmacology isn't hard. Pharmacology is disorganised.
Every name below opens it. Here is how to read the tiers:
S In my stack. Use it fully.
A The best for a specific job.
B Useful in one situation.
C Good in places, but the wrong anchor, or a slot that's already filled.
D A bad trade for your hours.
F Skip it.
Students who did this
Real students, in their own words, on the exact tools in this guide. Tap to play.
Dr. K · Passed Step 1 An honest review of Vault Anki
Karthik · Passed Step 1 An honest review of Vault Anki
Try a free 3-day trial → usmlevault.com · no card needed
6
Tier list 6 of 6 Pharmacology resources
Osmosis, Sketchy, the First Aid Guide , Dirty Medicine, Kaplan, Pixorize, and a couple more. Tap any name to open it.
S
HY Pharmacology PDF Antimicrobials in 90 minutes
A
Sketchy pharm Osmosis Mehlman pharm Neil Randy pharm NBME Booster pharm
B
Dirty Medicine pharm Ninja Nerd pharm
D
Pixorize
F
Kaplan
S
The top All of antimicrobials in 90 minutes
S My own video. A topic that feels endless, made finite, and free. It's the largest single hour-for-hour return in all of Step 1 pharmacology .
▶ Antimicrobials in under 90 minutes UsmleMatch · free
Watch it once at the start, then again 1 week before your exam. Then do the antimicrobials in the NBME Booster pharmacology deck . The full antibiotics plan →
The pharm the NBMEs actually asked The NBME Booster pharmacology deck: 338 cards from NBME 20 to 34 and the Free 120. Opens straight into the deck.
Open pharm Booster →
↓
Top to bottom The rest of the pharm list, and why
The syllabus S The High-Yield Pharmacology PDF
Why: every high-yield drug by system, and the 1 resource to learn each from. "This one document is what turns 3 weeks into 2 days."
▶ Pharmacology in 48 hours, with the PDF How to use it, page by page
PDF The High-Yield Pharmacology PDF Free. Also in the Vault University.
Per the map A Sketchy pharm
Why: the map names it for antiarrhythmics, digoxin, insulin and sulfonylureas, and the renal drugs.
Per the map A Osmosis
Why: the map names it for neurology, anaesthesia, psychiatry, antihistamines, most antimicrobial groups, metformin and SGLT2 inhibitors.
Free playlist A Mehlman · Pharmacology
Why: short and dense, the way he does every system. His micro and pharm playlists are the ones I use for Step 3, with First Aid open.
▶ Mehlman · Pharmacology Playlist
Free playlist A Neil Randy · Pharmacology
Why: the most slept-on channel on YouTube, and his pharmacology is no exception. Run it before an NBME.
▶ Neil Randy · Pharmacology Playlist
Final week A NBME Booster pharmacology
Why: the final-week deck of every NBME pharm question.
Open the deck ↗ · The whole NBME Booster →
Per the map B Dirty Medicine · Pharmacology
Why: the map names it for the lipid-lowering drugs, plus 3 lipid metabolism videos watched first.
▶ Dirty Medicine · Pharmacology Playlist
Free playlist B Ninja Nerd · Pharmacology
Why: free, but long, and the map doesn't name it for any drug group.
▶ Ninja Nerd · Pharmacology Playlist
Pharm with the First Aid page open The First Aid Guide teaches general pharmacology page by page, with MCQs under every page.
Open pharmacology →
Mnemonics D Pixorize
Why: use "Sketchy plus Osmosis for pharmacology — but only where the map tells you to" instead. pixorize.com ↗
Course F Kaplan
Why: I studied pharm from Kaplan before I built the method, and it isn't on the map for a single drug group. Same F as the Step 1 list .
The top of every list, on a schedule
Want a day-by-day schedule that tells you exactly what to study next? The Vault builds it around your exam date.
Build my schedule on usmlevault.com/schedule →
The top of every list, already in one place.
The First Aid Guide , both Anki decks ( FA Foundation and NBME Booster ), the free PDFs and your schedule . Renal is free.
Open usmlevault.com →
usmlevault.com/schedule · free for your first 3 days
Read next
Pharmacology in 48 hours — the HY Pharm PDF, used properly.
All of antibiotics in 90 minutes — the S-tier video, and what to do after.
NBME Booster pharmacology — the final-week deck.
The micro tier list — the bugs those drugs kill.
USMLE Vault · The USMLE Pharmacology Tier List · Created 2026-10-26
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## Source

USMLE Vault — https://usmlevault.com
Author: Dr. Marish Asudani

Updated: 2026-10-26