# The USMLE Tier Lists

> The 6 USMLE tier lists: Step 1 resources, YouTube channels, qbanks, micro, Anki decks and pharmacology, each with the reason behind every placement and a button that opens every resource.

URL: https://drmarishasudani.com/tier-lists
Canonical: https://drmarishasudani.com/tier-lists

## Questions this guide answers

- **Which Step 1 resources are worth it in 2026?** One filter decides every list: if a resource doesn't move your UWorld score, it isn't a Step 1 resource. On that filter, Kaplan is F tier, and the top of each list is Mehlman and Neil Randy (YouTube), UWorld (qbanks), Sketchy (micro), the FA Foundation and NBME Booster Anki (decks), and the HY Pharm PDF with Antimicrobials in 90 minutes (pharm).

## Page text

USMLE Vault · Step 1 & Step 2 CK
The USMLE tier lists: Step 1 resources, YouTube, qbanks, micro, Anki, pharm
Every resource you've asked me to rank, in 6 lists. Pick the one you need.
By Dr. Marish Asudani · Published 22 October 2026 · Updated 26 October 2026
Which Step 1 resources are worth it in 2026?
One filter decides every list: if a resource doesn't move your UWorld score, it isn't a Step 1 resource. On that filter, Kaplan is F tier , and the top of each list is Mehlman and Neil Randy (YouTube), UWorld (qbanks), Sketchy (micro), the FA Foundation and NBME Booster Anki (decks), and the HY Pharm PDF with Antimicrobials in 90 minutes (pharm).
Read this first Every week someone asks me to rank a resource. So every list now has its own page, and every name on every list is a button that opens it. Not "the explanation was good". Did your UWorld number go up?
Here is how to read the tiers, on every list:
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. N · Passed Step 1 An honest review of USMLE Vault
Dr. Rana · Passed Step 1 An honest review of USMLE Vault
Try a free 3-day trial → usmlevault.com · no card needed
6
The lists Pick a tier list
Tier list 1 Step 1 resources S First Aid UWorld USMLE Vault The NBMEs Mehlman Neil Randy Sketchy
F Kaplan
Open the list →
Tier list 2 YouTube channels S Mehlman Medical Neil Randy
A Dirty Medicine AJmonics
Open the list →
Tier list 3 Qbanks S UWorld
A AMBOSS USMLE Vault MCQs
C USMLE Rx
Open the list →
Tier list 4 Micro S Sketchy Micro
A Mehlman micro
D Ninja Nerd micro
Open the list →
Tier list 5 Anki decks S FA Foundation Anki NBME Booster Anki
A Tzanki (Step 2 CK)
Open the list →
Tier list 6 Pharmacology S HY Pharmacology PDF Antimicrobials in 90 minutes
Open the list →
The top of every list, in 1 place The First Aid Guide, the FA Foundation Anki and the NBME Booster Anki, the free PDFs and your schedule. Renal is free.
Open renal →
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
Five resources, not forty — the whole Step 1 stack.
4 resources I would never use again — and what replaces each.
4 resources, not 40 — why the list is this short.
The seven free sheets — each with the rule for when it comes in.
The resource stack — Step 1, Step 2 CK and Step 3.
USMLE Vault · The USMLE Tier Lists · Created 2026-10-22
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## Source

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

Updated: 2026-10-26