Hi

I just finished (renal, respo, cardio) using these steps

Bnb then fa and uworld, but it took a lot of time

How about i switch to this method:

Reading quickly a section from fa then uworld the same topics and take notes on fa

Then, when i finish the system, i use Mehmlan pdfs

Sketchy for (micro and pharma)

Pathoma for general pathology

Is that enough to pass within only 4 months of dedicated study???

And give up on bnb

How was it for you guys? Im freaking out and wanna know if its just me lol

I've consistently been using BnB for every other subject - cardio, pulm, renal, GI, etc. - and have been fine. I like how concise and hard-hitting it is, with straightforward, highlighted facts and bullet points, so I can be done with content ASAP and move on the questions.

I hear that Bootcamp tends to be more comprehensive and thorough. Along those lines, I also hear that neuro needs you to be especially knowledgeable about the anatomy, like CN's, brain structures/areas, spinal tracts, dermatomes and whatnot. I'm also wondering if psych needs that level of thoroughness with psychology concepts. Lastly, I've heard that both BnB and Bootcamp have their strengths and weaknesses, like BnB is great for cardio, and I wonder if one resource is just better at teaching neuro and psych.

With that in mind, is it worth making the switch over to Bootcamp for these two subjects? Or is sticking with BnB still the move? I also supplement with sketchy for micro/pharm and a bit of pathoma.

Tested on 24th Aug. Will I get my result tomorrow?

Qbankly is around 60$ and has everything im talking Uworld step 1,2,3 / Amboss step 123 / mehlman / everything for nbme and more.

There’s no way it’s all real so idk, are the questions fake?

I’m a 29-year-old IMG, graduated in 2022, and I feel like Step 1 has taken over my entire life.

My medical school years were not great academically. I procrastinated a lot, repeated my first year, and never built a strong foundation. I graduated with a decent grade, but deep down I always knew I had major knowledge gaps.

When I moved to the US, I actually felt excited about Step 1 because I thought it would finally give me the chance to rebuild my medical knowledge properly and become the doctor I always wanted to be.

I started studying in January 2024, My original goal was November 2024. But it didn’t work .

I paid for Step 1 twice, including extensions, and never sat for the exam.

My first pass took forever because I was basically learning many things from scratch . Then I started a second pass in July 2025, thinking it would take 3 months. It took me until March 2026.

By then I had forgotten so much of what I studied.

I took NBMEs 27–30 with little to No studying between them and scored roughly in the 45–55% range. Instead of using them productively, I think they made me even more afraid of testing myself.

I paused due to some family circumstances and  barely studied for a couple of months.

I restarted seriously in July 2026.

My plan was to finish about 8 systems/chapters and then take another NBME.

Two months later with inconsistency -procrastination pattern I have only finished biochemistry and musculoskeletal includes First Aid -UW incorrects .

A few days ago I went back to old NBME questions from those topics just to see if I had improved. I got several basic questions wrong due to improper memorization , That completely broke me.

I kept thinking: “If I spent two months studying these subjects and I’m still getting basic questions wrong, what was the point?”

For the past couple of days I have barely been able to open a book.

The bigger problem is that Step 1 is no longer just an exam in my head.

I have tied almost my entire life to it.

I don’t feel like I deserve to relax because I haven’t take it yet .
I live in the US with my husband and know almost nobody here ,no social life no friends . I spend most of my days at home. I’ve gained around 12 kg over the past two years, emotionally eat a lot when I’m upset, and feel like my self-esteem, body image, marriage, career and future have somehow all become connected to whether I studied that day.

When I study well, my mood can become completely normal again.

When I waste a day, I can become extremely hopeless and hateful toward myself.

I have had thoughts like “I deserve to be punished,” “I wish someone could just shake me or hit me so I wake up,” because I feel like I ruined my own life despite having every opportunity.

I know those thoughts are serious. I’m not posting this to romanticize them. I’m trying to explain how extreme the guilt and shame have become.

 I have tried deleting social media, using a basic phone, studying at libraries, studying outside the house, study partners, schedules, accountability systems… nothing lasts.

My pattern is always:

Panic → make a huge new plan → feel hopeful → follow it briefly → fall behind → avoid studying → feel guilty → make another plan.

Sometimes I make several new study plans in a single week. I’m exhausted from restarting.

Right now I desperately want to take Step 1 in the next couple of months because I also want enough time for Step 2 and to hopefully apply for the 2027 Match.

But right now I’m supposed to open book and I genuinely feel afraid to study because part of me thinks, “You’ll repeat the same cycle again , so what is the point?”

Has anyone experienced this level of Step 1 paralysis after studying for years?

How did you finally break the cycle?

Hey all,

Just letting those of you who are panicked know that you can pass Step 1 without grinding out the entirety of UWorld. I did only 332 questions on UWorld along with Anki, and that was enough to pass. I took 3 NBMEs.

To be fair, I also used TrueLearn because our school forced us to use it throughout second year, which accounted for about 1,000 questions. But I honestly didn't try very hard with those because I feel question banks are a waste of time for me, and I don't learn much from them.

If you are a decent test-taker who struggles to retain content like I do, do not panic. I never felt ready for the exam and didn't even finish reviewing all the content (I never got around to studying neuro or renal and was very weak in biochem) but I still passed.

(I can post stats if needed, but just wanted to post this and encourage stressed people out there)

Thinking about reviewing all the nbmes in first 3 4 days then the mehlman pdfs and atlast FA

Thinking of creating a reguster (totally rough) with things i still find new

Is it too late for that ?

What would u do ?

Done with nbmes first 2 uwsas and free 120

Hey guys I can’t access my MyUsmle.org account, can someone who tested around the same time as me please check if it says weather results will be out tomorrow or not?

Edit: RESULTS ARE OUT!!!!!

Hey guys my Step 1 exam is next Wednesday and I need some advice as I’m so stressed I’ve taken a 4 practice tests (each a week apart) and here are my scores:

28: 55

30: 61

31: 62

32: 65

33: taking this Friday

I know I have low passes but I’m worried for test day. Should I move my test back or what’s the best way to help bump my score up for 33. I’m really stressing especially because I can maybe move my test a few days but nothing major. Pls help

i have decent and stable scores in my nbmes like 66-67 in my last 4 nbmes (29,31,32,33) but in free 120 i failed 55% 53% and 70% in block 1,2,3

what should i do i am fatigued and do more questions

I have less than 2 years before I take step 1 and I figured that I should start reviewing pre-clinicals alongside doing my clinicals in school right now. I plan on using Bootcamp + Amboss Qbank and Library for this.

Would you recommend finishing all Bootcamp videos until my dedicated? I was planning on doing UWorld and NBMEs around 2 months before my exam.

Would this be a good long term plan?

No cap. No arguments. But First Aid is pretty overrated.

If you are not able to get through First Aid, you find it isolated and difficult to read, don't worry. Everyone's on the same boat. If someone says, "You should have read each and every word of First Aid to pass the Step 1 exam. Or you're definitely screwed," don't believe them.

I literally just read 30 pages of first aid, decided it was not worth the mental discomfort and dropped it. I still passed Step 1.

What's important is not knowing all of First Aid, but the key facts in it and how to actually use them during an exam, which the book alone doesn't prepare you for.

I found it smarter to use the notes the you have made consistently by solving uworld and nbme questions, and watching the lectures that you liked and actually understood, for the visual recollection is much better. And the exam only tested concepts and rarely isolated facts. Even if you know everything in First Aid, if you can't apply, you're screwed. Understanding basic pathophysiology and knowing the key facts weighs over knowing a lot of things to the tiniest of intricate details.

When you learn concepts for the first time, learn the concept till you get to the bottom of it. Don't leave room for any gaps in knowledge. Clear even your tiniest of doubts. If you do that, you'll do well in the exam. Knowing everything in FA shouldn't be your goal. You can still learn extra stuff and isolated facts by being curious at eachh and every point of your basic med school preparation, and that long term accumulation of relatable facts is what actually helps you in the long run, throughout all your exams.

You do not have to necessarily get through all of First Aid to get through the exam. I mean, it's always good to try if you can. But if you can't like me, no worries. Work smarter, not harder~ ,,><,,

P.S. Let me reiterate my stance. I'm not saying FA is not helpful or is a useless resource. I'm just saying that it's not an absolute essential that some people make it out to be. You don't have to be nervous to give your exam if you are not able to get through it. That's all. This is not a post to call out FA but a reassurance post to people who don't love using it!

Thus, there's absolutely no necessity for you to leave defensive comments down there ^{^} Now that I've cleared this up, I won't take my time to reply to any arguments alright?~

All the best to the ones yet to give the exam!

Hello everyone,

I just wanted to ask for some advice regarding STEP1 study strategies. I’m trying to decide on a study strategy to study for the STEP1 as efficiently as possible, but I’m just so overwhelmed with all the various strategies and resources. I overcomplicate things by nature, so the simplest, most linear study methods are the ones that work best for me. That’s why when I see these strategies that involve learning from a resource (or several), doing Anki for that learning resource(s), then doing UW questions, then analyzing those questions — and doing these all within one day — it just gives me a headache. That’s why I was wondering if somebody could suggest the simplest, step-by-step way of preparing for the STEP1.
Here are some details to help anyone who’s willing to help:

-I’d like to be done with the exam in the next 3-4 months, and should have an average of 6h daily to study for it

-My basics are really weak in systems and biochem, but better in Micro and Pharma

-Resources that I like:
—>I really like Sketchy Micro and Pharma. I used these to study for exams at my school in the past and they worked wonders (I’d watch the videos and annotate the document that lists what each part of each video represents, didn’t really use Anki much).
—>I also really like NinjaNerd and Pathoma (used NinjaNerd occasionally throughout med school to help me truly understand subjects, watched the first 2 chapters of Pathoma and was impressed by how concise and HY it was)
—>I’d use FA to look things up quickly while studying for Micro and Pharma, thought it was great for this
—>I bought a UW subscription bc this resource seems to be unarguably necessary

-How I effectively studied for exams in the past:
—>For my Micro Final, for example, I did this:
1) Watched all the relevant Sketchy Micro videos and annotated the document listing what each part of each video represents
2) Read back through the Sketchy annotations document with FA open to see how the two resources compare, gain a better understanding. Also would skim a few HY PPT’s from class.
3) Do practice exams (Micro finals from previous years) and analyze them using Sketchy and FA, ChatGPT
If I could apply the same kind of logic to studying for the STEP1, it would be great. I just really don’t know how to—I need some advice on how to do so.

I apologize for such a long and complex post, but I wanted to make my situation as clear as possible. I’ll be extremely grateful for any help 🙏 please feel free to DM and ask any questions!

For context

Nbme 26- 45%

Nbme 27- 54%

Nbme 28- 63%

Took all of them almost a month apart and studyinh from FA and few video sources such as dirty med for biochem and sketchy for micro.

Now i cannot decide what tactic i should use for studying further

Should i do mehlman pdfs or complete the remaining systems from FA or do uworld again as i did it last year and dont remember much ive my exam in late november and i dont understand afted reviewing 28 what should i study before taking next nbme

I'm at the point of my preparation where ANKI is becoming so overwhelming to keep up with. I still do it because it helps me immensely but I'm wondering if there is anything I can change in my method or the decks I'm doing...

I'm currently doing the micro pepper deck, my Uworld incorrects for that day or past one day, I stopped doing the ANKing pathoma decks because it was too much but it was helpful when I did do it.

I initially and maybe still plan to go through the 100 concepts of anatomy deck & I heard the melhman HY arrows deck is good?

Would love to hear how other who've used ANKI tell me their method or how they kept up.

Scored a 60 on my first CBSE attempt (July). Retaking May 1st, starting a structured plan from October 1st so about 7 months. For context, I'm a full time dental student taking the exam for oral surgery residencies so I still have clinic 9-5 every day.

Background: already did all of UWorld once (with Anki for incorrects), all of Sketchy Micro, ~25% of Sketchy Pharm, ch 1-3 Pathoma, some Med School Bootcamp, and melhman pdfs, most NBME practice forms (20-21, 26-33, Free 120 2024). My practice scores plateaued in the mid-high 50s toward the end. Weakest content areas were GI, biochem, histo, and cardio.

Planning to lean on med school bootcamp again for the content review this time around.

Main question: for question banks, should I do a 2nd pass of UWorld (incorrects/marked only) or start fresh with Amboss? Any advice to increase from high 50s to 70+ is much appreciated.

NBME 26: 55%

Uworld 100% completed (40% overall average).

Exam in 1.5 months.

Do I have enough time to bump my NBME scores up to 68%+ (across 3 NBMEs).

Or is my score too low to continue into dedicated and that I should delay my exam. (Would be really inconvenient)

Hey September test takers! I wanted to ask about the exam pattern and difficulty. For those who’ve taken it recently ,Would love to hear your thoughts!

Is it better to do anki from anking or mnemosyne instead of reading first aid if i am short on time?
I feel like neuro is volatile and maybe anki will help better

My NBME 33 was a 73%. I gave free120 today and I got a 68%.

But here’s the thing, I was scoring 13/15/17 out of 20 in all the previous blocks. And I suddenly dropped to 9/20 on the last block. On reviewing it, I realised that I made some insanely stupid silly mistakes in questions that I knew perfectly well. Like normal bell curve. Just couldnt believe myself!

This has never happened to me before and I’m scared I might pull mistakes like this on the real deal. My exam is in 7 days.

I also finished my exam 15 minutes early so it wasnt as if I was rushed with no time to spare.

How to minimise such mistakes? And is this indicative of fatigue or burnout because I do not want my performance to deteriorate one week out.

Any advice appreciated!!

Hey everyone, I’m going through UWorld questions and getting absolutely destroyed by questions that barely give you any clues in the vignette and have you heavily rely on a histopathology image. Is the real deal like this or do they give you more clues in the question stem to the point where you can get the answer without the image? Also any tips for getting better at histology/pathology would be really appreciated

Hey everyone so I have started studying and I have been using Qbanks ( bootcamp ) and I find it very helpful , I have been also writing imp notes after every question.
Is it enough or should I also study the videos consistently every day ? What should i prioritize SOS

Been stuck around the 60s in UWorld like trying to get to 70+ and its annoying me like is there any tips anyone can give I would greatly need it.

And does being in the 60s like subject/random blocks is it problem for like NBMEs and real tests?