Free USMLE guides
First Aid
How to read, understand and finish First Aid. 9 guides.
By Dr. Marish Asudani · Published · Updated
How do I read and finish First Aid for Step 1?
Start with How to Actually Complete First Aid: How to complete First Aid: 4 readings per system (Guide, UWorld apply, review in FA, Foundation Anki), 4-5 days/system, whole book ~8 weeks. Then Why First Aid Is Not Enough on Its Own and What Is the First Aid Guide.
Start here · Method · 8 weeks
How to Actually Complete First Aid
How to complete First Aid: 4 readings per system (Guide, UWorld apply, review in FA, Foundation Anki), 4-5 days/system, whole book ~8 weeks
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Method
Why First Aid Is Not Enough on Its Own
Why reading First Aid alone fails: decode with the First Aid Guide, apply with Mehlman/UWorld, recall with FA Foundation Anki
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Inside the Vault
What Is the First Aid Guide
Explains the Vault First Aid Guide: all 646 pages decoded with Focus On, ELI5, Test Yourself MCQs, walkthroughs, and the page-to-Anki-to-UWorld loop
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Inside the Vault
Inside a First Aid Guide Page
Walkthrough of 1 real First Aid Guide page (p. 596): Focus On, Concept Walkthrough, How is this tested?, 5-second search, page MCQs
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Inside the Vault
ELI5, Test Yourself and the Rule-Out Button — How Every First Aid Page Teaches
Explains the First Aid Guide's ELI5 explanations (2,849, now in page order with topic tabs) and Test Yourself MCQs with the Rule-out elimination button
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Inside the Vault
The AI Tutor — A Teacher on Every Page of First Aid
Explains the Vault AI tutor (Gemini Pro) on every First Aid Guide page and Anki screen: 3-step answers, 30 questions/day, how to ask well
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Method
How to Study Any Step 1 System in 5 to 7 Days
The fixed 5-step order for any Step 1 system in 5-7 days (micro/pharm, active reading, Mehlman, Anki, UWorld) plus every system's days and prerequisites
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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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Review
First Aid 2025 → 2026: Every Change, System by System
Sample of the 367 First Aid 2025-to-2026 changes, 4-5 per system with page numbers, corrections to overwrite and why each matters
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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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