USMLE in med school
Step 1 in med school
Tap your year. Your guides are in order: start with the first one.
By Dr. Marish Asudani · Published · Updated
How should I prepare for USMLE Step 1 in med school?
It depends on your year. In 1st and 2nd year, learn the systems with First Aid alongside your classes. In 3rd year, build the core 4 resources. In final year (4th or 5th), run a full Step 1 plan. Pick your year below for the guides, in order.
1st year
1
Start here · Method · 1 year
How to Study for USMLE in First Year
How first-year med students build Step 1 foundation: physiology (Guyton/Najeeb), anatomy, neuroanatomy, biochem system-wise, annotating everything into First Aid
Open this guide →2
Day-by-day plan · 4 years
First Year to Final Year
Year-by-year MBBS roadmap mapped to Step 1: what to study in years 1-4, plus the 1 habit of writing everything into First Aid
Open this guide →3
Resources
Boards & Beyond in 2026: The 6 Videos Still Worth It, and What to Do Instead
When Boards & Beyond is still worth it (3rd/final year, neuro, GI), the 6 videos to keep, and the faster per-system alternative for graduates
Open this guide →4
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
Open this guide →5
Inside the Vault
What Is Your One Resource
Explains USMLE Vault's 4 parts: Schedule, University videos/PDFs, First Aid Guide page-by-page, and Foundation/NBME Booster Anki decks; 3 days free
Open this guide →6
Resources
YouTube Instead of Brainrot
Curated free YouTube videos to watch instead of scrolling, in 3 editions: Step 1 prep, first-year (anatomy/physio/biochem), and the week before Step 1
Open this guide →2nd year
1
Start here · Method · 1 year
How to Study for USMLE in Second Year
Second-year Step 1 integration: Sketchy micro, then pathology (Pathoma, FA Guide, Robbins), then pharmacology via HY Pharm PDF, system by system
Open this guide →2
Day-by-day plan · 4 years
First Year to Final Year
Year-by-year MBBS roadmap mapped to Step 1: what to study in years 1-4, plus the 1 habit of writing everything into First Aid
Open this guide →3
Resources
Boards & Beyond in 2026: The 6 Videos Still Worth It, and What to Do Instead
When Boards & Beyond is still worth it (3rd/final year, neuro, GI), the 6 videos to keep, and the faster per-system alternative for graduates
Open this guide →4
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
Open this guide →5
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
Open this guide →6
Inside the Vault
What Is Your One Resource
Explains USMLE Vault's 4 parts: Schedule, University videos/PDFs, First Aid Guide page-by-page, and Foundation/NBME Booster Anki decks; 3 days free
Open this guide →3rd year
1
Start here · 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
Open this guide →2
Resources
4 Resources, Not 40 — The Only Step 1 Stack You Need
The 4-resource Step 1 stack (First Aid, UWorld, Sketchy, Mehlman for systems under 65%) run through USMLE Vault
Open this guide →3
System plan · 6 days
Sketchy Micro in 6 Days
Day-by-day 6-day Sketchy Micro plan with the WRWRT method, organism lists per day and First Aid pages for same-night MCQs
Open this guide →4
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
Open this guide →5
Inside the Vault
What Is Your One Resource
Explains USMLE Vault's 4 parts: Schedule, University videos/PDFs, First Aid Guide page-by-page, and Foundation/NBME Booster Anki decks; 3 days free
Open this guide →6
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
Open this guide →Final year (4th or 5th)
1
Start here · 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
Open this guide →2
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
Open this guide →3
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
Open this guide →4
Resources
4 Resources, Not 40 — The Only Step 1 Stack You Need
The 4-resource Step 1 stack (First Aid, UWorld, Sketchy, Mehlman for systems under 65%) run through USMLE Vault
Open this guide →5
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
Open this guide →6
Inside the Vault
What Is Your One Resource
Explains USMLE Vault's 4 parts: Schedule, University videos/PDFs, First Aid Guide page-by-page, and Foundation/NBME Booster Anki decks; 3 days free
Open this guide →Every guide here runs on one app
First Aid guide, Anki, NBME booster and assessments, in USMLE Vault.
Want a plan made for you? Book a free call with Dr. Marish