# USMLE Vault — Free Step 1 Guides > Free, method-first guides for IMGs preparing for USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK and Step 3, by Dr. Marish Asudani. Concrete protocols with dated schedules, named resources and score thresholds. Every guide's canonical URL is its own page on https://drmarishasudani.com/. Product home: https://usmlevault.com. ## Guides hub - [Find your guide in a few taps](https://drmarishasudani.com/guide): which exam, where you are, and where you're based. - [New in the Vault](https://drmarishasudani.com/guide/new-features): Every new USMLE Vault feature, and the guide that shows you how to use it. - [Start here](https://drmarishasudani.com/guide/start-here): New to Step 1? Read these first. - [Study plans](https://drmarishasudani.com/guide/study-plans): Full Step 1 plans, week by week and day by day. - [Study a system](https://drmarishasudani.com/guide/systems): Every Step 1 system, day by day, in the order you study them. - [Micro, pharm & biochem](https://drmarishasudani.com/guide/micro-pharm): The subjects that run through every system: micro, pharm, biochem and biostats. - [First Aid](https://drmarishasudani.com/guide/first-aid): How to read, understand and finish First Aid. - [UWorld](https://drmarishasudani.com/guide/uworld): How to solve UWorld, and why it isn't enough alone. - [Anki](https://drmarishasudani.com/guide/anki): Foundation Anki, the NBME Booster, and when to run each. - [NBMEs](https://drmarishasudani.com/guide/nbme): Order, timing, review, and fixing your scores. - [Final weeks & exam day](https://drmarishasudani.com/guide/final-weeks): The last month, the last week, the last day. - [Resources](https://drmarishasudani.com/guide/resources): What to use, what to skip, and how to use it. - [Tier lists](https://drmarishasudani.com/guide/tier-lists): Every USMLE resource ranked S to F, with the reason for each. - [Consistency & mindset](https://drmarishasudani.com/guide/mindset): Staying on track, anxiety, distraction, burnout. - [Old IMGs & working](https://drmarishasudani.com/guide/old-imgs): Years out of med school, or studying around a full-time job. - [Failed before](https://drmarishasudani.com/guide/failed-before): A previous attempt, and how to pass the next one. - [Med school & internship](https://drmarishasudani.com/guide/med-school): Step 1 alongside MBBS years and internship. - [Step 2 CK](https://drmarishasudani.com/guide/step-2): Plans, habits, NBMEs and resources for a 250+. - [Step 3 & the Match](https://drmarishasudani.com/guide/step-3-match): Step 3 resources and getting matched. - [All guides](https://drmarishasudani.com/guide/all): every guide, sorted by topic. ## Guides - [Microbiology by System](https://drmarishasudani.com/micro-by-system): Every system's organisms — nine per-system pages plus antimicrobials. - [367 changes. We went through the book page by page.](https://drmarishasudani.com/2025-vs-2026): Every change between First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 2025 and 2026 editions - 367 additions, rewrites and deletions mapped page by page, system by system. - [All three Steps in under 12 months.](https://drmarishasudani.com/all-steps-12-months): Step 1 in 16 weeks with the first NBME at week 12. Step 2 CK in 6 months. Step 3 in 45 days. The full schedule, with every guide linked. - [How to Use My Anki Decks the Right Way](https://drmarishasudani.com/anki-decks): How to run the Foundation Anki and NBME Booster decks for Step 1 — card counts, daily targets, and when to use each. - [The Full-Length Step 1 Assessments](https://drmarishasudani.com/assessment): Two full-length 14-block Step 1 assessments on USMLE Vault — one completely free. 280 questions, real-exam stem length, deliberately harder than NBME, with a full strength report and an honest pass verdict. - [4 Resources I Would Never Use Again](https://drmarishasudani.com/avoid): Boards & Beyond, Kaplan, USMLE Rx and Pixorize — why I would not use any of them if I were starting Step 1 today, and exactly what to use instead. - [Biochemistry — The Complete Playbook](https://drmarishasudani.com/biochem): How to split Step 1 biochemistry into 7 pieces and place each one immediately before the organ system that depends on it. - [Biostatistics and Ethics](https://drmarishasudani.com/biostats): The five-step order for Step 1 biostats and ethics — decode First Aid, the free HY Biostats PDF, AMBOSS instead of UWorld, Neil Randy, then NBME Anki in revision. - [Canon Events — and the Fix for Each](https://drmarishasudani.com/canon-events): The ten things almost every IMG does during USMLE prep — restarting on Monday, NBME 28 first, opening UWorld cold — and the specific fix for each one. - [The Part Nobody Plans For](https://drmarishasudani.com/community): The Accountability Partner, the Monday leaderboard, and how to find one study partner in your exact week of prep. - [You Need 4 Resources. Not 40.](https://drmarishasudani.com/core-4): The four Step 1 resources that matter — First Aid, UWorld, Sketchy micro and pharm, Mehlman — and how USMLE Vault ties them together. - [What Is the First Aid Guide](https://drmarishasudani.com/fa-guide): The USMLE Vault First Aid Guide explained — page-by-page decoding of all 646 pages: high-yield flags, ELI5 explanations with analogies, MCQs on every page, concept walkthroughs, and the FA 2026 changelog. - [The last two weeks.Five resources, nothing new.](https://drmarishasudani.com/final-14-days): The five resources my students run in the last two weeks before Step 1. No new content — consolidation and active recall only. - [You Are Already Studying for Step 1.](https://drmarishasudani.com/final-year-mbbs): Dr. Marish's method for preparing USMLE Step 1 during final year MBBS. Your college syllabus and Step 1 are the same content in two languages — this is how you make one pass count for both. 11 systems in about four months, first NBME in month five, exam four to six weeks later. - [When Is a System Actually Finished?](https://drmarishasudani.com/finish-a-system): The five-point completion checklist that replaces “it felt done” — and why saving questions for random mode costs you three weeks. - [Renal, Start to Finish, in 6 Days](https://drmarishasudani.com/renal-6-days): The whole Renal system in 6 days — micro (11 organisms, WRWRT) and pharm (3 drug groups, FWRT) first, active reading of First Aid pp. 596–628 on the First Aid Guide, Mehlman for active application, Foundation Anki for active recall, then UWorld with RPSR. Renal is free. - [How to Actually Complete First Aid](https://drmarishasudani.com/first-aid-method): The four-reading method: how to read, apply and retain the whole of First Aid in 8 weeks — 4–5 days per system, using the First Aid Guide, UWorld and the Foundation Anki deck. - [Motivation Fails. Systems Win.](https://drmarishasudani.com/habits): The four accountability moves for Step 1 prep: a written target score, a fixed exam date, checked-off daily tasks, and a study community. - [Inside a First Aid Guide Page](https://drmarishasudani.com/inside-a-page): What a First Aid page looks like with the teacher written back in — a real Concept Walkthrough, a real “How is this tested?” entry, and the 5-second search. - [Step 1 During Internship — 14 Weeks](https://drmarishasudani.com/internship): How I finished Step 1 in 14 weeks during a working internship — the phone-first setup, front-loading Sketchy, the per-system loop, and my real NBME progression. - [MBBS to Match](https://drmarishasudani.com/journey): Graduated MBBS April 2024, Step 2 CK August 2024, matched March 2025 — Step 1 in 14 weeks from a 50% first block, three USCEs, zero publications, three interviews, IM in Florida. - [First Year to Final Year](https://drmarishasudani.com/med-school): The whole of MBBS mapped against Step 1 — what to study each year, in what order, and the one habit that makes all four years compound. - [How to Use Mehlman Medical](https://drmarishasudani.com/mehlman): Three rules for Mehlman Medical: watch the videos not the PDFs, run full system playlists, and only use him when UWorld for that system is ≤65%. - [How to score more than 75% on your NBMEs](https://drmarishasudani.com/nbme-75): The 68 to 75% jump is a review-quality and pacing gap, not a content gap. The five moves that take a comfortable NBME score into a strong one. - [Taking Your First NBME](https://drmarishasudani.com/nbme-first-time): The 7–10 day consolidation protocol before your first NBME: Sketchy Micro, Anki, timed blocks, the two-pass method, and NBME 27 exam simulation. - [The NBMEMCQ Protocol](https://drmarishasudani.com/nbme-mcq-protocol): A four-phase system for answering NBME questions: which images to look at, how to read the stem, decoding the last line, and working the options. - [The Exact NBME Order](https://drmarishasudani.com/nbme-order): Which NBME to take and when — 26 for confidence, 27 and 28 as the real baseline, 29 and 30 to repair, then 31, 32 and 33 with the Free 120s. - [The Exam Is Already Published. Fourteen Times.](https://drmarishasudani.com/nbme-booster): Every topic of every NBME from forms 20–33, distilled to a tutored one-liner and sorted system-wise. 4,174 cards; students have moved 49% → 75% in 15–20 days. - [The NBMEReview Protocol](https://drmarishasudani.com/nbme-review-protocol): How to review an NBME the same day: offline format, blind score check, the practice-gap vs knowledge-deficit framework, and a system-wise notebook. - [Stuck at 62–65% on your NBMEs for weeks?](https://drmarishasudani.com/nbme-stuck-scores): Three moves for breaking an NBME plateau: Mehlman plus AMBOSS for weak systems, two high-yield PDFs, and the NBME Booster deck. - [USMLE High-Yield Nutrition Review](https://drmarishasudani.com/nutrition): Full nutrition review for Step 1 and Step 2 CK: GI absorption, all vitamins and minerals, drug-nutrient interactions, archetypes, tables and traps. - [Complete Pharmacology in 48 Hours.](https://drmarishasudani.com/pharmacology-48-hours): The FWRT method — Find, Watch, Read, Test. The exact system Dr. Marish used to finish all of high-yield Step 1 pharmacology in 48 hours, plus the system-wise resource map telling you which drug to learn from where. - [How to Know You're Actually Ready](https://drmarishasudani.com/ready-or-not): The trend, not the score. Which NBMEs actually carry a verdict, the exact bar for attempting Step 1, and the two timing mistakes that cost people the exam. - [The resource stack.](https://drmarishasudani.com/resources): Every resource I actually used across Step 1, Step 2 CK and Step 3 — five per exam, in order, with how and when to use each. Everything free. - [The Seven Sheets](https://drmarishasudani.com/sheets): Every cheat sheet from the post — free downloads, plus the rule for when each one enters your prep and what it is actually for. - [The Whole of First Aid, in Six Days](https://drmarishasudani.com/six-day-revision): ~2,400 page-mapped cards at ~400 a day revises all 646 First Aid pages in five to six days — the protocol, and the two moments to run it. - [Complete Sketchy Microin 6 Days. Actually Remember It.](https://drmarishasudani.com/sketchy-micro): The WRWRT method and a day-by-day order for finishing all ~85 Sketchy Micro organisms in 6 days, with First Aid page numbers for same-night MCQs. - [Five Resources. Not Forty.](https://drmarishasudani.com/stack): Everything you need for Step 1 in five resources, First Aid, UWorld, the NBMEs, and Mehlman plus Neil Randy — with the one job each does. - [Free Step 2 CK Guide](https://drmarishasudani.com/step2): The exact resources behind a 254 on Step 2 CK in under 20 weeks — annotated First Aid, Mehlman playlists, Amboss 200, Divine Intervention podcasts, AJ mnemonics and CMS forms. - [System Guides](https://drmarishasudani.com/system-guides): Every system's microbiology and pharmacology in one place. The organisms that belong to each system with the WRWRT method, and the drugs with FWRT — free from USMLE Vault. - [The 16-Week Step 1 Plan](https://drmarishasudani.com/timeline): A four-phase 16-week Step 1 plan: 9-day foundation, 10–12 weeks of systems in a fixed order, 8–10 days of revision, then NBMEs from form 27. - [You Already Did UWorld. Here Is the 12-Week Plan.](https://drmarishasudani.com/twelve-weeks): Finished most of UWorld 6-12 months ago and forgotten it? The 12-week plan: audit, five weeks of consolidation, then forms — with a real student's scores. - [How to Solve UWorld](https://drmarishasudani.com/uworld-rpsr): The RPSR method for UWorld: 4 days of First Aid prep per system — First Aid attacked from 4 angles before UWorld, 20-question untimed tutor blocks, and First Aid-based bookmark review. - [You're not short on resources.You're drowning in them.](https://drmarishasudani.com/what-is-vault): Overview of USMLE Vault's four parts: the day-by-day Schedule, the University video library, the page-by-page First Aid Vault, and the Anki decks. - [How to Study for USMLE in First Year](https://drmarishasudani.com/year-1): First-year physiology, anatomy and biochemistry — done system-wise with your standard textbook, First Aid and the First Aid Guide, so university prep and Step 1 prep become the same work. - [How to Study for USMLE in Second Year](https://drmarishasudani.com/year-2): Second year is the most important year for Step 1 — Sketchy Micro, then pathology with Pathoma and Robbins, then pharmacology, all system-wise with First Aid and the First Aid Guide. - [Giving Step 1 in Third Year](https://drmarishasudani.com/year-3): If you used first and second year properly, third year is not where you learn Step 1 — it is where you assemble it. The 16-week dedicated phase, the NBME order, and the readiness thresholds. - [How to Actually UseYouTube for Step 1](https://drmarishasudani.com/youtube): Five free YouTube resources for Step 1 — Mehlman, Randy Neil, Dirty Medicine, the antimicrobials video — and how the Vault maps them to First Aid pages. ## Product - [USMLE Vault](https://usmlevault.com): the First Aid Guide — all 646 pages decoded with page-by-page MCQs — plus Anki decks, full-length assessments and a day-by-day schedule engine. Renal is permanently free. - [University](https://usmlevault.com/university): every free PDF and how-to video. - [Schedule](https://usmlevault.com/schedule): four questions produce a day-by-day plan built backwards from your exam date. - [Anki](https://usmlevault.com/anki): Foundation Anki and the NBME Booster. ## Recent guides - [A Teacher on Every Page of First Aid](https://drmarishasudani.com/ai-tutor): The USMLE Vault tutor, built on Gemini Pro: open on every screen, knows exactly which First Aid page you are on, and answers every question in 3 steps — simple, mechanism, how the exam tests it. - [Anki, Rebuilt: NBME 34, Timed Mode, and First Aid on Every Card](https://drmarishasudani.com/anki-timed-mode): Three changes to the USMLE Vault Anki, built from student feedback: NBME 34 added to the Booster (4,374 cards), a Timed mode that caps every card at 2 minutes, and a First Aid link on 6,474 cards that opens the page right on the card. - [ELI5, Test Yourself, and the Rule-Out Button](https://drmarishasudani.com/eli5-test-yourself): What ELI5 is, how 2,849 ELI5s now follow each First Aid page in reading order with topic tabs, 649 new ELI5s and 398 new Test Yourself MCQs, and the new Rule out button that teaches elimination. - [Week 1 to Exam Day: The Whole Road, Before You Start](https://drmarishasudani.com/road-to-exam-day): The USMLE Vault schedule now shows every block from week 1 to exam day, not just to the first NBME: the NBME checkpoints, what happens if NBME 1 is below 65% or 65-70%, how the exam date is set or checked against a booked one, and how to change your system order. - [How to Pass USMLE Step 1 in 2027 (Day 1 to Exam Day) — Video Guide](https://drmarishasudani.com/step-1-2027-video-guide): The companion to the YouTube video — every chapter with its timestamp, what is said there, and the free guide for each step: 5 resources, micro and pharm in the first 10 days, each system, UWorld, the NBME order, and exam day. - [The Day Before Step 1, and Exam Day](https://drmarishasudani.com/exam-day): Be a little tired on the day before so you sleep 8 hours before the exam: Rapid Review and weak systems until 5–6 p.m., lights out at 9 p.m., then the exam-day rhythm of 20 questions, deep breaths, and 5–7 minute glucose breaks. - [Dr. E's Exact Schedule: 59% Baseline NBME to a Step 1 Pass in 34 Days](https://drmarishasudani.com/dr-e-schedule): A US MD student (MS3) in the middle of rotations: 59.5% baseline NBME, 74.5% on NBME 31 after the FA Foundation Anki and Pepper Micro Sketchy decks, NBME 28–30 as 20-question blocks, the NBME Booster system by system, 78% on NBME 32, and a Step 1 PASS 34 days after the baseline. - [The Last Month Before Step 1: The Exact Day-by-Day Plan](https://drmarishasudani.com/last-month-day-by-day): Every day from NBME 27 to Step 1 — ready means above 68% on all 3 of NBME 31, 32 and 33 with 3–4 minutes left per block; then the NBME Booster system by system, Randy Neil and 40 Mehlman Arrows a day, 3 full 14-block days, and a final week with nothing new. - [The NBME Images Anki: Every NBME Image, as Flashcards](https://drmarishasudani.com/nbme-images-anki): Every image ever asked in the NBMEs as flashcards — what it is, and why it runs in the final week before Step 1. - [The NBME Booster, Pharmacology Only](https://drmarishasudani.com/nbme-booster-pharmacology): Every pharmacology question ever asked in any NBME as flashcards — run in the final week, after pharmacology revision from First Aid. ## More guides - [The 30-Day Plan: 6 Step 1 Systems, Day by Day](https://drmarishasudani.com/30-day-plan): Renal, GI, reproductive, MSK, dermatology and psychiatry for Step 1, day by day: micro and pharm, active reading on the First Aid Guide, Mehlman, FA Foundation Anki, then UWorld system by system with the RPSR method. Every day lists its tasks and its First Aid pages. - [24 Hours After a Bad NBME](https://drmarishasudani.com/after-a-bad-nbme): What to do in the 24 hours after a bad NBME: review your incorrects the same day, sort every miss into patterns, plan your next form from your score, and drill the habit that cost you. - [All of Antibiotics in 90 Minutes](https://drmarishasudani.com/antibiotics-90-minutes): How to memorise and revise all of the antibiotics for Step 1: watch 1 free 90-minute video once at the start, do the antimicrobial cards in FA Foundation Anki, read the antimicrobial section of the High-Yield Pharmacology PDF, do the antimicrobials in the NBME Booster pharmacology cards, do the few groups Osmosis teaches best, and watch the video again 1 week before your exam. - ["I'm So Anxious About How Much I Have to Study"](https://drmarishasudani.com/anxious): Anxious about how much you have to study for USMLE Step 1? Dr. Marish Asudani on why the anxiety never comes from the amount: it comes from no structure and no method. How to study First Aid, UWorld and a whole system, and where to start today. - [Ashna's Exact Schedule: NBMEs Stuck at 67% to a Step 1 Pass in 8 Weeks](https://drmarishasudani.com/ashna-schedule): The exact schedule Ashna used to go from NBMEs stuck at 67–68% to 71.5% on NBME 32, 74% on NBME 33, 76.5% on NBME 34 and a Step 1 PASS, 8 weeks after she joined: Sketchy micro, First Aid with the FA Guide system by system, the FA Foundation Anki, the NBME Booster Anki and the Vault Assessment. - [3 Tips to Avoid Failing Step 1](https://drmarishasudani.com/avoid-failing-step-1): 3 tips to avoid failing USMLE Step 1: never give or attempt it unless you are above 68% on NBME 31, 32 and 33, have an exact plan for the last 14 days, and give at least 1 or 2 full-length 280-question assessments for endurance. Plus the 3 mistakes that fail students scoring above 70%: NBME spacing, peaking early, and time management. - [Boards & Beyond in 2026: The 6 Videos Still Worth It, and What to Do Instead](https://drmarishasudani.com/boards-and-beyond): Is Boards & Beyond still worth it for Step 1? When to watch it (3rd and final year), the 6 videos worth keeping, how to watch them against First Aid, and the faster system method for graduates. - [Things to Study When You're Bored (Step 1)](https://drmarishasudani.com/bored): What to study for USMLE Step 1 when you're bored: usually it's reviewing. For First Aid, the FA Foundation Anki or the First Aid Guide. Then Mehlman videos (not the PDFs) and the Divine Intervention Step 1 PDF. For NBMEs and your incorrects, the NBME Booster Anki. - [YouTube Instead of Brainrot](https://drmarishasudani.com/brainrot): The YouTube videos to watch instead of brainrot for USMLE Step 1: the Step 1 edition, the first-year edition (anatomy, physiology, biochemistry), and the week before Step 1. - [Cardiovascular, Start to Finish, in 7 Days](https://drmarishasudani.com/cardio-7-days): How to study the cardiovascular system for Step 1 in 1 week: micro and pharm first, then active reading of First Aid pp. 284–328 on the First Aid Guide, Mehlman for active application, FA Foundation Anki for active recall, and UWorld with the RPSR method. - [How to Actually Stay Consistent](https://drmarishasudani.com/consistency): How to stay consistent in USMLE Step 1 prep: consistency comes from scores, scores come from structure. 4 tips from Dr. Marish Asudani, the renal 5-to-6-day challenge, and 10 accountability habits. - [The Final Day Protocol](https://drmarishasudani.com/day-before-step-1): The day before USMLE Step 1, hour by hour: sleep late the night before so you're a little tired, get your Glucon-D, Tang and chocolates ready, study only your bookmarks, shut the books at 5 PM, dinner and a 45 to 60 minute walk, lights out at 9 PM for 8 hours of sleep. - [Delete Reddit Before Step 1](https://drmarishasudani.com/delete-reddit): Why Reddit's "65% on NBMEs is fine" advice fails IMGs, what the real Step 1 readiness bar is, and what to read instead, from Dr. Marish Asudani (96% pass rate). - [The Real Reason You Can't Stop Getting Distracted](https://drmarishasudani.com/distraction): Why you can't stop getting distracted while studying for USMLE Step 1: no structure, and work that doesn't give you better scores. Dr. Marish Asudani on the daily checklist, how to do UWorld, how to read First Aid, and 1 task per time slot. - [Divine Intervention Podcast: The Episodes Worth Your Time](https://drmarishasudani.com/divine-intervention): Which Divine Intervention podcast episodes to use for Step 1 and Step 2 CK: the free Step 1 PDF of high-yield episodes by system, the Step 2 CK last-month PDF, and exactly when each one comes in. - [Endocrine, Start to Finish, in 6 Days](https://drmarishasudani.com/endo-6-days): How to study endocrine for Step 1 in 6 days: 1 day of carb and lipid metabolism first, then half a day of pharm, active reading of First Aid pp. 330–361 on the First Aid Guide, 1 day of Mehlman, FA Foundation Anki, and UWorld with the RPSR method. - [If You Failed Step 1 Once](https://drmarishasudani.com/failed-once): Failed USMLE Step 1 once? First find out why: the 3 most common mistakes of students with an attempt. Then what to do if you were above 68% on NBME 31, 32 and 33 and still failed, what to do if you weren't, the 4-day renal test cycle, the NBME phase on a retake, and a full 280-question assessment before the exam. - [Why First Aid Is Not Enough on Its Own](https://drmarishasudani.com/first-aid-not-enough): First Aid on its own is a very dense book. You need something to decode it (what it is, what is important, why, how, and how to understand it), then a way to apply it and a way to recall it. How the First Aid Guide, Mehlman, UWorld and FA Foundation Anki do each job. - [5 Channels = 0 Paid Courses](https://drmarishasudani.com/five-channels): The 5 free YouTube channels that replace a paid USMLE course: Neil Randy, Mehlman Medical, AJmonics, Dr. High Yield and Dirty Medicine. What each is for, which phase it belongs to, and where it sits in USMLE Vault. - [GI, Start to Finish, in 7 Days](https://drmarishasudani.com/gi-7-days): How to study GI for Step 1 in 7 days: 1 day of biochem nutrition first, then GI micro, active reading of First Aid pp. 364–408 on the First Aid Guide, Mehlman, FA Foundation Anki, and UWorld with the RPSR method. - [Things You Can Study in the Gym (Step 1 and Step 2 CK)](https://drmarishasudani.com/gym): What to study for USMLE in the gym. Step 1: Mehlman videos, then the FA Foundation Anki or NBME Booster Anki for your phase, Divine Intervention and Neil Randy. Step 2 CK: AJmonics, the Step 2 CK NBME Booster Anki, Mehlman, Divine, Dr. High Yield and Action Potential. - [24 Hours Before Step 2 CK](https://drmarishasudani.com/h24-before-step-2): The 24 hours before Step 2 CK, hour by hour: sleep late going into the eve, study only your 1 final note, shut the books at 5 pm, walk, lights out at 9 pm, and pack your glucose for exam day. - [Heme-Onc, Start to Finish, in 6 Days](https://drmarishasudani.com/heme-onc-6-days): How to study heme-onc for Step 1 in 6 days: immunology and the molecular, cellular and amino acid biochem first, then active reading of First Aid pp. 410–448 on the First Aid Guide, 1 day of Mehlman, FA Foundation Anki, and UWorld with the RPSR method. - [How to Study Any Step 1 System in 5 to 7 Days](https://drmarishasudani.com/how-to-study-a-system): The one method behind every USMLE Vault system guide: micro and pharm from the First Aid Guide pills, active reading with MCQs, Mehlman for active application, FA Foundation Anki for active recall, then UWorld with the RPSR method. With the days, prerequisites and links for every system. - [10 IMG Mistakes in Step 1 Prep](https://drmarishasudani.com/img-mistakes): The 10 Step 1 mistakes Dr. Marish Asudani sees IMGs make every week, from starting with biochem or cardio to booking the exam without 68% on NBME 31, 32 and 33, and the fix for each one. - [Immunology, Start to Finish, in 5 Days](https://drmarishasudani.com/immuno-5-days): The whole immunology system for Step 1 in 5 days: the 28 immunology organisms and the defect that lets each one in, then active reading of First Aid pp. 94–119 on the First Aid Guide, Mehlman for active application, FA Foundation Anki for active recall, and UWorld with the RPSR method. - [Last-Minute Step 2 CK](https://drmarishasudani.com/last-minute-step-2): The highest-yield things to do last minute before Step 2 CK: AJmonics, the Divine Intervention must-do episodes, the Step 2 CK NBME Booster Anki, Mehlman for weak systems and Dr. High Yield for fast recall. - [10 Habits That Helped Me Match in IM](https://drmarishasudani.com/match-habits): The 10 habits that helped Dr. Marish Asudani match in Internal Medicine as an IMG: studying to match rather than to score, starting each Step before the last went cold, 1 First Aid for all 3 Steps, a full First Aid and NBME revision before every NBME, and a pump-up before every exam. - [Turn Mehlman PDFs into a podcast](https://drmarishasudani.com/mehlman-podcast): Download a Mehlman Medical PDF, upload it to Gemini Notebook (Google's free tool, formerly NotebookLM), click Audio Overview, and listen to the whole PDF as a 2-host podcast. The 4 PDFs to start with and the exact clicks. - [The Month Before Step 1](https://drmarishasudani.com/month-before-step-1): What to do the month before USMLE Step 1, by your NBME scores: consistent at 65 to 68%, the push in order (NBME Booster Anki, FA Foundation Anki, Mehlman videos, the Neil Randy PDF, the Mehlman High-Yield Arrows); above 68% on NBME 31, 32 and 33, the day-by-day plan; below 65%, fix the plateau first. - [MSK, Start to Finish, in 6 Days](https://drmarishasudani.com/msk-6-days): The whole musculoskeletal system for Step 1 in 6 days, without dermatology: the 7 MSK organisms first, then active reading of First Aid pp. 450–480 and 495–498 on the First Aid Guide, Mehlman for active application, FA Foundation Anki for active recall, and UWorld with the RPSR method. - [24 Hours of an NBME Day](https://drmarishasudani.com/nbme-day): An NBME day hour by hour: start at 7:30 or 7:45 like the real exam, 10 timed blocks of 20, 40 to 45 minutes of breaks in total, glucose not caffeine, and a same-day review. - [NBMEs Offline: The Complete System](https://drmarishasudani.com/nbme-offline): The complete offline NBME system for Step 1 and Step 2 CK: why offline, how to give it, your first form, the order 26 to 33, how to solve, how to review the same day, and what to do after. - [All the NBMEs in 6 Days](https://drmarishasudani.com/nbmes-in-6-days): How to study every retired NBME in 6 days with the NBME Booster: forms 20 to 31 before NBME 32, system by system, and what to do if you're out of forms and still in the 60s. - [Neurology, Start to Finish, in 7 Days](https://drmarishasudani.com/neuro-7-days): How to study neurology for Step 1 in 7 days: genetics, MSK, psych and ANS first, then micro and pharm, active reading of First Aid pp. 500–569 (ear pages skipped), Mehlman, FA Foundation Anki, and UWorld with the RPSR method. - [Popular Step 1 Study Methods I Would Never Use](https://drmarishasudani.com/never-use): 8 popular Step 1 study methods I would never use, in 2 parts: reading all of First Aid before UWorld, random mode, saving questions, the Sketchy PDF without videos, starting with cardio or biochem, Boards & Beyond for every system, NBMEs online and Mehlman's PDFs. - [The Night Before Your NBME](https://drmarishasudani.com/night-before-nbme): What to study the night before an NBME: only the 1-page list of everything that didn't click this week, then a final-day checklist for tomorrow. - [Step 1 as an Old IMG](https://drmarishasudani.com/old-img): How to study for USMLE Step 1 as an old IMG who graduated years ago and is working: structure gets you scores, scores keep you consistent. 7 tips from Dr. Marish Asudani, and old IMGs who are passing right now. - [Perfectionist vs Repetitionist](https://drmarishasudani.com/perfectionist): Can't study, keep procrastinating, keep getting distracted? You may be a perfectionist. Why reading 1 topic perfectly once loses to hitting it 5 different ways: the First Aid Guide, Mehlman, FA Foundation Anki, UWorld and the review. - [Biostats and Ethics (PHS), Start to Finish, in 3 Days](https://drmarishasudani.com/phs-3-days): Public Health Sciences for Step 1 in 3 days: decode First Aid pp. 256–277 on the First Aid Guide with the free HY Biostats PDF, then the Dirty Medicine ethics and Neil Randy biostats playlists, the FA Foundation Anki biostats and ethics decks, and 120 questions in blocks of 20. The last system before your revision week. - [Psychiatry, Start to Finish, in 5 Days](https://drmarishasudani.com/psych-5-days): The whole psychiatry system for Step 1 in 5 days: 1.5 days of active reading on the First Aid Guide with every video on the page, 1 day of the Neil Randy psychiatry playlist instead of Mehlman, half a day of FA Foundation Anki, then UWorld with the RPSR method. - [Never Save Questions for Random Mode](https://drmarishasudani.com/random-mode): Why you should never save UWorld questions for random mode, how to do UWorld once and system by system, and the 5-point checklist for when a system is actually finished. - [Reproductive, Start to Finish, in 7 Days](https://drmarishasudani.com/repro-7-days): How to study reproductive for Step 1 in 7 days: micro first, then active reading of First Aid pp. 630–676 on the First Aid Guide, Mehlman, FA Foundation Anki, and UWorld with the RPSR method. Then endocrine. - [Respiratory, Start to Finish, in 6 Days](https://drmarishasudani.com/resp-6-days): How to study respiratory for Step 1 in 6 days, the same way as renal: micro and pharm first, then active reading of First Aid pp. 678–706 on the First Aid Guide, Mehlman, FA Foundation Anki, and UWorld with the RPSR method. - [Stop Making Silly Mistakes on Your NBMEs](https://drmarishasudani.com/silly-mistakes): There is no such thing as a silly mistake on an NBME. 6 steps: review the same day, sort every miss into 5 types, never read the options before the stem, and practise the fix before your next form. - [4 Step 1 Hacks](https://drmarishasudani.com/step-1-hacks): 4 Step 1 hacks from Dr. Marish Asudani: never start with cardio or biochem, finish every UWorld question of a system in system mode, finish each system in 6 to 7 days, and watch Mehlman's videos instead of his PDFs. - [6 Playlists = 6% Growth (Step 1 Edition)](https://drmarishasudani.com/step-1-playlists): The 6 free YouTube playlists for USMLE Step 1 that move your score: Neil Randy psychiatry and biochemistry, Dirty Medicine ethics, and Mehlman heme-onc, immunology and micro/pharm. Plus the full 10. - [The Step 1 Roadmap](https://drmarishasudani.com/step-1-roadmap): Pick your USMLE Step 1 exam date from your study hours (5 to 6 hours a day: 6 months; 8 hours: 4 months; 12+ hours: 12 to 14 weeks), set your first NBME 4 weeks before it, finish every system to completion, revise for 1 week, then give NBME 27 offline. With a date calculator. - [6 Steps to Get More Than 250 on Step 2 CK](https://drmarishasudani.com/step-2-250): 6 steps to score more than 250 on Step 2 CK: pick your notes, build a base with the Tzanki deck and 1 question bank, practise CMS forms with the NBME MCQ protocol, consolidate with Mehlman and AJmonics, revise with Dr. High Yield, and run the final-week and final-day protocols. - [10 Habits That Helped Me Get a 254 on Step 2 CK](https://drmarishasudani.com/step-2-habits): 10 habits behind a 254 on Step 2 CK: 1 set of notes, every wrong answer back into them, a full notes cycle before every NBME, a hard date, the MCQ protocol on every question, same-day NBME review and resources on your phone. - [10 YouTube Videos Instead of Brainrot: Step 2 CK](https://drmarishasudani.com/step-2-youtube): 10 YouTube videos and 10 playlists for Step 2 CK instead of brainrot: AJmonics, Mehlman, Divine Intervention, my antimicrobials review, Dirty Medicine ethics, Dr. High Yield, Action Potential Mentoring and Rahul Damania, with when to watch each one. - [Step 3: 5 Resources = 230](https://drmarishasudani.com/step-3-resources): The 5 resources behind a 230 on USMLE Step 3 in 25 days: my Anki deck, the Step 2 CK NBME Booster Anki, Mehlman Medical playlists, the high-yield PDF for Day 2 and a CCS cases video, with how and when to use each. - [Stop Focusing on a 270 on Step 2 CK](https://drmarishasudani.com/stop-270): Why chasing a 270 on Step 2 CK can cost you a year in the Match: after 250, clinical experience, research, interviews, your CV and your personal statement start mattering more than extra points. - [How to Study 10 Hours Without Burning Out](https://drmarishasudani.com/study-10-hours): How to study 10 hours a day for USMLE Step 1 without burning out: a checklist with every hour named, and work that produces scores, whether you're reading First Aid, watching videos or solving UWorld. Plus how to study all night. - [10 Tricks to Pass Step 1](https://drmarishasudani.com/ten-tricks): 10 tricks to pass USMLE Step 1 and 10 to study for it efficiently, from Dr. Marish Asudani: pick a hard date from your hours, UWorld system-wise, NBMEs offline and reviewed the same day, and 68%+ on NBME 31, 32 and 33 before you take it. - [The USMLE Anki Decks Tier List](https://drmarishasudani.com/tier-list-anki): USMLE Anki decks tier list: FA Foundation Anki and NBME Booster Anki (S), NBME Images Anki, Step 2 CK NBME Booster and Tzanki (A), Sketchy Micro Pepper (B), AnKing (C), with card counts and why. - [The USMLE Micro Resources Tier List](https://drmarishasudani.com/tier-list-micro): USMLE microbiology resources tier list: Sketchy Micro (S), Mehlman micro (A), Dirty Medicine micro and First Aid with the FA Guide MCQs (B), Boards & Beyond, Pixorize and AJmonics (C), Ninja Nerd (D), Kaplan (F). - [The USMLE Pharmacology Tier List](https://drmarishasudani.com/tier-list-pharmacology): 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). - [The USMLE Qbanks Tier List](https://drmarishasudani.com/tier-list-qbanks): USMLE qbank tier list: UWorld (S), AMBOSS and the USMLE Vault MCQs (A), MedSchoolGuru and free question sources (B), USMLE Rx (C), with what AMBOSS does better than UWorld and why the Vault MCQs prepare you for UWorld. - [The Step 1 Resources Tier List](https://drmarishasudani.com/tier-list-step-1-resources): Step 1 resources tier list for 2026: First Aid, UWorld, USMLE Vault, the NBMEs, Mehlman, Neil Randy and Sketchy at the top, Kaplan at the bottom, with the reason for every placement and a button that opens each one. - [The USMLE YouTube Channels Tier List](https://drmarishasudani.com/tier-list-youtube): USMLE YouTube channels tier list: Mehlman Medical and Neil Randy (S), Dirty Medicine, AJmonics and Divine Intervention (A), Dr. High Yield, Dr. Najeeb, Rahul Damania and Action Potential (B), Ninja Nerd and Dr. Nandan Joshi (C). - [The USMLE Tier Lists](https://drmarishasudani.com/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. - [2 Decks = a 30-Point Jump (NBME edition)](https://drmarishasudani.com/two-decks): FA Foundation Anki revises First Aid. The NBME Booster Anki revises every NBME. Why you need both, how to run them in your plan, and what they have done to my students' NBME scores. - [2 PDFs = a 10-Point Jump (NBME edition)](https://drmarishasudani.com/two-pdfs): The Neil Randy PDF and the Mehlman HY Arrows: why these 2 PDFs have moved my students at least 10 points on their next NBME, how to run each one, and exactly when. - [Why UWorld Is Not Enough for Your NBME Score](https://drmarishasudani.com/uworld-not-enough): UWorld helps you understand and apply First Aid. It does not replace it. You still need to understand First Aid (the First Aid Guide), apply it (Mehlman) and recall it (FA Foundation Anki), and once UWorld is finished you revise the whole of First Aid from everything UWorld taught you. - [What are the USMLE Vault MCQs and why are they so important?](https://drmarishasudani.com/vault-mcqs): The USMLE Vault MCQs are 2,938 questions mapped to First Aid page by page, across 16 systems. Not a competitor to UWorld but its augmenter: the only MCQs that prepare you for UWorld, so it isn't the first time you see the concept. - [The Week Before Your NBME](https://drmarishasudani.com/week-before-nbme): How to study the week before your NBME: a tab for every Step 1 form (26 to 34) with the plan for your last score, and the Step 2 CK ladder with the full notes cycle before every form. - [The Week Before Your NBME, for Procrastinators](https://drmarishasudani.com/week-before-nbme-procrastinators): Stop procrastinating before your NBME: review your last NBME to find where you're bad, get a day-by-day plan from your score, and follow the daily checklist between 2 NBMEs. - [The Week Before Step 1](https://drmarishasudani.com/week-before-step-1): What to do the week before USMLE Step 1: check you are above 68% on NBME 31, 32 and 33, then the Neil Randy PDF, the Mehlman High-Yield Arrows, the NBME Booster Anki with the NBME images, the FA Foundation Anki and Rapid Review. Bookmark what you don't remember: that list is your day before. - [The Week Before Step 2 CK](https://drmarishasudani.com/week-before-step-2): What to study the week before Step 2 CK: revise the whole Step 2 CK NBME Booster Anki, keep an active-recall book, do the Divine Intervention must-do PDF, run your 3 revision resources and build 1 final note for the day before.