Step 1 mainly assesses whether you can understand and apply important concepts of the basic sciences to the practice of medicine; it makes sure that you know the principles and mechanisms underlying health, diseases, and modes of therapy.
new update resources list for 2026 click here
new update resources list for 2026 click here
Subjects covered in step1
- Biochemistry
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Microbiology and Immunology
- Pathology
- Pharmacology
- Biostatistics and Epidemiology
- Medical Ethics
- Behavioral Science
- Genetics and Aging
Let’s discuss the resources now. Well, I will not go into a detailed description of every resource. I will just give a brief about it.
# 1 First Aid for USMLE step 1
- Most people consider this as Bible for step 1
- First Aid is a comprehensive review book. As it is a review book, it will not provide you with explanations to form a good understanding. But it gives you all the high yield topics for your exam.
- Check out {getButton} $text={Amazon} $color={#FFC633} to buy the book
# 2 Uworld for step 1
- Uworld is the best Q-bank available out there. Most people who gave the exam say that uworld is most like the real exam.it was the best resource to learn by practicing questions.
- It provides you with good explanations, diagrams, and tables for every question in detail. Check out their Website.
#3 Pathoma
- Pathoma is an excellent resource for pathology; it gives you clear, concise, and well-organized lectures that cover major topics for USMLE exams. It develops a true understanding which is never forgotten.
- Dr. Hussain A. Sattar lecture videos explain the basics and mechanistic approach, which is critical because that is how the questions are tested in the exam.
- Check out their Website
- Buy a pathoma book on {getButton} $text={Amazon} $color={#FFC633}
# 4 Boards and Beyond
- Boards and Beyond is a video subscription service created by cardiologist Jason Ryan. It is a comprehensive review of almost every topic in first aid.
- It slowly evolved as the must-used resource among the students for its ability to concisely teach you high yield topics for your board exams; this video subscription service covers everything in First Aid, and he even includes the First Aid pages which correspond with a given video.
- Check out the Boards and Beyond website, watch a couple sample videos, and purchase a subscription here: Website
# 5 Sketchy Medical
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- Sketchy is an animated video resource that students use to memorize material like microbiology and pharmacology.
- It gives a memorization technique called “memory palaces”. A memory palace is an imagined place, or “palace” with different objects that represent specific concepts.
- Sketchy creates these memory palaces using animated drawings or “sketches”. You know how you can never remember the exact street name, but you know where a place is because of what’s around it? Memory palaces play on this concept. A concrete example is a memory palace that features an imaging mansion with a bunch of bananas in it that are supposed to remind you of potassium.
# 6 Anki Flashcards
- Anki App is a cross-platform mobile and desktop flashcard app. Make flashcards with text, sound, and images, or download pre-made ones. Studying is extra-efficient, thanks to our unique algorithm. Automatically does backups and sync to all your devices, via the cloud.
- Anki decks cards work on the technique of spaced repetition — a study tactic that helps you remember all the minutia you’ll face on exam day.
- The best deck so far and most popular among students is Zanki. The original Reddit post for the {getButton} $text={Zanki deck}$icon={download} $color={#FF8A33} check and download to use
# 7 Kaplan USMLE Step 1 Review
- Well, this is the most controversial topic among the medicos some say Kaplan is good enough and some say it's too much to handle and no high yield topics.
- My suggestion is, choose Kaplan only if you have a good amount of time to prepare
- Given its 4.6/5-star rating on Trustpilot, based on 4,000+ reviews from med school hopefuls, Kaplan is a proven industry leader in USMLE test prep.
- However, along with this high status and brand-name recognition comes cost; the company’s USMLE Step 1 prep is notably more expensive than many of its competitors… (but you can find them for free in some telegram groups.)
- Buy Kaplan lecture notes here {getButton} $text={Amazon} $color={#FFC633}
Another best source is using recalls get premium USMLE recalls for free
Okay, let’s end the blog here, soon I will create a new blog with detailed resources for individual subjects.
References:
- https://www.usmle.org/step-exams/step-1
- First Aid USMLE Step 1 2022 Page No: 740( lol)
- Golden words from seniors who cleared their step 1 with good scores