The Only Resources You Need for USMLE Step 1 (And Which to Avoid)
- Marish Asudani
- Jan 19
- 8 min read
Let me save you months of wasted time and hundreds of dollars.
Every IMG starting Step 1 makes the same mistake. They buy Kaplan. They buy Boards and Beyond. They buy Pathoma. They buy Amboss. They buy UWorld. They buy Sketchy. They buy everything.
Then they drown.
Too many resources. No clear direction. Months spent watching videos without ever doing a single question. And when they finally start questions, they realize they don't remember anything.
I made this mistake. I wasted time on one entire system writing everything down, watching every video, trying to "learn it all" before touching questions.
Then I realized: this is stupid.
I changed my approach. I completed all three Steps in under 11 months. I've helped over 100 students do the same with a 98% pass rate.
Here's exactly what you need, what you don't need, and why.
The #1 Truth About Step 1 Resources
First Aid is 70% of the exam.
Read that again.
The lines written in First Aid are literally 70% of what appears on your exam. The same topics. The same concepts. Often the exact same wording.
This means your entire goal — with every single resource you use — is to understand, decode, and remember First Aid.
Not Kaplan. Not Boards and Beyond. Not Pathoma.
First Aid.
Everything else exists only to help you understand First Aid better. The moment you forget this, you start wasting time.
The Resource Hierarchy
Here's how I rank every Step 1 resource, from essential to optional to avoid.
Tier 1: Non-Negotiable (You must have these)
1. First Aid for the USMLE Step 1
This is your bible. Your primary resource. The thing you will know inside and out by the time you sit for your exam.
You don't read First Aid to memorize it. You read First Aid while doing questions, and the memorization happens automatically through application.
Keep it on your phone as a PDF. Keep it open constantly. Every question you get wrong in UWorld, you find that topic in First Aid and highlight it.
By the end of your preparation, your First Aid should be covered in highlights. Those highlights represent tested concepts. That's what you review before your exam.
2. UWorld
The gold standard question bank. Nothing else comes close.
UWorld is not an assessment tool during your base building phase. It's a learning tool. You use UWorld to understand HOW they test the concepts in First Aid.
Here's what most students don't realize: 70% of UWorld questions are testing concepts directly from First Aid. The same 70% of topics keep appearing in subsequent blocks. Once you recognize this pattern, everything clicks.
Your initial blocks of any system will be rough. I scored 45% on my first Renal blocks. 35-38% on CNS. That's normal. You're learning, not being tested.
By your last 2 blocks of each system, you should be above 60%. That's when you know you've understood the system.
3. Sketchy Micro + Sketchy Pharm
The fastest way to learn microbiology and pharmacology.
Watch the videos. Review with the PDF. Complete all of micro in 5 days and pharm in 4-5 days during your foundation phase.
Then, throughout your system-by-system studying, you revisit Sketchy for spaced repetition. Doing Renal? Review the renal-relevant microorganisms. Doing Cardiology? Review cardiac drugs.
This is how spaced repetition actually works — not through Anki, but through strategic system-based review.
Tier 2: Strategic Use (Use for specific purposes only)
4. USMLE RX
RX is not a replacement for UWorld. It's a bridge to UWorld.
RX questions are organized exactly like First Aid — by page, by topic. This makes it perfect for one thing: understanding how they test what you're reading.
As you read each First Aid page, you solve the RX questions for that exact topic. Reading about chromatin structure? Solve the 3 RX questions on chromatin structure.
This takes maybe 10-12 minutes per page. But now you understand what's important on that page and how it gets tested.
RX eases you into question-solving before UWorld's difficulty hits.
Pro tip: You can get free RX trials using temporary email services. Sign up with a temp email, get 5-7 days free. When it expires, create another temp email. Rotate as needed.
If RX isn't working for whatever reason, you can do the same thing with UWorld — solve subtopic-wise before doing full system blocks.
5. Amboss
Amboss is NOT a UWorld replacement. It's a tool for specific purposes.
Use Amboss for:
"200 Questions Asked in Every Step Exam" — This is gold. After completing certain systems, you do these 200 questions. Go to Analysis afterward, and it shows you exactly which subtopics are weak. Then you go to the Amboss Qbank and solve those specific weak areas.
Ethics — Amboss ethics questions are excellent.
Biostats — Great practice for biostatistics concepts.
Risk Factors — Do this before your exam.
5 Questions/Day Feature — Start this 30 days before your exam. That's 150 super high-yield questions leading up to test day.
That's it. Don't use Amboss as your primary Qbank. Use it strategically for these specific things.
6. Mehlman Medical Videos
Mehlman is your safety net, not your primary resource.
After completing a system with First Aid + RX + UWorld, if your last 2 blocks are still below 60%, you watch Mehlman for that system.
You don't need Mehlman for every system. Only when you're stuck.
Some students need it for Neuro. Some for Cardio. Some don't need it at all. Depends on your weak areas.
7. Divine Intervention Podcast
High-yield review, especially as you get closer to your exam.
Divine's Rapid Review Free 120 series is particularly valuable after you take Free 120. It gives you insight into the question creator's thinking.
Also useful for specific topics you're struggling with. Search for that topic, listen while commuting or working out.
8. Neil Randy Videos
Another reinforcement tool for specific concepts.
If a topic isn't clicking after First Aid + UWorld, search for Neil Randy's explanation. Often a different teaching style makes something finally make sense.
Tier 3: Optional (Nice to have, not essential)
9. Boards and Beyond (B&B)
Here's the truth about B&B: it's an amazing resource.
But students misuse it completely.
They watch B&B for hours, trying to understand everything, while never opening First Aid. They watch the entire Cardiology series before doing a single question. Then they forget 80% of it.
B&B should be used to decode First Aid, not replace it.
In my PDF guidance system, I've already linked the best free B&B videos (available on their official YouTube channel) page by page. You watch the specific video that helps you understand a specific First Aid page.
You don't need to buy full B&B access. Use the free videos strategically where they help decode difficult First Aid pages.
10. Pathoma
Same story as B&B. Amazing resource, but misused.
Pathoma is excellent for pathology. But watching all of Pathoma without connecting it to First Aid is useless.
Again, in my system, I've linked specific Pathoma references where relevant. Use it to understand specific pathology concepts, not as a standalone resource.
11. My PDF Guidance System
I've created page-by-page PDFs for every First Aid section.
For each page, my PDF tells you:
How important it is (super important, fully important, skim)
Which free videos to watch (YouTube, free B&B, Mehlman, Osmosis, etc.)
Key points in brackets
How to approach that specific content
This eliminates all guesswork. You don't wonder "should I watch B&B for this?" — my PDF tells you exactly what to watch and when.
The best videos from every resource, curated topic by topic, all helping you decode First Aid.
Tier 4: Avoid (Don't waste your time)
12. Kaplan
Old-school, outdated, unnecessary.
Kaplan lectures are too long, too detailed, and don't align with how the exam actually tests you. Students spend months on Kaplan and then realize none of it was high-yield.
Skip it entirely.
13. Lecturio
Similar problem. Comprehensive but not strategic. You'll waste time on low-yield content.
14. Full Anki Decks
Controversial opinion, but hear me out.
Pre-made Anki decks like Anking are thousands of cards. Students spend hours daily doing Anki reviews, feeling productive, but never actually understanding the material.
Anki is a memorization tool. But Step 1 isn't about memorization — it's about understanding and application.
If you follow my system, spaced repetition happens naturally through the structure. You learn Sketchy, then reinforce it during each system. You highlight First Aid during UWorld, then review highlights during NBME prep.
You don't need to spend 2-3 hours daily on Anki. That time is better spent doing questions.
If you love Anki and it works for you, fine. But don't make it your primary study method.
The Grave Mistake Everyone Makes
Here's what I see constantly:
Student buys Kaplan, Pathoma, B&B, Amboss, UWorld.
Student spends 3 months watching videos, trying to "learn everything."
Student is afraid to start UWorld because they "don't know enough yet."
Student finally starts UWorld, scores 30%, panics.
Student realizes they don't remember anything from those videos.
Student has now wasted 3-4 months and is starting from scratch.
Don't be this student.
The mistake is thinking you need to memorize First Aid before doing questions.
The truth is the opposite: you need to do questions to understand First Aid. Only through application will you understand what's important and why. Then the memorization happens automatically as you review.
Yes, read First Aid for a system in 1.5-2 days. But immediately start MCQs. Use my method. Don't wait until you've "memorized" everything.
Free Resources Worth Using
Biostats PDF (My Creation)
I've created a biostats cheat sheet that covers everything you need. It's free and public.
Use this PDF alongside Amboss biostats questions. Biostats becomes easy.
Biostats + Ethics Video
I've also created a video explaining exactly how to approach both biostats and ethics questions — the strategy, not just the content.
Sketchy PDFs
Available in my resources. These condense Sketchy videos into reviewable format.
Pharmacology High-Yield PDF
Tells you exactly which pharm topics to cover and in what order.
First Aid Page-by-Page Guidance PDFs
Every system, every page, with video links and importance ratings.
All of these are available through P2A Consultancy resources.
Your Resource Stack (The Final List)
Must have:
First Aid (PDF on phone + physical if you prefer)
UWorld subscription
Sketchy (Micro + Pharm)
Strategic use: 4. USMLE RX (free trials) 5. Amboss (for 200 Qs, Ethics, Biostats, Risk Factors, 5 Qs/day) 6. Mehlman Medical (safety net for weak systems) 7. Divine Intervention (closer to exam) 8. My PDF guidance system
Optional: 9. B&B (free videos only, strategically) 10. Pathoma (specific pathology concepts)
Avoid: 11. Kaplan 12. Lecturio 13. Heavy Anki reliance
The Principle to Remember
Every resource you use should serve one purpose: helping you understand and remember First Aid.
If a resource doesn't connect back to First Aid, it's wasting your time.
UWorld connects to First Aid — you highlight tested concepts. Sketchy connects to First Aid — you reinforce during system study. RX connects to First Aid — organized exactly the same way. My PDFs connect to First Aid — page by page guidance.
Kaplan doesn't connect to First Aid. Random video courses don't connect to First Aid. Endless Anki reviews don't connect to First Aid.
Stay focused. First Aid is 70% of the exam. Act accordingly.
What's Next
Now you know WHAT resources to use and WHY.
In the next posts, I'll show you HOW:
How to actually use First Aid (the highlighting strategy that makes memorization automatic)
How to solve UWorld the right way (my exact method)
How to take NBMEs offline (the 40-question method)
How to review NBMEs and actually improve your score
The resources don't matter if you use them wrong. The method is everything.
If you want access to all my PDFs, video guidance, and personalized mentorship — https://meetings-na2.hubspot.com/marish
Let's build your Step 1 success systematically.
Dr. Marish Asudani Co-Founder, P2A Consultancy PGY-1 Internal Medicine | USMLE Mentor
Comments