For an international medical graduate (IMG) planning on practicing in the US, the USMLEs (United States Medical Licensing Examinations) are a big part of any US residency application. The USMLE Step exams (or their COMLEX equivalents) are designed to assess a physician’s ability to apply medical knowledge, concepts, and principles to patient care. They’re a requirement for physicians seeking licensure to practice medicine in the US. In this post, I’m going to share key information IMGs need to have about the USMLEs, so you can get into the US residency of your choice ..read more

If you’re reading this, I’m assuming you’re an IMG (international medical graduate). Maybe you’ve been in medical practice in the United Kingdom, or you’re a student enrolled in a five-year medical program in Pakistan. Perhaps you heard about medical practice in the US and developed a desire to come practice here. Now you’re wondering how to accomplish that, and where to turn for help. We’re here to assist you. Let’s start with the basics ..read more

While some dates on the calendar are fixed, such as your birthday, a vacation you have planned, all the holidays you celebrate, etc… USMLE Step 2 is a bit trickier! Sure, you know it will happen at some point this year, but when do you take USMLE Step 2, exactly? And how do you know you’re ready to take it? It’s normal to have those questions. And we’re here to answer them for you ..read more

Neelesh Bagrodia also contributed to this post. If your Step 1 exam is scheduled in 2024, you may be wondering whether you need to be following conventional advice about Step 1 dedicated periods. Should you follow the detailed study calendars that abound online? Should you use the entire study period which your medical school has provided you? And most importantly: is it worth spending so much time preparing for this exam now that no numerical grade is given?  ..read more

Maybe you’ve read Blueprint articles about Anki cards like “What is Anki?” and “Which USMLE Subjects Are Best for Anki?” but still have questions about this popular study resource. If so, no worries—we’ve got you covered! In this article we’ll go over some FAQs medical students have about Anki cards. I’ll show you how to get the full benefit of them and what research has been published that supports incorporating them into a comprehensive study plan ..read more

You can hardly set foot in any United States medical school without hearing about the popular flashcard tool called “Anki.” Anki is loved (and feared) by many, but is it a good fit for you? Compare these strengths and weaknesses of using Anki for your USMLE prep! What is Anki? Let’s start with the basics: Anki is an app/online platform that utilizes the age-old study tool of flashcards in a more clever and efficient way ..read more

For a period of time during your medical training, USMLE scores seem to be the only thing that matters. You’ve heard it before: study hard, score well. Devote your life to your dedicated study period, score high, and you can pick whatever residency you please. Your score, it seems, is absolutely everything. And then all of a sudden, after medical school, the paradigm built around achieving high USMLE scores fades into nothing ..read more

The equation is simple: solid preparation = successful exam performance. Whether you’re getting ready to take the USMLE or COMLEX, dedicating a large chunk of time exclusively to test prep is how to ensure you’ll crush it on exam day. If you don’t put the time in, you’re going to be disappointed—period. So do yourself a favor, and put some serious prep work in for that upcoming big exam! Of course, you probably already knew you had to take preparation seriously ..read more

As a third-year medical student, you no doubt spend a lot of time going through your Step 2 & Shelf Exams Qbank getting ready for your M3 exams. At some point during your study period, you’ve probably asked yourself how your Qbank provider came up with the questions. Who is making sure the content and format is similar to the questions you’ll see on exam day? How are the topics chosen? And how do you know the information in your Qbank is current ..read more

USMLE preparation is no small task, and it’s easily the most crucial step in any medical student’s future. When you’re preparing for the USMLE Step 1, it’s important to have a strong study plan. This helps you organize your time better, so you can cover all the material on which you will be tested and become familiar with the test format. Here are 10 essential steps for creating an effective USMLE study plan that will help you achieve success ..read more