Top 3 Study Prep Resources for USMLE Step 1, Step 2, Step 3
USMLE Step 1, Step 2, and Step 3 are important exams for obtaining your medical license. Learn the best study resources available to maximize your preparation and score!
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USMLE Preparation
USMLE Step 1, Step 2, and Step 3 are important exams for obtaining your medical license.
Choosing the correct USMLE study resources and materials will help maximize your preparation and scores.
In this post, we will walk through the most popular USMLE resources, and which ones have historically helped students score the highest on the exam.
Choosing the best resources combined with “How to Make a USMLE Study Schedule” will ensure you are efficiently preparing for the USMLE and maximizing your potential.
Don’t miss out on these “10 USMLE Study tips” to get even further ahead!
Choosing Your USMLE Resources
With so many USMLE resources available, the biggest challenge can be deciding which ones to choose, how many to use, and where to start.
The best approach you can take is to choose 3-4 strong resources that work best for you.
Less is more when it comes to preparing for the USMLE as too many resources can be overwhelming, inefficient, and are unnecessary in most cases.
Your goal should be to have a basic to moderate understanding of each USMLE topic using 3-4 strong resources, rather than trying to learn every detail of every topic using too many resources.
Having a pile of dense books and materials will be an inefficient use of your time, and it will be difficult to get through all the material.
Study smarter and not necessarily harder.
The students who score the best on the exam master the basic concepts of each subject and the few materials they use, rather than spending a great deal of time learning the details.
USMLE Study Resources: Preparation Tips
3 Essential USMLE Resources
You have now determined you would like to use 3-4 strong resources, but you are unsure what they should be.
There are 3 essential resources most students use when preparing for the USMLE, especially the ones who excel on the exam.
They include:
A Primary Resource
A Question Bank
Self-Assessments (Practice Exams)
These 3 items should be highly considered when choosing your resources and are often all that is required.
***This is just a guide. Everyone studies differently and there is no universal study plan. Reflect on your study habits, and choose the resources and plan that is best for you (see “Know Your Study Habits” below).
USMLE Study Resources: Top 3 Types of Resources Students Use
Let’s briefly discuss each of the 3 resources, and then we will provide some examples below.
Primary Resource
Your primary resource should cover every topic on the USMLE, preferably consolidated and organized into all the high-yield information.
You will determine your primary resource based on how you study the best (see “Know Your Study Habits” below).
It could be a USMLE textbook, USMLE video lecture series, USMLE audio lecture series, etc.
Your primary resource can be supplemented by others if you need to better understand a topic.
Question Bank
The question bank will contain practice USMLE questions.
Preferably the questions will resemble those on the actual USMLE in terms of difficulty and format.
The question bank should also have explanations to every answer choice as to why a response is correct or incorrect.
Self-Assessments
The self-assessments are practice exams that simulate the actual USMLE.
They should be near full length exams formatted in timed blocks.
Preferably the self-assessments should give you a predicted USMLE score once the practice exam is completed, as well as a summary of your weak and strong subjects.
Know Your Study Habits
While a primary resource, question bank, and self-assessment tool are the 3 main resources students use, it is important to know your own study habits as everyone prepares differently.
Take a moment to self-reflect on your experience as a student thus far, and brainstorm which method(s) you learn and retain information the best.
Maybe you prefer reading and highlighting textbooks. Maybe you retain material better from watching videos and/or listening to audio lectures. Maybe you recall information easier when you complete practice questions.
It could also be a combination of the above or a method not listed.
Once you have determined your preferred way of studying, then apply those method(s) when choosing your resources.
Example USMLE Resources
There are many USMLE resources available as indicated by the list below.
While the list contains resources commonly used, it is by no means a complete list.
The types of resources also vary. There are textbooks, videos, flashcards, practice questions, audio lectures, etc.
As discussed above, it is important to choose 3-4 resources that cover the high-yield information and then master those.
The top 3 resources commonly used by students, especially the ones who score the best, include:
First Aid
UWorld
NBME self-assessments.
You can supplement these resources with others if you need to better understand a topic.
While First Aid, UWorld, and NBME are strong resources, there may be different ones that work better for you (see “Know Your Study Habits” above).
As a result, do your own research and trust your gut as to which resources you should choose.
USMLE Study Resources: 3 Common Resources Students Use
You can also see how the 3 resources students commonly use (First Aid, UWorld, NBME) cover the 3 essential categories mentioned above (primary resource, question bank, self-assessment).
First Aid is a great primary resource, UWorld is a strong question bank, and NBME offers self-assessments that closely replicate the actual USMLE.
USMLE Study Resources: Common Types of Resources Used
First Aid for the USMLE
Let’s discuss First Aid, UWorld, and NBME in more detail, beginning with First Aid.
**Again you do not have to use these 3 resources. Feel free to choose your own.
First Aid is a great primary resource for the USMLE as it contains all of the main topics covered on the exam.
More importantly it consolidates the material into the high-yield information you need to know.
First Aid also provides mnemonics, tips, and tricks to help remember the content.
Try to memorize and learn as much as you can from First Aid.
You will use First Aid to study the topic scheduled for that day.
Make sure to check out “How to Make a USMLE Study Schedule in 5 Steps” for example study schedules and how to determine which topics to study.
You can also use First Aid as a supplement to your studies during your first 2 years of medical school (note: this is not a requirement to score high on the exam).
This way it will become repetition when you go through First Aid again during your dedicated USMLE study period.
As you go through First Aid, either highlight or mark the pages containing the information you are weak on.
You can then review those pages throughout your dedicated study period to reinforce your understanding through repetition.
You can also create flashcards or use pre-made flashcards as you go through First Aid, and then review them throughout your dedicated study period.
Again repetition will help solidify your knowledge, and the flashcards will make it easier to digest all of the content found in First Aid.
USMLE Study Resources: Information on First Aid (Primary Resource)
UWorld Question Bank
While it is important to understand and memorize the information covered in First Aid, it is equally crucial to do practice questions.
This turns passive studying into active studying, and it will force you to apply the material you have learned to a timed exam.
UWorld is a great resource for practice questions, and they closely resemble the questions on the USMLE.
Answering practice questions not only helps you prepare for the actual USMLE, but they also teach you the types of questions asked, the format of the question stems, and how to pace yourself during the exam.
UWorld provides a detailed explanation of every correct and incorrect answer choice, which provides another resource for learning.
It is just as important to learn why an answer choice is incorrect as it is to learn why an answer choice is correct.
Moreover, reading the explanation to each answer choice will allow you to review 4 different high-yield topics from just one question.
For example, if the question asks you to identify a diagnosis, then reading the explanation to each answer choice will allow you to review several different disease states.
You can flag the questions you answer wrong or guess on (or create flashcards).
You can then review those repetitively throughout your study period.
Make sure to check out “10 USMLE Study Tips” for more tips that will help you ace the exam.
USMLE Study Resources: Information on UWorld (Question Bank)
NBME Self-Assessments
You are now using a primary resource (First Aid, etc) to learn the material covered on the USMLE, and you are using a question bank (UWorld, etc) to practice answering questions that resemble the USMLE.
Now it’s time to simulate the actual exam.
That’s where the NBME self-assessments come into play, also known as practice tests.
While answering practice questions is important through UWorld, it is also important to simulate answering hundreds of questions over several hours like you will on the actual USMLE.
This will help build stamina and mental endurance.
The NBME practice tests closely replicate the USMLE.
Each exam is 4 blocks of 50 questions, totaling 200 questions. Each block is timed at 1 hour 15 minutes.
This format could change over time, so make sure to check out the official NBME website.
NBME also provides a predicted USMLE score upon completion of the exam, as well as a break down of your strong and weak subjects which can help you adjust your study plan.
See “How to Make a USMLE Study Schedule” for when to take the NBMEs during your dedicated study period.
**UWorld also offers self-assessments depending on the package you use.
USMLE Study Resources: Information on NBME (Self-Assessment/Practice Exam)
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