How To Easily Pass Step 1

[@NDMD]

not keeping up with step1 anki throughout pre-clerkship because of burn out was one of my biggest regrets of med school. more power to you for staying consistent👏

[@EvolvingMedic]

I feel you bro! The struggle was so real. We’ll see how it holds up in clerkships 😅

[@RUYINAETENGsMEDICDIARY]

Wow thanks for letting us know

[@inkedbeedeez]

Got my step 1 pass today. All I did was keep up with anki (with sketchy pharm/micro) everyday throughout preclinicals because I remember a few weeks before I started medical school I came across your channel and all I heard was “anki anki anki” Get it right the first time. Never climb the same mountain twice

[@EvolvingMedic]

Ayyyyy congratulations!! 🎉 Never climb the same mountain twice. I love that!

[@dyanan25]

Hi doc, I passed step1 by the grace of God! Thanks again! I hope that all is well with you and your family.. 😊

[@EvolvingMedic]

Congratulations!! That is amazing news and I know a huge weight off your back! And thank you so much!

[@Nikki_216]

Will be starting medical school this year and I’ve heard time and time again that it’s better to study for step during the year if possible so thank you for this detailed video!

[@EvolvingMedic]

My pleasure! And I can’t emphasize that enough. You will definitely feel rewarded afterwards

[@zukagavasheli9262]

man thanks for the video. love watching your videos they just make me calm and you just give the best advices. Good luck everyone on their step 1 journey.

[@EvolvingMedic]

Thanks so much man! So happy you’re enjoying them and good luck in your step 1/med school journey!

[@MrsEvolving]

Another banger! Love your videos honey! Keep up the amazing work! With your shared wisdom and knowledge anyone can succeed in medicine ❤️ thanks for giving everyone your all!!

[@EvolvingMedic]

Couldn’t do anything without you! 🥰❤️

[@Jackd10__]

Thank you so much as always, John!

[@EvolvingMedic]

Your welcome!

[@sabine.etienne]

UWorld is one of the best!!! 💪🏾

[@EvolvingMedic]

Couldn’t agree more!

[@ME-ke3sr]

so glad i found this video dude im soo burned out like i did 8 hours of questions then id come home and do like 4/6 hours of reading FA like it was just too much, i think i will follow ur plan this week my exam is in a month, thanks for this vid!

[@EvolvingMedic]

I’m glad you found this video too! I hope it can make the process a bit more reasonable. And good luck next month! I’m sure you’ll do great!

[@ME-ke3sr]

@@EvolvingMedic mashallah mashallah ! hope soo too!! thanks! :)

[@JasonKrastein]

So proud of you!! Keep it up. I can't wait to use this study guide when I have to go through dedicated in a few months!

[@EvolvingMedic]

Appreciate you bro! And you’re going to body it! 💪🏽

[@babatundeopeogun9654]

Thank you Dr. for this wonderful video sharing a vital information on resources and information on how to Pass USMLE step 1 . I’ll definitely utilize the Ken hub resources for my anatomy need especially the histology and radiology content .

[@EvolvingMedic]

You’re very welcome! I’m glad you found it helpful!

[@tyaoliver767]

Being a student at a pass/fail med school I hate describing it as “just pass fail” its still hard out here for a pimp 😂

[@EvolvingMedic]

That is facts! 😂 Passing in med school is not like passing in any other educational scenario

[@Hiii4507]

Congrats on passing bro. Soon officially a doctor MD!!!!

[@EvolvingMedic]

Thank you so much bro!!

[@ShirleyHealthy]

Congrats on passing, and thanks for the solid advice :) Amazing how you studied as a new father as well!

[@EvolvingMedic]

Thank you so much Shirley! 😊

[@azibermahamoudtahir8558]

Congrats bro you’re absolutely inspiring me about usmle.

[@EvolvingMedic]

Thank you so much! And I’m glad you’re feeling inspired to crush that exam! 💪🏽

[@hyguruprep]

Thanks for an inspiring video! I am a big proponent of a question heavy approach to USMLE preparation. Another tip which I found helped me was to always take a look at a content piece (say from FA, Anki, or videos) and view it in a way that it would be tested on the exam. I would ask myself, does this content point relate to a question which I did in UWorld, Rx, etc.? This forced me to use content actively and think like the test maker! Keep up the awesome work.

[@EvolvingMedic]

That’s a great piece of advice! 🙌🏽 Thank you for sharing!!

[@anyets]

This video is soo good and very much needed! Thank you so much as always!

[@EvolvingMedic]

Thank you so much Grace! I’m glad you liked it and I hope it helps as you go through your second year!

[@ethancrispell4681]

solid video JR, thanks for the help!

[@EvolvingMedic]

My pleasure Ethan! I’m glad you liked it!

[@abdulmalikusman6013]

Pls,help me with the app for the questions for the practice.thank's.

[@williamsanthony5554]

I have failed this 2 times and my emotions go in waves, i think passing SMLE STEP 1 is not meant for people like me 😭 😢 😕 😐 😔 💔 😭 😢 😕 😐 😔

[@jameswartz9291]

Passing the test is a challenging and frustrating experience. I believe that it's not just about studying, but also about having God's grace to succeed.

[@katherinemanneback8844]

It's true.

[@katherinemanneback8844]

I studied with my cousin, but she spent more time on her phone than studying. Despite this, she passed the Step 1 test while I failed. When I asked her how she did it, I found out that she received help from Mr Richard.

[@yulianagonzalez8897]

Frustration can be a positive sign. It indicates that the solution to your problem is close, but your current approach isn't working. You need to change your approach to achieve your goal.

[@Stephaniemartin476]

You will pass. Everyone has their own season. Just keep going, pray, and believe that you will receive your breakthrough. 🙏

[@AlGggeee]

The most efficient way to study for Step 1 is to actually study, and that's the hardest part

[@doctorposting]

haaa you knew you passed😁 congrats for doing it with a newborn!!

[@EvolvingMedic]

Thanks so much!!

[@66linny]

Congrats on passing you’re a beast. If I’m not mistaken, Mayo has mandatory lectures. Do you think that helps in overall success? I’m not in med school yet but as someone who goes to lectures in undergrad I wanted your perspective on mandatory lectures vs optional. Keep up the good work

[@EvolvingMedic]

Thanks so much!! And Mayo no longer has mandatory lectures (as of 2020 - COVID lol). And I really never went to in person class and just watched virtually. But a lot of my classmates still did! Small group and some specific lectures would be mandatory (with a virtual option), but this is pretty common across all schools. It’s just about finding what works for you!

[@dyanan25]

Amen brother! Congrats! :)

[@EvolvingMedic]

Thank you so much!

[@tomiwaa.1806]

Great advice! Was Uworld the only Qbank you used or did you use another Qbank such as AMBOSS and if so how did you manage to use the two?

[@EvolvingMedic]

I also used Amboss a bit, but for step 1, I would prioritize UWorld. I would use Amboss for exposure to more questions if you complete UWorld. I know some people use a few questions on Amboss to warm up before doing their UWorld because they really care about their UWorld percentage lol. You can do that too if you’d like, but I personally think Amboss is more effective during clerkships

[@landon7912]

Congrats! Well deserved! Do you plan on maintaining these preclerkship anki decks throughout third and fourth year or dumping a lot of that material (I.e. biochem pathways, etc)

[@EvolvingMedic]

I definitely dumped the strictly step 1 things and just do step 2 cards now

[@usmanqureshi2114]

Hi, when you were doing UWorld blocks, were you reviewing every question or just the ones you got wrong. Also were you using UWorld in conjunction with Anki, like searching up the tags for questions you got wrong? Thanks

[@EvolvingMedic]

Hey! So I review all questions (because sometimes I accidentally get one right 😅). And there’s an amazing Anki add on that let’s you copy the question numbers from UWorld and automatically find corresponding cards on Anki. I highly recommend using that

[@majoreuowii9729]

Did you make your own anki cards or did you use pre-made ones? I think one I hear thrown around a lot is Anking

[@EvolvingMedic]

I used (and still use) Anking religiously lol

[@shayansamavati2242]

Do you recommend starting to do Uworld practice questions from the first year of medical school or save them for the dedicated? (thank you for the awsome contents)

[@EvolvingMedic]

I think it’s reasonable to do some during each block. I personally did 1-2 40 question blocks in preparation for each final. I think it’s even more important to do them early if your school doesn’t use NBME exams for your finals so you can become accustomed with the types of questions you will see on step 1

[@shayansamavati2242]

@@EvolvingMedic I appreciate you so much for your input. My school actually provides us with 4 years of subscription to Uworld! I doubt they use NBME exams for our final! I will find out about that soon during our orientation next week. Thank you again.

[@riyashah.1]

Thank you for this video, I was looking forward to it! What would be your advice on improving the scores on the NMBEs? I seem to have been stuck in a specific range and would like to boost my score to maximize my chances of passing. Thank you so much!!

[@EvolvingMedic]

I think going about a study schedule like the one I laid out (focusing on as many practice questions as possible) is the best way to improve your nbme scores

[@dwightsmith9716]

During the dedicated step 1 study period, would you still be doing any Anki decks on the rest day? Thanks for the help!

[@EvolvingMedic]

Great question! I personally did because at that point I could keep it around an hour or so of work (would just crank it out early in the morning). But that’s mostly because I didn’t want to break my streak 😅. Otherwise I would’ve taken the entire day off lol

[@Sussan_ramirez]

Very helpful! Thanks 💪🏽💪🏽

[@EvolvingMedic]

My pleasure! I’m glad you found it helpful!!

[@AIRFM]

thank u so much all i needed to hear!!!!

[@EvolvingMedic]

So happy to hear!

[@stayambitious]

Thanks for this! If you had to choose one, would you recommend B&B or Pathoma during the long-term plan while using Anki?

[@EvolvingMedic]

I liked B&B personally because you also learn the physiology on top of the pathology

[@stayambitious]

​@@EvolvingMedic Okay great, thank you!!

[@SoloJedi_]

How did you create a schedule? I keep hearing about Cramfighter, would you recommend? Thanks

[@RUYINAETENGsMEDICDIARY]

Thanks so much for sharing❤️

[@EvolvingMedic]

My pleasure! I hope it helps!

[@nusaman]

Thanks JR for answering my previous questions. I know you’re tremendously busy. I have one more. Can you tell me Mayo’s dedicated time for step 1. And step 2ck. Of course it seems logical that less time be devoted to step 1 since it’s pass fail, but step 2ck is critical now. Does Mayo give you dedicated time for it ? And when do Mayo student take step 2 ck? I heard Columbia students do step 1 and step 2ck back to back.

[@EvolvingMedic]

You can schedule as much time as you would like to prepare for each exam. Most students don’t take much dedicated tons for step 1, but now will prioritize time for step 2. We don’t take them back to back. Most people take step 1 at the end if our pre-clerkship period and step 2 at the end of third year

[@blake92299]

Thank you for the great video! I'm starting medical school at a program with a 1 year preclinical curriculum where students generally take Step 1 at the end of their M2 year after their first year of clerkships. How would you recommend adapting your study schedule?

[@EvolvingMedic]

I would recommend still working through the Anking cards but being liberal with how many you leave suspended (only do the high yield/clinically relevant cards), and then do the high yield step two cards as you move through your rotations. By only doing the high yield things it shouldn’t be too heavy of a card load by the end of your second year. And then you can use a practice test to gauge where you’re at. Good luck as you start your med school career!

[@XxkingkoldxX]

Great Video! I’m about to start my second year and needed this to help me get started with planning. Do you think Amboss is another good resource for Step 1 studying?

[@EvolvingMedic]

Thanks Julian! And I definitely think AMBOSS is a great resource. I use it very frequently as a third year and it is my preferred method of reading up on concepts (I prefer it even to FirstAid). They also have a great QBank!

[@OShawna23]

Do Nbme have exams that got blocks for medical school or just comprehensive exams for step 1

[@EvolvingMedic]

The NBME also provides preclerkship exams and clerkship shelf exams

[@OShawna23]

@@EvolvingMedic okay great and do you provide any paid Tutoring services ?

[@learnchineseforhealthcare645]

I'm a rising ms1 in a few weeks!! :) Question ~ did you use any pre-made Anki decks? Thank you for all ur help and enjoy your vacation before clerkship!

[@EvolvingMedic]

Congratulations on getting ready to start med school! I did use (and still use) the premade Anking deck. Couldn’t recommend it enough!

[@mgiii]

This is good bro!! Did you make your schedule or adopted it from somewhere else?

[@EvolvingMedic]

Thanks bro! And I made this schedule 😊

[@karinaf7488]

Did you make your own Anki cards or did you use pre-made decks like Anking?

[@EvolvingMedic]

I used Anking but I also made my own cards on questions that I missed

[@_mraza1]

Hey JR! I’m an upcoming M1, should I use both Anking and my school’s curriculum specific Anki deck or would that be overkill? 😅

[@EvolvingMedic]

Great question! I would say use the high yield cards from each as you go through and then when each block ends, you can suspend your curriculum cards and continue with the Anking ones in prep for step. Hopefully that will allow you to have a more manageable load 😅

[@ImranKhan-sx6tl]

Did you use uworld on your ipad?

[@EvolvingMedic]

I did. They have a great app!

[@reyhanamiri4143]

Hi could you please help me and answer my question? Can I do USMLE step 1 before doing an IELTS or OET?

[@chiomaesther406]

At what point in my Med school is most preferable to start preparing for the exam?

[@EvolvingMedic]

I think right away is ideal. You can never start too soon and preparing how I discuss in this video as a first year medical student will make things easier down the line

[@Ahmed-ne6rn]

should we use first aid for step 1 or just uworld?

[@EvolvingMedic]

I recommend just using UWorld. I never even got the first aid book lol

[@Ahmed-ne6rn]

@@EvolvingMedic thanks bro

[@Ahmed-ne6rn]

@@EvolvingMedic do you do 1 on 1 tutoring?

[@EvolvingMedic]

Unfortunately I don’t given my other responsibilities and time constraints

[@areebachoudhry1571]

What anki deck did you use? Ty

[@EvolvingMedic]

I used the Anking Step 2 deck

[@rheniusantonyraj8562]

Awesome vid! Can u make another video similar to this but for DO students? How to prep for COMLEX, Anki rss (Maybe u know a DO counterpart of Zanki?) etc. I just got accepted to a DO school while waiting for MD schools so there is a decent chance I’ll go DO. So far, my plan is to use Zanki regardless of DO or MD for pre studying like you in the mornings before class for the topics of each day, but was curious if there are specific DO decks u recommend. Even if I go DO, I am definitely taking Step to match one day, into radiology so I will be saving this video for future reference! :)

[@EvolvingMedic]

I’m glad you liked the video! And congratulations on getting accepted to medical school!! 🎉 Unfortunately I wouldn’t be able to speak too confidently on the DO process as I have not experienced it. I do know that many DO students still use the Anking deck (a universal deck that includes Zanki), and I would definitely recommend doing that if you are planning to take the USMLEs. I’m sorry I can’t make a dedicated video on what to do as a DO student, but I am sure current DO students would have much more accurate advice than I could provide.

[@doc_ontheclock]

Hey thanks for the video. Could you also share which areas are more commonly tested on Step 1 and which NBMEs to focus on, since there are a bunch of them and I dont have the time to do all of them.

[@EvolvingMedic]

I did form 26 as many people reported that being the closest to their actual scores on various Reddit threads. And this website shows what is tested: www.usmle.org/sites/default/files/2021-10/STEP1_No_Scores_Pass.pdf

[@doc_ontheclock]

@@EvolvingMedic Thank you!!

[@lynx-rj5kz]

Great video really, im an international med student and planning to take the exam between august and october next year, obviously the courses we take are very different from those taken in the us not material wise but subject wise and i find myself forgetting a lot of things I’ve taken during the last two years of medical school, any idea how long it might take me to prepare for usmle step 1?

[@cometobelieeve]

Same here

[@islampeace617]

Am still studying 2nd year about to complete.

[@joyleenstrozier4295]

Wow that is crazy!

[@TerrenceL.ShawLIEDETECTIONTV]

The Cure please for Terrence L. Shaw.

[@gebremedhinbirhane1199]

Wow nice video.

[@EvolvingMedic]

Thank you so much! I’m glad you liked it!

[@_jianthuilungkamei_3643]

How many direct questions and answers were repeated from UWORLD in the real STEP exam?

[@EvolvingMedic]

There are no exact questions from UWorld on step. The questions are from two separate companies

[@_jianthuilungkamei_3643]

@@EvolvingMedic well, could you please tell me the two companies?

[@EvolvingMedic]

UWorld is its own company. And the USMLE step exams are written by the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME)

[@305thedon]

What year of med school did you begin to make a paycheck?

[@EvolvingMedic]

You don’t make a paycheck in medical school (unfortunately, we’re the ones paying lol)

[@Carsal6116]

can you telll how can improve my pubic health science sir

[@xeman1000]

Failed my step 1 unfortunately 😢

[@islampeace617]

Can anyone plz help me in guiding me for USMLE 1 costs and study stuff plz ?

[@skirmisher10]

Oh shit! JR Smith lookin a lil different here 😂

[@EvolvingMedic]

Went from basketball, to golf, and now med school! 😂

[@Dr.krates-2025]

Bro what’s your age..?

[@EvolvingMedic]

I’m 28!

[@southafricaismyhome814]

SOUTHAFRICA DO THE FIRST HUMAN HART TRANSPLANT IN THE WORLD WE ARE THE LEADER IN THE WORLD ON HART TRANSPLANTS 🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦😂😂😂

[@princetonscholar5723]

This generation of “Pass/Fail” doctors - oh God, the public’s in trouble!

[@MoodJay]

Since it has become pass/fail exam do you still recommend i do usmle step 1 book and pathoma or just go for uworld qbank and learn from explanations. Note: i did step2 qbank multiple times and took it before step 1

[@EvolvingMedic]

I’d recommend just doing a practice test to gauge where you are at. You will likely be passing or close to passing given that you already took step 2. Then you can determine your strategy after knowing where you’re at. My suspicion is UWorld will be enough

[@MoodJay]

@@EvolvingMedic thank you!

[@KrazyNigerian14]

239 on your first practice exam?! I would have taken step the next day! Lol jk good work man. I just got my score back and thank god I got the PASS! 🥳🥹

[@EvolvingMedic]

Ayyyy huge congratulations!!! 🎉👏🏽🔥