As medical students shift into their final weeks of prep for Step 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), some may find themselves surrounded by a small library of study tools—video lectures, question banks, flash cards and spaced-repetition apps are among them. But how do you know if you are studying efficiently instead of simply spinning your wheels?
“You’ll know something’s working if you’re actually absorbing the material,” said Myra Aquino, MD, MPH, a senior content strategist at Sketchy Medical, a visual learning platform widely used by medical students to prepare for the USMLE.
As a physician who has been through the grind of Step 1 herself, Dr. Aquino. has some key advice on how to avoid resource overload and make every hour of studying count.
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Identify your best options early
Before you go full throttle into the Step 1 dedicated-study window, you should experiment early with different resources to find out what suits your learning style, Dr. Aquino said.
“My best advice is to figure all that out before dedicated starts,” she said. “Use your pre-dedicated time to experiment and see which resources click. I made the mistake of trying out new resources during dedicated, which cost me time and mental bandwidth I didn’t really have.”
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. The key is to test what helps you retain and apply information—not just what looks good on paper.
The AMA Succeeding in Medical School series offers tips and other guidance on a wide range of critical topics, including preparing for USMLE exams, navigating clinical rotations, publishing scientific research, and maintaining optimal health and wellness.
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Good vibes are not enough
As far as what makes an option most effective, Dr. Aquino offered some clear indicators.
If a resource is going to work for a medical student, it generally:
- Aligns with a student’s learning style—one might be an auditory or visual learner, for instance.
- There is demonstrative recall the next day or for several days.
- Your scores on Qbanks and practice exams improve in the areas in which you used that resource.
“If you're doing practice questions and finding that you're able to pull out that information and use it, whether it's a visual memory or a concept, you’re probably using the right resource,” she said.
Keep an open mind
Some medical students initially hesitate to use visual-first platforms such as Sketchy, because they assume they won’t benefit from the format, Dr. Aquino noted. But visual memory can be surprisingly powerful—even for students who don’t consider themselves visual learners.
“Even if you don’t think you’re a visual learner, it’s worth giving Sketchy or other visual aids a shot,” she said. “Students who were initially skeptical have told us how surprised they are by how much the visuals stick—even passively.”
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Avoid the Swiss Army approach
One of the biggest mistakes medical students make is expecting a single resource to do everything. Dr. Aquino recommended choosing tools for their strengths—and being deliberate about how you deploy them.
“You don’t need one thing that teaches everything—you just need the right tool for the right topic. Sketchy might be your go-to for micro and pharm, but maybe Pathoma hits harder for path.”
While different resources serve different purposes, Dr. Aquino noted that if you do feel overwhelmed—or just don’t like juggling too many tools—it helps to simplify your toolkit.
Adapt when necessary
Even the best-laid plans might need adjusting once dedicated study kicks in. That’s not failure—it’s strategy.
“If things really aren’t clicking during dedicated, that’s OK,” Dr. Aquino said. “You can pivot, adapt, change the schedule and keep going.”
Ultimately, your goal is to pass Step 1 and lay the groundwork for clinical success, not to follow a rigid checklist.
“Whether you’re reviewing micro sketches or highlighting words or doing a slew of questions, you’re not just checking boxes. You’re building the skills you’ll use on the wards and beyond,” Dr. Aquino said.
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