Blueprint Med School Blog (formerly Cram Fighter & Med School Tutors)

The blog for Blueprint Medical, supporting your MedEd journey with our exam study planner, tutoring, residency consulting, and advanced boards.

How to Approach Step 1 Dedicated in 2024
How to Approach Step 1 Dedicated in 2024

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

READ MORE
How to Study For Shelf Exams: A Tutor’s Guide
How to Study For Shelf Exams: A Tutor’s Guide

As you progress through medical school and the structure of your educational curriculum evolves, how you learn will also change. The most dramatic transition happens when you start your clinical rotations. In the process, you move from classroom-based or online learning with content developed by your medical school (e.g., lectures, online modules, and labs) to

READ MORE
The Ultimate ICU Patient Presentation Template for Med Students
The Ultimate ICU Patient Presentation Template for Med Students

The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is quite a unique environment in the hospital, one where seconds and minutes can mean the difference between life and death. If you’re on an ICU rotation, it may feel overwhelming. While you can typically help in some bedside procedures like placing an arterial line, one way to really shine

READ MORE
How Long Does It Take to Become a Surgeon?
How Long Does It Take to Become a Surgeon?

A career as a surgeon is incredibly rewarding, stressful, and meaningful. As a surgeon, your patients put the highest level of trust in you and you’re responsible for their very lives when they’re on your operating table. Surgeons are exposed to an extremely wide range of pathologies with a high degree of complexity, and they

READ MORE
Navigating the ERAS Residency Application Timeline: The Ultimate Guide
Navigating the ERAS Residency Application Timeline: The Ultimate Guide

Can you believe it? It’s already that time of the year. ERAS residency applications are just around the corner! That means it’s important to get familiar with the residency application timeline, so you don’t fall behind. We’re going to share key aspects of the residency application process with you, so you can stay on top

READ MORE
My Success Story: Passing Step 1 and Shelf Exams During Third Year with Med School Tutors
My Success Story: Passing Step 1 and Shelf Exams During Third Year with Med School Tutors

The following post is a guest blog from a Blueprint tutoring student, Katerina, who successfully passed her Step 1 and shelf exams at the same time with the help of her Blueprint tutor. Hear her story below! The summer before my third year of medical school, I still felt like I wasn’t ready to take

READ MORE
What Happens if I Fail Step 1 (Now That It’s Pass/Fail)?
What Happens if I Fail Step 1 (Now That It’s Pass/Fail)?

While some med students may feel relief from Step 1 going pass/fail, others may still be wondering, “What happens if I fail Step 1? Without a score, how will I know how to improve when I retake the exam?” Whether you’ve arrived at this article before taking Step 1 or after receiving a failing score,

READ MORE
What is a Fellow Doctor? A Guide on Fellowships for Eager Medical Students
What is a Fellow Doctor? A Guide on Fellowships for Eager Medical Students

Have you heard your upper level residents mention the term “fellowship,” but were too nervous to ask what a fellow doctor is?  In this post, we explore the world of training that exists after residency: medical fellowships. In short, a fellowship is an opportunity for physicians to further specialize and distinguish themselves by honing their

READ MORE