What Happens if You Fail Step 1?
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…
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The blog for Blueprint Medical, supporting your MedEd journey with our exam study planner, tutoring, residency consulting, and advanced boards.
Read MoreWhat Happens if You Fail Step 1?
The Step 1 Pass Rate Is Down Since Becoming Pass/Fail: How to Prep Smarter in 2026
In recent years, the role Step 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) plays in the residency application process has changed. When it transitioned from a scored assessment to a pass/fail test in January 2022, the change alleviated…
Transition from M2 to M3: Learning from Books to Learning from Patients
When I was preparing for USMLE Step 1, I distinctly remember my anxiety building as the exam approached. This anxiety, though unpleasant, was met and balanced by another powerful emotion: excitement. I was excited by the prospect of finally putting…
Take This Quiz & Find Out What Should Be on Your Med School Wish List! 🎁
Are you having trouble figuring out what to ask for this holiday season, since you rarely buy anything for yourself in the name of delayed gratification? If so, you’re probably a medical student who could use a nice holiday gift.…
How to Approach Step 1 Dedicated in 2026
If your Step 1 exam is scheduled in 2026, 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…
The Step 2 Passing Score Just Increased. What Does This Mean for You?
You may have heard that the Step 2 passing score just increased from 214 to 218 starting July 1, 2025. So as a medical student preparing for the exam, what does this mean for you? With Step 1 changing to…
Med School Loans 101: What Are Your Options?
There are a fortunate few who graduate medical school without incurring any debt. They manage to do this through a combination of financial aid, academic or merit-based scholarship, military service, dual degree or specialty programs, or even parental assistance. However…
Open These Love Notes to Help You Through Med School 💙
Happy Valentine’s Day from Blueprint Prep! The season of love has us thinking about how we can spread the love year-round, through all the ups and downs you face during med school. What better way than some good old-fashioned “open when”…
How to Pay for Medical School in the Real World
This post was originally published in August 2022 by a Blueprint tutor. So, all of your hard work and medical school prep have paid off. Now you are currently enrolled in, or have been accepted to, a medical school— congratulations!…
What Do You Learn in Medical School? A Guide for Incoming Med Students
After successfully completing college and all the classes and extracurricular activities it entails, now it’s time to prepare yourself for the next step: medical school. But what, exactly, will that be like? And what do you learn in medical school? …