The blog for Blueprint Medical, supporting your MedEd journey with our exam study planner, tutoring, residency consulting, and advanced boards.
In recent years, several U.S. states have implemented laws that allow certain groups of international medical graduates (IMGs) to bypass traditional residency requirements before independently practicing medicine in the U.S. This development is seen as a response to both physician shortages—particularly…
A residency application is a key step on your way to practicing medicine in the US. It determines the first impression you make on program directors (PDs) and inevitably affects your chances to match. We’ve made a list of 10…
As a residency counselor, I’ve had many students come to me with the worry that they’re at a disadvantage because they don’t have physicians in their family or personal connections who can introduce them to different fields of medicine. They…
As a residency counselor, I get asked variations of the same question from my mentees, online forums and Q&A from students across the country each year: “What are my chances of matching into [insert specialty here]?” With Step 1 now…
The Clinical Basic Science Self-Assessments (CBSSA), released by the NBME, should be integral to any USMLE Step 1 study plan. These tests are traditionally referred to as NBME practice tests. They consist of retired exam questions reformatted into practice assessments…
So, what should you look for in a high-quality USMLE Qbank for Step 1 or Step 2 CK? The moment you pull out your wallet to buy something at a store, you may feel overwhelmed with options, to the point…
If you’re a medical student, you’ve probably heard of the CBSE, or Comprehensive Basic Science Examination. Some also refer to this simply as the “comp” exam. It’s a standardized exam offered by the National Board of Medical Examiners that approximates…
In recent years, DO residency applicants have become much more focused on their COMLEX Level 2 percentile. And it’s easy to see why. Prior to 2022, COMLEX Level 1, akin to USMLE Step 1, was seen as a pivotal exam…
So, it’s your final week of Step 1 preparation. Congratulations! Are you wondering what you should do during the last week of studying? One resource I tell my students to use in the final week of Step 1 studying is…
As a medical student, you’ve probably already developed a habit of reading research papers. And if you’re like many of your peers, you’ve adopted a particular way of doing it: perhaps you take a glance at the abstract, then skim…