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.

Opposed vs Unopposed Family Medicine Residency Programs: A Comparative Analysis

If you’ve reached the point in your medical journey when it’s time to rank your top family medicine programs, the decision can be tough. Rest assured, all family medicine residency programs will provide you with the training you’ll need to successfully navigate the complex field of primary care. Still, not all programs are alike. The

Nov 21, 2023

Med School Extracurriculars That Will Boost Your Residency Application

Medical school may be one of the busiest times in your life, but it’s also a good time to figure out who you are and what kind of doctor you want to become. One of the best ways to do this is to get involved in med school extracurriculars! While completing the coursework and clinicals

Nov 16, 2023

How to Prepare for Your Residency Application During Each Year of Medical School

Congrats, you’ve gotten into medical school! Your dreams are coming true! Finally embarking on your medical training is a momentous occasion, worthy of celebration. Still, for many new students, it’s normal to feel a bit overwhelmed as the reality of the journey ahead starts to sink in. During your first day of class, as you

Nov 14, 2023

What to Consider When Ranking Family Medicine Residency Programs

By now, you’ve probably stumbled upon countless blogs and videos with generic advice on how to create your residency rank list. In fact, here’s a post I wrote about choosing a residency program! In my “catch-all” post, you’ll find tips for assessing a residency program based on a broad array of factors, such as its

Nov 13, 2023

Soft Skills in Medicine: Communication, Empathy, and Teamwork

While learning physiology, pathology, and pharmacology are a major part of medical school, another equally important aspect is developing your skills in providing compassionate care and working effectively in a team setting. These latter competencies, known as “soft skills,” broadly describe our ability to communicate, demonstrate empathy, adapt to different situations, and solve problems. Soft

Nov 09, 2023

7 Tips to Help You Avoid Fainting in the OR

I was very excited for my first day in an operating room, but woefully unprepared for what to expect. Part of that was not understanding the flow of an OR and worrying I would embarrass myself in the unfamiliar environment. (For a run down on what to expect, I recommend you read my last article

Nov 07, 2023

Scrub Up: Tips for Your First Time in the OR

Scrub up! If these words strike fear into your heart, you’re in good company. For most medical students, the first time they enter an operating room (OR) is during third-year clerkships. Nothing will quite prepare you for that moment, but some familiarity with the different roles, order of operations, etiquette, and expectations for medical students

Oct 30, 2023

How to Use Deliberate Practice to Prep for Your Medical School Exams

The equation is simple: solid preparation = successful exam performance. Whether you’re getting ready to take the USMLE or COMLEX, dedicating a large chunk of time exclusively to test prep is how to ensure you’ll crush it on exam day. If you don’t put the time in, you’re going to be disappointed—period. So do yourself

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