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.

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5 FAQs About Using Anki for USMLE Prep

Maybe you’ve read Blueprint articles about Anki cards like “What is Anki?” and “Which USMLE Subjects Are Best for Anki?” but still have questions about this popular study resource. If so, no worries—we’ve got you covered! In this article we’ll go over some FAQs medical students have about Anki cards. I’ll show you how to

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Which USMLE Subjects Are Best for Anki?

You can hardly set foot in any United States medical school without hearing about the popular flashcard tool called “Anki.” Anki is loved (and feared) by many, but is it a good fit for you? Compare these strengths and weaknesses of using Anki for your USMLE prep! What is Anki? Let’s start with the basics:

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Do Higher USMLE Scores Actually Make You a Better Doctor?

For a period of time during your medical training, USMLE scores seem to be the only thing that matters. You’ve heard it before: study hard, score well. Devote your life to your dedicated study period, score high, and you can pick whatever residency you please. Your score, it seems, is absolutely everything. And then all

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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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How We Made the New Step 2 & Shelf Exams Qbank from Blueprint Test Prep

Updated January 2024 As a third-year medical student, you no doubt spend a lot of time going through your Step 2 & Shelf Exams Qbank getting ready for your M3 exams. At some point during your study period, you’ve probably asked yourself how your Qbank provider came up with the questions. Who is making sure

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10 Tips for Creating an Effective USMLE Step 1 Study Schedule

USMLE preparation is no small task, and it’s easily the most crucial step in any medical student’s future. When you’re preparing for the USMLE Step 1, it’s important to have a strong study plan. This helps you organize your time better, so you can cover all the material on which you will be tested and

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How to Use Blueprint’s Med School Study Planner to Prep for All Your Med School Exams

Finally, you’re done! You spent hours on Excel creating a study plan, and you’re letting out a sigh of relief. But your joy is short-lived: your professor adds another suggested book to your reviewing list, a friend insists a lecture series is a must-have based on their experiences prepping for Step, or you get an

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Maximizing Your Dedicated Step 2 CK Study Period

Wait, so Step 2 CK matters? Yes, yes it does! I think by now, most medical students know USMLE Step 1 is a pass/fail exam. Thus, the primary objective measure on our application for residency is the USMLE Step 2 CK score. It wasn’t always this way, of course. I remember many of my attendings

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