About the Author

Kathleen Oakes

Katie has extensive experience tutoring at all levels in various subjects throughout college and medical school, as well as experience helping students with standardized test preparation.

Scheduling Your Step 2 CK for the 2025 Residency Match

8 min

3992 Views

A group of medical students studying for their Step 2 exam, sitting in front of a lap top.

3992 Views

With Step 1 transitioning to a pass/fail format, the significance of the Step 2 CK exam in medical school has heightened. For third-year medical students approaching the 2025 Residency Match, determining the timing for Step 2 CK is crucial. Unlike Step 1, scheduling Step 2 CK offers greater flexibility. Various...

How to Make the Most of UWorld USMLE Step 1 Flashcards

11 min

1054 Views

A medical school student studying for the USMLE Step 1 using UWorld flashcards, sitting at a desk in front of a laptop and notebook.

1054 Views

Spaced repetition is a learning technique that is very useful for learning and remembering information over an extended time. Many students find it to be essential to their study habits in medical school. It can be especially important when preparing for Step 1, which tests all the basic science knowledge...

How to Make the Most of the UWorld MCAT QBank Using the Cloze Deletion Concept

9 min

504 Views

A medical school student studying for USMLE Step 1, using UWorld's flashcard feature, in front of a laptop.

504 Views

Understanding Cloze Deletion for MCAT Studying   Cloze deletion is the concept of removing key information from a statement and using active recall to come up with the missing detail. This is essentially a fill-in-the-blank question, and it can be a very effective way to study for the MCAT.  ...

When to Take the NBME Practice Exams

7 min

2430 Views

A medical school student taking an NBME practice exam in a library on her laptop.

2430 Views

Deciding when to take practice exams is a dilemma that many students face when preparing for USMLE Step 1. Practice NBME exams are undoubtedly one of the most useful and important resources you will use in your Step 1 preparation. They can help you assess your own readiness to pass...

NBME 25- NBME 30: Which is the Best Predictor for Passing Step 1

8 min

21467 Views

Medical students taking their USMLE Step 1 exam in a classroom.

21467 Views

There are an incredible number of resources out there for Step 1 preparation. No one study approach will work for everyone or guarantee success. Whatever plan or resources you decide to use, everyone will need to use practice questions and practice exams. These help to really gauge how well they...

Which USMLE Step Exam is the Hardest?

7 min

10032 Views

A frustrated medical school student studying for the USMLE in front of a pile of textbooks.

10032 Views

The USMLE Step exams are one of the most important and anxiety-inducing aspects of medical training. Step 1 is an exam that most medical students take in their second or third year of school, which tests basic science knowledge relevant to the practice of medicine. Students generally take Step 2...

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