Using Flashcards to Study for the USMLE

Advice from USMLE Step 1 Tutors on Using Flashcards to Study

Let’s get right into it – Flashcards are best used as a supplementary study aid, where the cards support knowledge retention from other core resources. For students preparing for USMLE Step 1, these core resources can vary but often UWorld, First Aid, Pathoma, TrueLearn are mentioned in most conversations. The general idea is that a question bank is paired with a flashcard resource for learning content that has been identified as a weak area while going through practice questions.

On a quick side note, we do recognize that there are students out there who strongly prefer to use flashcards as a primary resource. This post is not intended to disprove that a flashcard centered USMLE Step 1 review is compatible with a strong examination performance if tailored appropriately to the student, rather it is intended to cover how to use flashcards in the most efficient way possible. 

Let’s Talk USMLE Flashcard Strategy: Making & Reviewing

At the start of your study period, determine the number of questions you will need to complete daily to finish a pass through your qbank of choice (such as UWorld, Amboss, or TrueLearn). On your first pass, we recommend using a timed tutor mode and having Anki running in the background of your computer. If you are using UWorld, you cannot copy and paste content into Anki. You can, however, type any information you find necessary from a UWorld question into a flashcard. This is typically the same for all qbanks.

*Recently, UWorld also released the ability to create flashcards directly on the platform as well. This is really great for students who do wish to directly copy and paste content especially charts, photos, and explanations. Amboss and TrueLearn may have similar features. Also, if you’ve completed UWorld and Amboss and still want more targeted practice, TrueLearn offers Step 1 smartbanks designed for efficient question review. Don’t forget to use promo code elitemedical to get a discount on your subscription.

When deciding what to include in an Anki flashcard, many students try to put every detail from all answer choices into a single card. Some even create multiple cards for the same question. This strategy however is not the most efficient use of your study time. Instead, we recommend focusing on the main points of a practice question. These points are usually summarized at the end of each question, no matter which qbank you use. Consider including some of that information on a flashcard, especially if you missed the question.

After reviewing a question’s explanation, decide whether you might struggle to remember the key fact. Ask yourself: if this question appeared again – on another practice test or the actual exam- would you answer it correctly? If you feel you will need help remembering this key fact, go ahead and make an Anki flashcard. However, stick to the rule that, on average, you should have no more than 1 Anki flashcard/ question. Even better is the idea that a single qbank question should require at most one Anki flashcard.

High Yield Flashcard Review for Step 1 – Our Logic

By identifying the most important fact from a USMLE Step 1 practice question, students retain the high-yield information more effectively. Focusing on the vignette helps them remember what truly matters for the exam. Even information from incorrect answer choices, though less emphasized in UWorld, can still be valuable for the exam. However, wrong answer information often becomes the focus of another practice question, where it appears as the correct answer. This means that you can stick to the above recommendation of making at most one Anki flashcard per practice question. Focus on the tested information and ignore what you might learn from the wrong answers.

The reason that making and reviewing flashcards should not be the primary study strategy for the USMLE Step 1 is largely because it is very time consuming and requires different active reasoning than what is required on the actual exam. The real USMLE exam contains only multiple-choice questions – no fill-in-the-blank or written-response items. The exam is entirely multiple choice.That said, reviewing flashcards forces you to recall knowledge without the context of a vignette. Some students find this approach more difficult. They may think that if they can recall information this way, practice questions should be easy. However, this is not always the case. It is crucial to become familiar with the exact format of USMLE questions. Doing so ensures you feel fully prepared on test day and face no surprises.

For extra practice, TrueLearn offers a Step 1 Qbank smartbank that works well with flashcards and other core resources. Access it here and use promo code elitemedical for a discount on your subscription.

We hope this post showed how flashcards can complement Qbank study and make retaining core material more efficient and enjoyable. As always, if you find yourself in need of guidance or help during your USMLE study process, our USMLE tutors are always here to help!