This is the 8-week Step 1 schedule I wish I'd had — built around the resources that actually work, structured to prevent burnout, and specific enough that you never open your laptop wondering what to study today.
Before You Start: What You Need Ready
- UWorld subscription (3 months, don't start until Week 5)
- Pathoma access (video + book)
- Sketchy subscription (micro + pharm)
- Anki with AnKing deck installed and tagged by organ system
- First Aid (current edition — new copy or heavily annotated used copy)
- NBME practice exams purchased (buy during Week 6)
Your Daily Structure (Every Day, All 8 Weeks)
Sample daily schedule (8–9 productive hours)
7:00–7:30
Anki reviews from previous days (catch up if behind)
7:30–9:30
Content block 1 (Pathoma or Sketchy for today's system)
9:30–9:45
Break — walk, no phone
9:45–12:00
Content block 2 + First Aid annotation for same system
12:00–13:00
Lunch — actual break
13:00–15:30
Content block 3 OR UWorld (Weeks 5+)
15:30–15:45
Break
15:45–17:30
New Anki cards from today's material
17:30–18:00
Review weak points from today's content
Evening
Free — protect your rest
Phase 1: Content Mastery (Weeks 1–4)
Week 1
Cardiovascular + Respiratory
Mon
- Pathoma Ch. 5 (Cardiac): congenital heart disease, valvular disorders
- First Aid: Cardiology — annotate alongside Pathoma
- Anki: add AnKing tags for Cardiology (target 50 new cards)
Day 1 Anki: only add cards for content you've already studied today
Tue
- Pathoma Ch. 5 cont.: cardiomyopathies, pericardial disease, tumors
- Sketchy Pharm: antihypertensives + antiarrhythmics
- Anki: 50–60 new Cardiology cards
Wed
- Pathoma Ch. 10 (Respiratory): obstructive vs restrictive, pneumonia
- First Aid: Pulmonology — annotate
- Anki: Respiratory 50 new cards + 100 review from Mon–Tue
Thu
- Pathoma Ch. 10 cont.: vascular lung disease, lung tumors
- Sketchy Micro: Respiratory bacteria (Strep pneumo, Klebsiella, Legionella)
- Anki: 60 new + 150 review
Fri
- Review day: re-read First Aid CV and Resp annotations
- Pathoma re-watch: any section that felt unclear
- Anki: 0 new cards — review-only day (clear backlog)
Sat
- Full system integration: CV + Resp together
- Sketchy Pharm: diuretics, ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers
- Anki: 50 new pharm + all reviews
Sun
- Rest day — Anki reviews only (no new content)
- Optional: 10 free UWorld questions in subjects you've covered just to see the format
Week 2
Renal + Fluid/Electrolytes
Mon–Tue
- Pathoma Ch. 14: glomerular diseases, nephritic vs nephrotic syndrome
- Boards and Beyond: Renal physiology (fluids, electrolytes, acid-base)
- First Aid: Nephrology — annotate. 60 new Anki cards/day
Wed–Thu
- Pathoma: tubular disorders, renal vascular disease, tumors
- Acid-base mastery: metabolic acidosis/alkalosis, respiratory acidosis/alkalosis
- Anki: electrolytes and acid-base deck — high yield, memorize the patterns
Fri–Sat
- Sketchy Pharm: diuretics in depth (loops, thiazides, potassium-sparing)
- Review: integrate renal with pharmacology (ACE inhibitors + kidney effects)
- Friday: 0 new Anki, full review. Saturday: 50 new pharm cards
Sun
- Rest + Anki reviews only
Week 3
GI + Liver + Hepatobiliary
Mon–Tue
- Pathoma Ch. 13: esophagus, stomach, small and large intestine
- High-yield: Crohn's vs UC distinction, colon cancer pathways
- Anki: GI 60 new cards/day
Wed–Thu
- Pathoma: Liver — hepatitis, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma
- Viral hepatitis serology patterns — make Anki cards for every pattern
- Sketchy Micro: Hepatitis viruses A–E
Fri–Sun
- Pancreas, gallbladder, biliary system
- Sketch Pharm: GI drugs (PPIs, H2 blockers, antiemetics, IBD drugs)
- Friday review day, Sun rest + Anki only
Week 4
Neuro + Psych + MSK + Endocrine
Mon–Tue
- Pathoma Ch. 20: CNS tumors, demyelinating disease, neurodegeneration
- Neuroanatomy: spinal cord tracts, brainstem lesions (high yield)
- Anki: Neuro + neuroanatomy 60 new/day
Wed
- Psychiatry: First Aid psych section — DSM criteria, treatments
- Sketchy Pharm: antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers
Thu–Fri
- Endocrine: Pathoma Ch. 17 — pituitary, thyroid, adrenal, pancreas
- Diabetic pathophysiology and complications — integrate with Renal and CV
Sat
- MSK and Dermatology: joint disorders, skin cancer, inflammatory skin conditions
- Review all of Phase 1 at high level using First Aid annotations
Phase 2: Active Recall + UWorld (Weeks 5–7)
Starting Week 5, begin UWorld in tutor mode: 40 questions per day minimum, read every explanation whether correct or wrong. Continue Anki daily (300+ reviews, 30–50 new cards from UWorld explanations). Stop adding new content unless filling gaps UWorld reveals.
Week 5
UWorld begins — Systems 1 & 2 (CV, Resp, Renal)
Mon–Sun
- 40 UWorld questions per day — tutor mode, system-specific blocks
- After each block: 30 min minimum reading all explanations
- Make Anki cards from wrong answers and "right for wrong reasons" answers
- Daily Anki: 300+ reviews + 30–50 new from UWorld
- Friday: no new UWorld — full review of the week's wrong answers
Weeks 6–7
UWorld continues — all remaining systems
Week 6
- Same daily structure as Week 5
- Switch to mixed UWorld blocks by midweek (don't stay system-only)
- Take NBME 20 at end of Week 6 — baseline measurement
- Review NBME wrong answers for 2 hours after
Week 7
- Continue mixed UWorld blocks
- Focus extra time on NBME 20 weak categories
- Take NBME 21 mid-week
- Biostatistics and ethics pass — First Aid chapters + UWorld biostats block
Phase 3: Final Push (Week 8)
Week 8
Consolidation only — no new content
Mon
- NBME 23 — full exam, timed
- Review all wrong answers in depth (2+ hours)
- Anki: reviews only
Tue–Wed
- Target top 3 weak categories from NBME 23
- First Aid + Pathoma: re-read those specific sections
- Anki: focused review on weak category tags
Thu
- Free 120 (available on nbme.org) — do timed, treat like real exam
- Light review of explanations
Fri (Day Before Exam)
- Morning only: light Anki review + skim First Aid high-yield tables
- Stop studying by noon
- Exercise, eat real food, sleep by 10 PM
Exam Day
- Wake up at your normal time — do not wake early
- Eat a real breakfast
- No cramming. Your score was locked in weeks ago.
The most common schedule mistake: Starting Phase 2 (UWorld) too early. Students who begin UWorld in Week 2 without foundational knowledge see their first block score, panic, and abandon their schedule. UWorld in Week 5+ means you have enough context to learn from the explanations rather than just feeling lost.
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