By now, the foundation for doing well on the CBSE has been laid by the UFAP method. I believe for the vast majority of people that this is an effective study plan and more resources are not necessary. Sketchy Micro could more or less be included in the category of tried and true resources, and it is not “new” by any means. However, there are a wide variety of learning styles, and the market of study resources has expanded to accommodate them. Below, I have included some of the most popular, new(ish) resources in case you haven’t seen them before or you are looking to expand your current toolset. Remember that UFAP works great. Be careful adding too many resources lest you become bogged down. Feel free to comment with others I may have missed or feedback about the ones I included. The headers to each topic are links to the resource. For full disclosure, the site receives a small percentage of any Anki iOS purchase (thanks for the support!), but nothing for any of the others.
If you aren’t familiar with Anki, by now I’m sure you have at least heard the name of the popular flashcard app. For those unfamiliar, Anki is a flashcard system that uses an active recall and spaced repetition to learn a subject. Instead of having a pile of cards to go through and then repeat, Anki sorts them as you rank your level of knowledge of the card and then repeats them back to you at a certain time interval. If you feel like you don’t know the card well, then you will see it again sooner and more often versus a card you do know. It can be a simple and efficient method of studying if flashcards are your thing. Another nice feature is that you can sync all of your cards between your devices, add pictures, or share them with classmates. There are also some popular premade decks available, including Brosencephalon and Zanki, which focus on CBSE/Step1 material. The desktop and Android versions are free while the iOS app is $24.99.
While you may not have been familiar with Anki, you more than likely have used Sketchy Micro. For me, Sketchy Micro was an invaluable resource used to memorize all of the nuances of different bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The Sketchy version of picture mnemonics and storytelling is memorable and more fun than flashcards in my opinion (if studying can be fun at all). In addition to microbiology, they have a large new set of videos that cover pharmacology and pathology. These videos tend to be longer than the micro ones, but are still very useful. The best ones in my opinion are the cardiac, HIV, and psych drugs. I have not looked at the path videos enough to comment on them, but I have heard positive reviews. Sketchy packages range from $160 per section to $340 yearly for the whole package. The cost of six months for the entire package is $230 and would be adequate for most. If you used sketchy micro and enjoyed it then it may be worth the cost. Otherwise, it can be an expensive resource to use.
The way I would describe Boards and Beyond is it is a visual version of First Aid. It is succinct and hits all of the high points without taking too long. Dr. Jason Ryan, a professor at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, directs each video with pictures and highlights important points along the way. He is excellent at presenting and includes about every high-yield fact you could need. Regarding video learning, this is one of the best, and as an added bonus, the site includes about 500 USMLE Step Questions. Unfortunately, good content comes at a price and a one-year subscription is $150. If you are interested but unsure, there are some sample videos available to check out. There is also a promo code right now (May 2018) for the six-month and one-year versions (GT52DCF and 12JTVSG, respectively).
If you are tired of spending money and want an awesome resource to use, Osmosis is it. Osmosis offers many study tools including videos, flashcards, questions, and study planning, many of which are free. The resource that I use most often if I need to refresh myself on a topic is their videos. The content of their videos is not as comprehensive as Boards and Beyond, but they are excellent at packing in the basics of what you need to know in a colorful and memorable way. The videos can be accessed either on youtube or by creating a free account on their site. If you create an account, you have access to an amazing study planner that incorporates First Aid reading and Sketchy Medical into your schedule. It is a very impressive feature I must say. You even have access to some of their flashcards and questions. If you like their material and want even more content, you can access it all with a paid subscription (normally $299 but is currently $199 for one year). I think this is unnecessary though because the free program includes about as much as you would need anyway.
Similar to Osmosis, Online MedEd is a package of videos, flashcards, quiz questions, and study planning tools. The main difference is that most of their content is geared clinically versus the basic sciences. Regardless, it is still a useful resource but very expensive ($40-70 per month depending on the running promotion), but many of their videos are free. Their coronary artery disease section is free if you want to check them out. A nice feature that differentiates them from Osmosis is their app, in case you want to do flashcards or study on the go. I doubt most will elect to use this as a resource, but I wanted to include it to be thorough. It may be more valuable to those in the six-year track doing clerkships or for residents owing to its clinical focus.
I hope you have enjoyed these resources, and maybe you will find them useful. I want to reiterate that in no way are they necessary as the traditional CBSE Study Guide and UFAP usually work just fine. However, if you are in a study rut or just want to try something new out, these are a good place to start. As always, wish you the best in your studies and comment below with your questions or if you have anything good to share!