Your Step 1 dedicated period, week by week.

Step 1 is a one-day, roughly eight-hour exam and is now scored pass or fail. Questions mix basic science with the organ systems, so the schedule is built around systems, with general principles (biochemistry, genetics, immunology, microbiology and pharmacology) as its own block.

1. Systems review, a bit under half. Each week covers a few systems, with timed question blocks on them every day.
2. Mixed practice, the rest. Random timed blocks across all systems, with a self-assessment every week or two.
3. Final week. Your last self-assessment about a week out, light review, and a day off before the test.

Topic hours roughly follow the share of each system in the USMLE content outline. Any area you tick as a worry gets 50% more time. These weights are rough, not official.

Check the current content outline and rules at usmle.org before you rely on them.

A plan that survives week two beats a perfect one that doesn’t.

• Study at the same time each day. Your phone goes in another room for that block.
• Keep a log of every miss and why. Re-read it before each study day.
• When you miss a day, don’t double up. Carry on from where the plan says you are.