Pharmacology for the USMLE Step 1 requires you to know just the basics about the commonly used drugs in medicine. Here are a few things that you MUST know about the drug.
- Which class does it belong to?
- What is the mechanism of action?
- What are the uses?
- What are the side effects?
Apart from this there is very little that can be asked about pharmacology. Be sure to understand the drugs you study in this manner.
Pay special attention to the side effects. The examiners love these questions.
So what resources should you use to study for USMLE Step 1 Pharmacology? Thankfully the list is quite short for this one.
“Must do” Pharmacology USMLE Step 1 Resources
Review videos and notes
Video lectures and notes summarize pretty much all the basics you need to know about pharmacology for the USMLE Step 1.
You can buy these from any of the sources available online (Kaplan, Lecturio, Becker, etc).
If you feel that the videos are very time consuming, you can watch them at a playback speed of 1.5x or more.
If you are someone who prefers to read notes instead of watching videos, stick to that. The notes by Kaplan are concise and easy to understand.
First Aid
This is an absolute essential when it comes to Step 1 prep. There is no bypassing First Aid. This book along with UWorld is your ultimate resource for Step 1.
Be sure to go through Lecturio, Kaplan or any other review material you are using before you start reading First Aid.
The information in First Aid is ONLY the most high yield stuff and it doesn’t really explain concepts. This book is good if you have strong basics and want to have a review of all the subjects from 1 common book.
Every word is super high yield. Pay special emphasis on the mechanism of action and the side effects.
UWorld
Although this goes without saying, the list of resources for pharmacology would be incomplete if we don’t add UWorld. This is an extensive learning tool. Make sure you read the explanations really well.
This is a Question bank with nearly 2500 quality questions. Make sure you solve them and spend enough time reviewing your tests. There is a massive amount of information in each explanation.
If you want to master the resources mentioned above and learn more strategies about how to crack the USMLE Step 1, check out the eBook The ULTIMATE USMLE Step 1 Study Guide for IMGs
Do I need to read Lippincott Pharmacology?
This is a good book to read during the initial years of your medical school to build strong concepts in pharmacology.
However, it is neither required nor recommended that you read this book during your dedicated USMLE Step 1 Prep as this book includes a lot of non high yield material as well which can be very time consuming.
You can also consider making flashcards of the most commonly tested drugs and practice them. There are a lot of ways to study, videos, notes, flashcards, pick what works best for you and stick to it.
Have any other resources that you would like to recommend? Mention them in the comments section below or write to us at theindianmedicalstudent@gmail.com.
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