Are AnKing/Zanki pre-made decks still worth it with P/F Step 1/curriculum for incoming M1s

[Skarl]

Incoming M1 at a "T10" school with an un-ranked P/F curriculum interested in surgical subspecialties. Our school is known to not teach to the boards and emphasizes clinical relevance in the pre-clinical phase. With Step 1 potentially becoming P/F when I take it and research likely becoming more important to residency programs, I was wondering if it is still worth the substantial time commitment to go through a pre-made deck like AnKing/Zanki?

There is the argument that Step 1 knowledge is still important for Step 2 CK, which will likely be scored when I take it, but I'm not sure it's a wise use of my time to spend hours working through a pre-made deck when this will likely take away time from research, networking with faculty in my specialty of interest, and learning my school's curriculum, which I believe will prepare me well for clerkships. I was considering a hybrid approach where I focus on my school's curriculum, but supplement with B&B and USMLE-Rx adhoc.

Any input is appreciated!

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[datboi_58]

Interested in this advice as well because my school is very similar to yours. Also, we’re having dedicated and taking Step 1 (and Step 2?) after core clerkships. We do have AOA so that’s another thing.

 

[CJhooper123]

I think it's worth it. I've been using Zanki with success in class and board practice questions. If Step goes P/F for your class, I still think it would be helpful. My school's M3/4s have told me that a lot of information from step 1 provides a foundation for step CK which to my knowledge is not P/F yet. Sure, I think it's wise to be cognizant that research, networking, AOA, and other components of your application will become more important and that you should allocate time accordingly... but I'd still go with Zanki using less stringent settings. My max review is currently set at 3 months - if I knew step was P/F, I would probably max this out.

 

[unclened]

Also incoming M1 here. My school is similar in that it is p/f and unranked for preclinicals. I plan to use cheesy lightyear instead of zanki, so I can just watch b&b videos and knock out the corresponding cards a little bit quicker.

This of course could change, but since step I still may be graded for our class (correct me if I am mistaken), I’d rather be safe than sorry!

I think it's worth it. I've been using Zanki with success in class and board practice questions. If Step goes P/F for your class, I still think it would be helpful. My school's M3/4s have told me that a lot of information from step 1 provides a foundation for step CK which to my knowledge is not P/F yet. Sure, I think it's wise to be cognizant that research, networking, AOA, and other components of your application will become more important and that you should allocate time accordingly... but I'd still go with Zanki using less stringent settings. My max review is currently set at 3 months - if I knew step was P/F, I would probably max this out.

Good idea on the max review. Will definitely do that.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I used zanki and then switched to cheesy lightyear but both are great. There is not a false dichotomy where you either study for class or study for boards. Zanki/cheesy lightyear are great for learning the material you need to pass your class exams. Now I don’t keep up with the reviews after I finish the modules, and I don’t know if it would be worth it to keep up with all of them for a p/f step when it wouldn’t be too hard to just refresh yourself during dedicated.

 

[Skarl]

Seems like the emerging consensus is to adopt a hybrid approach of:

1. Using Zanki but with less stringent settings (e.g. max review), suspend cards after finishing that block
or
2. Using a lighter version deck like cheesy lightyear

And supplementing with B&B videos.

How do you know which cards to un-suspend during each block? Do you just unsuspend everything with the respective tag? (E.g. for AnKing, I would unsuspend all cards tagged "Neuro" if I was in my neuro block.)

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Seems like the emerging consensus is to adopt a hybrid approach of:

1. Using Zanki but with less stringent settings (e.g. max review), suspend cards after finishing that block
or
2. Using a lighter version deck like cheesy lightyear

And supplementing with B&B videos.

How do you know which cards to un-suspend during each block? Do you just unsuspend everything with the respective tag? (E.g. for AnKing, I would unsuspend all cards tagged "Neuro" if I was in my neuro block.)

Everyone does it differently. I don’t suspend any cards during a block and keep it on random. Once I finish the block I move on and don’t look at those cards again. Has worked out for me so far.

Some people go by tags and unsuspend as they go through the videos. I’m too lazy for that.

 

[stickgirl390]

This is my space bar. There are many like it, but this one is mine. Without Anki, my space bar is nothing. Without my space bar, Anki is nothing.

Tl;dr Anki = life

 

[kb1900]

If you want to learn medicine and make your life 1000x easier for shelves and step 2 and step 3 and ITEs etc. then yes.


But The reality is that you can skate by at a t10 and do average on step and still match at top programs if it’s not a competitive specialty. Name goes a long way

 

[unclened]

Seems like the emerging consensus is to adopt a hybrid approach of:

1. Using Zanki but with less stringent settings (e.g. max review), suspend cards after finishing that block
or
2. Using a lighter version deck like cheesy lightyear

And supplementing with B&B videos.

How do you know which cards to un-suspend during each block? Do you just unsuspend everything with the respective tag? (E.g. for AnKing, I would unsuspend all cards tagged "Neuro" if I was in my neuro block.)

For lightyear you watch the b&b video and the unlock the corresponding cards. I believe they are tagged by video in lightyear and split into different decks for cheesy lightyear.

So pretty much it’s streamlined to just unlock them in order as you go!

It’s a little more complicated for the anking deck. But anking has some great YouTube videos on how to do so. The tagging system is very comprehensive on that deck.

 

[Ho0v-man]

No. You go to a T10 school. Pad your resume and network. Your time is better invested doing that than turning into a walking First Aid.

 

[altblue]

If you want to learn medicine and make your life 1000x easier for shelves and step 2 and step 3 and ITEs etc. then yes.


But The reality is that you can skate by at a t10 and do average on step and still match at top programs if it’s not a competitive specialty. Name goes a long way

and even then you can probably still match competitive specialties as long as your step 2 and clinical grades aren't bad

 

[7331poas]

if you are at a top 10 dont bother. I wouldn't do a full zanki deck regardless. I would do lolnotacop full. pepper pharm full. And an abbreviated deck for path/phys like lightyear.

 

[Chromium Surfer]

Sorry to piggyback of this thread but would you all say the same thing for students at Top 20?

I feel like yes this does take a lot of time but that it would pay off during third year when I have limited time to study for Step 2 and the shelf exams. Having a good fund of knowledge seems like a positive that will pay dividends for a long time in multiple circumstances.

I was also thinking that I could always do research during summer of M1 and maybe spring semester of M1 if I’m adjusted and have handle on everything.

Am I just romanticizing the aspects of maturing a comprehensive Step deck though?

 

[kkl2018]

im confused on what to do if youre at a top 10. youre saying it's not worth it if youre at a top school? and time is better spent doing research?

Is there a more appropriate way to do anki then?

 

[altblue]

im confused on what to do if youre at a top 10. youre saying it's not worth it if youre at a top school? and time is better spent doing research?

Is there a more appropriate way to do anki then?

The pre-made Anki decks are still useful for NBME exams. We just mean to say that it's probably not worth it to keep up with 2+ hours of old cards every day since the OP will have a pass/fail Step 1 and the advantage of a prestigious program. That doesn't mean you can slack off, because you still want the foundations for M3/M4 and Step 2. Instead it means that that your spare time is better spent networking and doing research with prominent faculty who can help you match.

 

[Skarl]

Can anyone give their input on this: the repeated rationale for doing pre-made decks despite P/F Step 1 seems to be preparation for Step 2 / clerkships, but isn't that the purpose of a med school curriculum? I understand you can supplement your in house curriculum with outside resources (B&B, Pathoma etc.), but working through tens of thousands of Anki cards seems to be on another level of preparation and overkill.

For me personally, I've always been a strong standardized test taker (99th+ percentile SAT, MCAT etc.) and I'm just not sure if the additional effort would be best considering:

- Loss of time spent on research, networking, resume building
- P/F Step 1
- Strong med school name/reputation

If I can consistently keep up with in-house curriculum and supplement adhoc with qbanks/b&b/pathoma, could I not score highly on Step 2 with a well planned dedicated period?

Thanks to all who contributed so far! Very helpful for career knowledge and planning.

 

[slowthai]

My faith in my preclinical curriculum for preparing me for anything approaches -100%

With a strong work ethic and good time management, you can work on multiple research projects while still going all out for step 1 and "having a life".

 

[CJhooper123]

My faith in my preclinical curriculum for preparing me for anything approaches -100%

With a strong work ethic and good time management, you can work on multiple research projects while still going all out for step 1 and "having a life".

Facts to both of those statements. Zanki was huge for pre-clinical shelf exams.

Also, while doing Zanki I’ve got a few research projects and other EC activities going on. It’s very doable with strong time management skills and work ethic. If you feel that it’s overkill to do Zanki with your schools curriculum, don’t do it. But just know that someone else is going to be doing both.

 

[Goro]

OP, it really will depend upon your own learning style and time mgt skills.

Some people swear by Anki, but others invest too much time in it, only only to find that it doesn't help.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Can anyone give their input on this: the repeated rationale for doing pre-made decks despite P/F Step 1 seems to be preparation for Step 2 / clerkships, but isn't that the purpose of a med school curriculum? I understand you can supplement your in house curriculum with outside resources (B&B, Pathoma etc.), but working through tens of thousands of Anki cards seems to be on another level of preparation and overkill.

For me personally, I've always been a strong standardized test taker (99th+ percentile SAT, MCAT etc.) and I'm just not sure if the additional effort would be best considering:

- Loss of time spent on research, networking, resume building
- P/F Step 1
- Strong med school name/reputation

If I can consistently keep up with in-house curriculum and supplement adhoc with qbanks/b&b/pathoma, could I not score highly on Step 2 with a well planned dedicated period?

Thanks to all who contributed so far! Very helpful for career knowledge and planning.

Honestly, things like BnB are just so much more efficient. And even if you do use your school’s curriculum, you need spaced repetition to really learn it. You could make your own cards or whatever, but the premed decks are already so good, why would you?

 

[Crassus]

If you want to learn medicine and make your life 1000x easier for shelves and step 2 and step 3 and ITEs etc. then yes.


But The reality is that you can skate by at a t10 and do average on step and still match at top programs if it’s not a competitive specialty. Name goes a long way

No. You go to a T10 school. Pad your resume and network. Your time is better invested doing that than turning into a walking First Aid.

I'm curious if this same sentiment applies to schools like Mayo and NYU (newcomers to the T10).

 

[altblue]

I'm curious if this same sentiment applies to schools like Mayo and NYU (newcomers to the T10).

Pretty much, yeah

 

[kb1900]

I'm curious if this same sentiment applies to schools like Mayo and NYU (newcomers to the T10).

Yes I based my post off friends at nyu and Columbia

 

[kkl2018]

For everyone who is saying it is not worth it to dedicate all that time on zanki if you go to a top10 school, what is the alternative?

Would just learning the cards for the block and then moving onto the next one instead of keeping up with reviews for the whole deck be a good alternative?

The pre-made Anki decks are still useful for NBME exams. We just mean to say that it's probably not worth it to keep up with 2+ hours of old cards every day since the OP will have a pass/fail Step 1 and the advantage of a prestigious program. That doesn't mean you can slack off, because you still want the foundations for M3/M4 and Step 2. Instead it means that that your spare time is better spent networking and doing research with prominent faculty who can help you match.

does that mean like use the cards to learn for the unit but dont need to keep up with reviews after the unit is done?

 

[altblue]

For everyone who is saying it is not worth it to dedicate all that time on zanki if you go to a top10 school, what is the alternative?

Would just learning the cards for the block and then moving onto the next one instead of keeping up with reviews for the whole deck be a good alternative?


does that mean like use the cards to learn for the unit but dont need to keep up with reviews after the unit is done?

Yup. It might be worth it to maintain them for Step 2, but I'm an M2 so I don't know how useful that would end up being lol

 

[deleted688779]

pREstiGE ANd RaNKINgS doN't MATteR. You can be any doctor from any school, match anywhere if you put in the Hard Work™ I knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy's uncle who got into HSS ortho from a DO school, so anyone can do it too!
-literally everyone before I applied or studied for the MCAT

A T10 name holds a lot of weight and helps you match into top programs even if you have some deficiencies in your application. Outside of the benefit of being an elite name, these schools have a lot of connections and resources that will either open doors or keep existing doors from shutting, and since the environment is saturated with these opportunities, it minimized the need for luck or happenstance.
-literally everyone after I apply, PDs at places I want to match, and reality

 

[Chromium Surfer]

Pretty much, yeah

Yes I based my post off friends at nyu and Columbia

Would you guys say this holds true for established T-20’s as well or is it just the T-10?

 

[kb1900]

Would you guys say this holds true for established T-20’s as well or is it just the T-10?

It’s not a hard and fast rule and nobody really cares about t20 vs t10. They are just surrogates for perceived prestige which is loosely inversely correlated with the need for a higher step score. Lots of other factors play into this like research and networking opportunities



I know of a handful of 220-230 scorers at MGH IM from top 5 schools. Certainly don’t know any from my school which is in the t20 range. And the HUGE-caveat is i don’t know what other intangible parts of their application compensated - connections vs research vs ECs vs startups etc.

 

[Chromium Surfer]

It’s not a hard and fast rule and nobody really cares about t20 vs t10. They are just surrogates for perceived prestige which is loosely inversely correlated with the need for a higher step score. Lots of other factors play into this like research and networking opportunities


I know of a handful of 220-230 scorers at MGH IM from top 5 schools. Certainly don’t know any from my school which is in the t20 range. And the HUGE-caveat is i don’t know what other intangible parts of their application compensated - connections vs research vs ECs vs startups etc.

Gotcha, thanks for the feedback!

 

[kkl2018]

Yup. It might be worth it to maintain them for Step 2, but I'm an M2 so I don't know how useful that would end up being lol

Maintain them as in maintain them past the blocks?

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Maintain them as in maintain them past the blocks?

I’m just an M2 too, but I wouldn’t think it would be worth it to keep up with reviews past the block when you’re going into clerkships. That’s a lot of time to waste not studying for the shelf and ****. I’m using cheesy lightyear and just dropping the reviews once I get out of the block. There is a step 2 deck that it supposed to be good (Dorian), so I’ll probably just do that.

 

[A Ryan Seacrest Type]

pREstiGE ANd RaNKINgS doN't MATteR. You can be any doctor from any school, match anywhere if you put in the Hard Work™ I knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy's uncle who got into HSS ortho from a DO school, so anyone can do it too!
-literally everyone before I applied or studied for the MCAT

A T10 name holds a lot of weight and helps you match into top programs even if you have some deficiencies in your application. Outside of the benefit of being an elite name, these schools have a lot of connections and resources that will either open doors or keep existing doors from shutting, and since the environment is saturated with these opportunities, it minimized the need for luck or happenstance.
-literally everyone after I apply, PDs at places I want to match, and reality

Straight up, on the $$$

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I’m just an M2 too, but I wouldn’t think it would be worth it to keep up with reviews past the block when you’re going into clerkships. That’s a lot of time to waste not studying for the shelf and ****. I’m using cheesy lightyear and just dropping the reviews once I get out of the block. There is a step 2 deck that it supposed to be good (Dorian), so I’ll probably just do that.

Now that I’m in rotations can confirm. I suspended all my preclinical cards like three days into rotations haha.

 

[medstud2021]

Now that I’m in rotations can confirm. I suspended all my preclinical cards like three days into rotations haha.

Pre-clinical cards are almost useless for rotations except for some pimping questions you'll get. There is a Step 2 deck that you can go through if you want but it'll be hard on medicine and surgery .

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Pre-clinical cards are almost useless for rotations except for some pimping questions you'll get. There is a Step 2 deck that you can go through if you want but it'll be hard on medicine and surgery .

We take step 1 after a year of rotations. It wasn’t for rotations but to keep up some of the knowledge until step.

 

[Skarl]

Now that I’m in rotations can confirm. I suspended all my preclinical cards like three days into rotations haha.

We take step 1 after a year of rotations. It wasn’t for rotations but to keep up some of the knowledge until step.

My school also takes STEP after rotations -- so what's the point of keeping up with AnKing reviews after each block in pre-clinical years if realistically we're not going to have time to do so once rotations start?

 

[Lawpy]

Anki's good for memorizing stuff and retaining them, regardless of whether Step is P/F or not

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

My school also takes STEP after rotations -- so what's the point of keeping up with AnKing reviews after each block in pre-clinical years if realistically we're not going to have time to do so once rotations start?

Thats why I stopped lol. Now I just do the cheesy Dorian M3 deck

 

[Phloston]

The fact that this Q is even being asked illustrates precisely why the Step 1 should not be going to P/F. Med students asking, "Do I need to study anymore?"

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

The fact that this Q is even being asked illustrates precisely why the Step 1 should not be going to P/F. Med students asking, "Do I need to study anymore?"

Nice strawman, but that's not what anyone is saying.

 

[confuzzled10]

my school does step1 after rotations...some students in my class kept up the preclinical reviews on Anki on top of doing the clinical reviews

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

my school does step1 after rotations...some students in my class kept up the preclinical reviews on Anki on top of doing the clinical reviews

My school does that too. I tried to keep up with the preclinical reviews for about 3 days into my first rotation and then said **** that. Between not wanting to spend the extra time on it and step 1 being p/f me, it’s not worth it.