Free USMLE Flashcards with Spaced Repetition
Generate Step 1 and Step 2 decks with AI, study them with SM-2 spaced repetition, and import any Anki deck you already use. Built for the pace of medical school.
Download Free on iOS(opens in new tab)Generate targeted Step 1 and Step 2 decks
Create decks like "USMLE Step 1 microbiology" or "Step 2 cardiology" in seconds. Refine as you study.
SM-2 spaced repetition for boards-level density
USMLE-style retention is exactly what SM-2 was designed for. Review the 5% you keep forgetting, not the 95% you already know.
Import existing Anki decks
Bring First Aid, Pathoma, or any community-shared deck in with .apkg import. No rebuild, no lost history.
Focused review between rotations
Use spaced repetition to review high-yield facts in short sessions while your schedule is packed.
Where to start: high-yield decks
One deck per subject beats one giant deck. Spaced repetition schedules each deck independently, so a subject you have down stops competing for review time with the one you keep forgetting.
Step 1
Microbiology, pharmacology, biochemistry, pathology, immunology
Step 1 rewards raw recall across a very wide surface. Generate one deck per subject rather than one giant deck, so spaced repetition can schedule each area independently.
Step 2 CK
Internal medicine, surgery, OB/GYN, pediatrics, psychiatry
Step 2 leans on clinical reasoning, so cards work best framed as a presentation plus the next best step rather than isolated facts.
Medical terminology
Prefixes, suffixes, roots, abbreviations
Terminology is the highest-leverage early deck: learning the prefix and root system once makes thousands of later terms decodable instead of memorized.
Is Flashi a good USMLE flashcard app?
Flashi works well for USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 prep because it combines AI deck generation (so you are not retyping facts) with SM-2 spaced repetition (so you review high-yield facts at the interval your brain actually needs). It is free on iOS and imports existing Anki decks.
Can I import my USMLE Anki decks into Flashi?
Yes. Flashi imports .apkg files, including shared community decks like Anking, Pepper, and First Aid-derived decks. Your card history and scheduling come with you.
Does spaced repetition actually work for the USMLE?
Yes. Spaced repetition is one of the most-validated study techniques for dense factual material. USMLE prep is roughly 90% fact recall — the exact situation spaced repetition handles best. Daily 20–45 minute sessions consistently outperform weekend cram blocks.
What should my first USMLE flashcard deck cover?
Start with medical terminology, then move to the highest-volume Step 1 subjects: microbiology, pharmacology, and biochemistry. Build one deck per subject instead of a single large deck, so spaced repetition can schedule each area on its own interval rather than dragging your weakest subject through your strongest.
Is a flashcard app better than paper flashcards for Step 1?
For boards-level volume, yes. Paper cannot schedule reviews, so you end up re-reading cards you already know while the ones you keep forgetting sit in the pile. An app running SM-2 tracks each card separately and surfaces it right before you would have forgotten it, which is where nearly all of the time saving comes from.
Can I use Flashi as an Anki alternative for medical school?
Yes. Flashi imports .apkg decks, so you can bring an existing Anki library across and keep studying without rebuilding it. The difference is AI deck generation and a free iOS app, where AnkiMobile costs $24.99 upfront.
Is Flashi free for medical students?
Yes. Flashi is free to download on iOS. An optional Flashi Pro subscription is available for unlimited AI generation. AnkiMobile costs $24.99 upfront; most USMLE-specific flashcard products have paid tiers.