New The MDSteps Reasoning 120 Deck

Stop memorizing facts.
Start fixing your logic.

A remediation Anki deck built on the MDSteps review method: frame → signal → rule → repeat.
120 high-complexity vignettes broken down into 600 cognitive steps designed to break score plateaus.

Cognitive Forcing Teaches "how," not just "what"
The "Signal" Method Find the 1 detail that matters
Instant Anki Import Standard .apkg format
Get the Deck — $39 Where it fits
One-time purchase • Instant download • Works on Anki Desktop + Mobile

Who is this for?

Most decks (AnKing/Zanki) are for Recall. This deck is for Remediation.

  • You pass NBMEs but stay stuck at a plateau.
  • You know the science, but the vignette tricks you.
  • You often narrow to 2 choices and pick wrong.
  • The same pattern keeps beating you.
  • You need constraint, not more facts.

Where this fits

The missing reasoning layer that plugs into your NBME/QBank review

You don’t need more content. You need a repeatable way to stop making the same decision error. This deck is the intervention step: it trains the mental moves that convert knowledge into points.

📚
Recall Layer (AnKing / Zanki)
Build vocabulary: bugs, drugs, pathways, definitions.
Goal: “I can recognize the fact.”
🧪
Application Layer (UWorld / NBME)
Expose your blind spots under timed, messy stems.
Goal: “I can apply it in a stem.”
🧠
Remediation Layer (MDSteps Reasoning Deck)
Repair the logic that causes “two choices → wrong one.”
Goal: “I can explain why every distractor is wrong.”
Simple workflow: Miss a question → label the reasoning failure → do 1–2 targeted vignettes → re-test.
Add the deck to your system

The Application Gap

Why you miss questions you “know”

Standard Anki decks are built for atomic facts (“What is the drug?”). But the USMLE tests linear reasoning (“Why is this drug wrong for this specific patient?”).

When you miss a question, it’s rarely because you forgot the science. It’s because you failed to:

  • Frame the problem correctly before reading choices.
  • Isolate the Signal (the one detail that changes the answer).
  • Apply the Rule (the hierarchy of decision making).
The MDSteps Difference
We don’t ask “What is X?” We present a messy, ambiguous vignette and force you to find the signal that validates X and deletes the distractors.
Most students study like this:
Facts → more facts → hope the stem is kind

MDSteps intervention:
Frame → Signal → Rule → Transfer
Every vignette becomes 5 cards
FRAME → PROCESS → SIGNAL → BUCKET → REVIEW

Instead of “right answer,” you train the decision procedure.

The 5-Phase Logic

Anatomy of a Reasoning Card

We took 120 of the hardest, most “trap-heavy” clinical scenarios and exploded each one into five cognitive forcing functions. You don’t just answer the question — you dissect the logic.

1
FRAME
Commit to the right problem-type early (before choices hijack you).
2
PROCESS
Name the failure mode / mechanism that produces the findings.
3
SIGNAL
Identify the one detail that rules out distractors and locks the answer.
4
BUCKET
Extract a reusable rule so future stems trigger the same correct move.
5
REVIEW
Pin the decision point + the common miss + the new operating rule.

How to use it

The 15-minute daily intervention

1
Trigger
When you miss (or guess) a QBank/NBME question, don’t “review facts.” Identify the reasoning error.
2
Intervene
Do 1 vignette (5 cards). You’ll be forced to frame, find the signal, and extract the transferable rule.
3
Re-test
Return to similar questions. If you’re still stuck at “two choices,” repeat with another vignette in that error type.
Key idea: This deck is not volume. It’s precision practice for the mental move you’re failing in real exam stems.

What’s Inside

No fluff. No filler. Just 120 “boss battles” to train your brain.

🔥
120 Clinical Vignettes
Curated from the most commonly missed concepts on NBME/UWorld.
🧠
600 Reasoning Cards
Each vignette is broken into 5 mental steps to force understanding.
🏥
7 Blocks of Difficulty
Organized to simulate the cognitive load of a full exam day.
📥
Instant Download
Standard .apkg file compatible with Anki Desktop and Mobile.
🏷️
Smart Tagging
Tagged by System, Discipline, and “Reasoning Error Type” for filtered study.
♾️
Lifetime Access
One-time purchase. No subscription required for this deck.

Common Questions

Why is it only 120 vignettes?

This is not a QBank — it’s a reasoning intervention. If we gave you 2,000 questions in this 5-card format, you’d never finish. These 120 scenarios represent recurring Step archetypes. Master the archetypes and the rest collapses into place.

Should I use this instead of AnKing?

No. Use AnKing for facts (Micro, Pharm, Path terms). Use MDSteps for logic (Management, Physiology decision points, Ethics). They complement each other.

How long does it take to finish?

Recommended pace: 5 vignettes/day (25 cards). Finish in ~3–4 weeks. Don’t rush — the goal is deep processing and transfer.

Is this a subscription?

No. The Reasoning Deck is a standalone, one-time purchase of $39. You keep the file forever.

Will this work for Step 2?

The method works across exams. Step 1 users benefit most from the mechanism + logic forcing, and Step 2 users benefit from the same “signal → management rule” structure.

Fix your reasoning for less than the cost of 1 hour of tutoring.

Get the deck that forces you to think like an expert. 120 Scenarios. 600 Decisions. Zero fluff.

Buy the Deck — $39
Instant .apkg download • Secure Stripe Checkout
Included $39
  • MDSteps Reasoning Deck (.apkg)
  • 120 Advanced Clinical Vignettes
  • 600 Frame/Process/Signal/Bucket/Review cards
  • Tagging by Error Type
  • Installation Guide

One-time purchase • No subscription • Own it forever