Features
USMLE® prep that fixes your thinking,
not just your question count.
MDSteps combines an adaptive 9,000+ QBank, a full CCS simulator, and a reasoning-first dashboard. Every feature is built to train the way exam writers expect you to think—not just what they expect you to recall.
What MDSteps is built to do:
- Turn each question into a reusable reasoning pattern.
- Simulate real CCS and management decisions—not toy cases.
- Translate your performance into clear, next-step plans.
- Make your blind spots and traps visible, not mysterious.
Reasoning-first QBank
Adaptive QBank with Depth-on-Demand™
The QBank is where most of your hours go, so it should be smarter than “more questions.” MDSteps’s adaptive engine calibrates difficulty in real time, quietly tracks which patterns you miss, and resurfaces the right concepts at spaced intervals. Depth-on-Demand™ explanations then walk you through the NBME-style decision path—step by step.
- Over 9,000 USMLE-style practice questions across Steps 1–3.
- Personalized sequencing that targets weak systems and recurring miss-patterns.
- Depth-on-Demand™ layered review: fast signal → differentiators → full dissection.
- Vignette highlighter and choice strike-through to mirror real test-taking behavior.
- Clinically reviewed vignettes with up-to-date guidelines.
- Insights & notes from credentialed question authors on what the item is really testing.
- Advanced individual & aggregated NBME score predictions and trend lines.
- Why-right / why-wrong rationales with explicit pitfall flags.
- Block Builder for fast, mixed sessions aligned to your current focus.
How the adaptation logic works
Train clinical reasoning, not just recall
Computer Case Simulations (CCS)
Step 3 doesn’t just ask what you know—it asks whether you can manage patients over time. Our CCS runner mirrors real exam behavior: timed orders, evolving vitals and labs, physiologic responses, and outcome-based scoring. More than 100 unique cases teach a repeatable workflow you can trust on test day.
- Vitals and labs that respond in real time to your orders.
- Realistic imaging, consults, and inpatient/outpatient decisions.
- Critical alerts with safe-order prompts and “don’t forget” cues.
- Post-case scoring and review focused on reasoning, not just the final diagnosis.
See a physiology snapshot (septic shock)
Analytics & Exam Readiness
Exam Readiness Dashboard
Scores alone don’t tell you what to do next. The MDSteps dashboard reads your sessions through a reasoning lens: which systems are solid, where patterns are unstable, how your pacing behaves, and how all of that maps to NBME-style score predictions over time.
- Weakness detection with suggested next blocks tuned to your patterns.
- Session history with deltas, streaks, and stability—not just averages.
- Exam-day pacing feedback to curb both rushing and over-thinking.
Know exactly what to do next
Truly Customized Study Plans
Tutor Mode turns your actual usage—systems you hit, patterns you miss, hours you have—into a structured plan. Instead of guessing what today’s block should be, you get a sequence that walks you from where you are to where you need to be.
- Uses your past activity and results, not a generic template.
- Set days per week and realistic hours per day to avoid burnout.
- Sync to Google or iOS calendars so prep shows up where your life already lives.
Exportable Anki Decks
Automatic (Exportable) Flashcard Decks
Every miss is a chance to repair a pattern. MDSteps automatically builds flashcard decks from your incorrects so you can review the right details in the right context—and export everything to Anki when you want to keep it in your long-term system.
- Build decks by frequency, system, discipline, or custom tags.
- One-click Export to Anki via TSV files.
- Review flashcards directly within MDSteps or in your own setup.
Reference Library
Mechanism-First Medical Reference Library
When you need to go deeper than an explanation, the reference library is one click away. Over 1,000 clinically reviewed entries—mechanisms, diagnostic steps, management algorithms—are directly linked from question rationales as part of the Depth-on-Demand™ experience.
- Over 1,000 concise, clinically reviewed articles and references.
- Algorithms, clinical reasoning frameworks, pharmacology, and diagnostic pathways.
- Jump straight from a question explanation into the full library article and back again.
USMLE® by Step
Built differently for each USMLE® Step
Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 3 aren’t testing the same thing—and MDSteps doesn’t treat them like they are. Each step gets its own balance of mechanism, diagnosis, management, and CCS so you’re always training the logic that exam is actually scoring.
How we stack up
Compare MDSteps vs. leading USMLE® platforms
You don’t need another sales pitch—you need clarity. Here’s a concise view of how MDSteps compares on the workflows that actually matter: adaptive practice, CCS, analytics, planning, and flashcards.
| Legend | Strong / Included Partial / Limited Not available General note | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feature | MDSteps | UWorld | AMBOSS | Lecturio |
| Core Practice | ||||
| Adaptive QBank | Item-level adaptivity | Not adaptive | Personalized recs | Personalized schedules |
| Full rationales | Pitfalls + citations | |||
| Exhibits & labs | Throughout items | |||
| CCS / Step 3 | ||||
| Interactive CCS runner | Live vitals & timed orders | Present, limited feedback | ||
| Analytics & Planning | ||||
| Exam-readiness analytics | Trends, pacing, readiness | Self-assessments & stats | Score guidance & recs | Progress tracking |
| Automatic study plans | Tutor Mode + calendar sync | Schedules/assessments | Plans + guidance | Semi-personalized |
| Content & Tools | ||||
| Reference library | Concise in-app | AMBOSS Library | Video + notes | |
| Dosage calculators | Built-in | Clinical bundle | ||
| Missed-item → Anki | Auto decks + export | Notes/flags | Limited cards | Secondary to videos |
| Pricing | ||||
| Price range (USD) | $39–$59/mo | $319–$719 | $19.99–$448 | $134.97–$599.76 |
| Prices vary by region, promotions, and bundles. | ||||
1 “Adaptive” here means real-time per-item calibration and resurfacing—not just suggested blocks. 2 CCS primarily applies to Step 3 but trains management thinking that helps across Steps.
All Features
Everything you need to train exam-style reasoning—without the clutter.
Common Questions
How is this different from a standard QBank?
Standard QBanks track correctness. MDSteps goes further—item-level adaptation, CCS, and a reasoning-aware dashboard turn each block into a loop that diagnoses your blind spots and retrains how you think.
Do I need to pick a Step first?
Yes. Your experience is tuned to your current USMLE step so the patterns you see match the exam you’re actually facing. When you advance, you can contact support to update your account.
Can I review missed questions as flashcards?
Yes. Missed items flow into a deck you can tag, filter, export, and cram. It’s designed to keep your highest-yield mistakes in circulation until they’re stable.
What is the CCS runner and how does it work?
It’s a full simulator with evolving vitals, timed orders, and outcomes. You practice stabilizing, investigating, treating, and stopping—then review annotated reasoning so each case becomes a blueprint for the next one.
How does the adaptive system choose my next questions?
We model item difficulty plus your recent performance and pacing, then choose questions that are “just hard enough” while resurfacing weak systems and reasoning patterns at smart intervals.
Does every question include citations?
Yes. Each item includes concise references so you can trace the logic back to guidelines or core sources and build trust in the reasoning, not just the answer key.
Do you integrate with flashcard apps?
You can export decks as TSV for import into popular tools like Anki. Relevant tags and fields are preserved where supported so your cards stay organized.
Can I export my data?
Yes. You can export performance and QBank review data (CSV/JSON) to store, analyze, or share with mentors, advisors, or tutors.
How often is content updated?
We release updates aligned with major guideline and exam-trend changes, and continuously refine items and rationales based on student feedback and performance.
What about privacy?
We store only what’s needed to run your account and analytics. You control exports and can request data deletion via support; we don’t sell your data to third parties.
Try MDSteps free and see your patterns clearly.
Get hands-on with the adaptive QBank, CCS runner, and reasoning-first analytics. You’ll know within a few sessions whether this is the way you want to train for exam day.
- Adaptive QBank with explanations that teach decision patterns.
- CCS cases that train a stable clinical workflow.
- Progress dashboard that turns your data into a clear next step.