Learn Step 1, one case at a time
Sixty-second cases for every subject, and full episodes that break down five cases each: the mechanism, a memory hook, the must-knows and the trap. When you're ready, test yourself on a free 50-question USMLE-style sample.
Full episodes
Five exam-style cases per episode: name it in 5 seconds, then the mechanism, a memory hook, the must-knows and the trap. Jump to any case from the chapter list.
Amino Acid Disorders: 5 cases you must know
Phenylketonuria (PKU) · Maple syrup urine disease · Homocystinuria · Alkaptonuria · Oculocutaneous albinism
Chapters
Congenital Heart Disease: 5 cases you must know
Tetralogy of Fallot · Transposition (D-TGA) · Ventricular septal defect · Patent ductus arteriosus · Coarctation of the aorta
Chapters
Adrenal Disease: 5 cases you must know
Cushing syndrome · Addison disease · Primary hyperaldosteronism · Pheochromocytoma · 21-hydroxylase deficiency
Chapters
Trinucleotide Repeat Disorders: 5 cases you must know
Huntington disease · Fragile X syndrome · Myotonic dystrophy · Friedreich ataxia · Kennedy disease (SBMA)
Chapters
Microcytic Anemias: 5 cases you must know
Iron deficiency anemia · Beta-thalassemia major · Alpha-thal: HbH disease · Lead poisoning · Sideroblastic anemia
Chapters
Immunodeficiencies: 5 cases you must know
Bruton agammaglobulinemia · DiGeorge syndrome · SCID · Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome · CGD
Chapters
Staph and Strep: 5 cases you must know
Staphylococcus aureus · Staph epidermidis · Streptococcus pyogenes · Streptococcus pneumoniae · Streptococcus agalactiae
Chapters
Stroke Syndromes by Artery: 5 cases you must know
Left MCA stroke · Right ACA stroke · Left PICA (Wallenberg) · Right PCA stroke · Lacunar infarct
Chapters
Toxicology: antidotes you must know: 5 cases you must know
Acetaminophen · Organophosphates · Opioids · Ethylene glycol · Cyanide
Chapters
Substance Intoxication and Withdrawal: 5 cases you must know
Opioid intoxication · Opioid withdrawal · Cocaine intoxication · Delirium tremens · PCP intoxication
Chapters
Nephritic Syndromes: 5 cases you must know
Poststreptococcal GN · IgA nephropathy · Alport syndrome · Goodpasture syndrome · Lupus nephritis
Chapters
Vignette Lab: 60-second cases
One case each. Read the clues, name it in 5 seconds, then watch the mechanism. Tap to play.
Cardiovascular
What's the diagnosis?
Turner syndrome · high blood pressure in her arms · weak, delayed femoral pulses · rib notching
Cardiovascular
What's the diagnosis?
premature · rubella · continuous machine-like murmur · bounding pulses
Cardiovascular
What's the diagnosis?
diabetic mother · deeply blue within hours · no improvement on oxygen · egg on a string
Cardiovascular
What's the diagnosis?
blue spells · squats · harsh systolic murmur · boot-shaped heart
Cardiovascular
What's the diagnosis?
sweats during feeds · gaining weight poorly · harsh holosystolic murmur · left lower sternal border
Biochemistry
What's the diagnosis?
very pale skin · white hair · nystagmus · sensitivity to light
Biochemistry
What's the diagnosis?
back and knee pain · bluish-black ear cartilage · urine that turns black
Biochemistry
What's the diagnosis?
long fingers · learning disability · lens dislocated down and in · past DVT
Biochemistry
What's the diagnosis?
feeds poorly · lethargic · seizure · smells like burnt sugar
Biochemistry
What's the diagnosis?
developmental delay · eczema · fair skin, blue eyes · musty odor
Endocrine
What's the diagnosis?
fatigue · salt craving · darkened palm creases · low sodium, high potassium
Endocrine
What's the diagnosis?
ambiguous genitalia · vomiting · low sodium · high potassium
Endocrine
What's the diagnosis?
high blood pressure on 3 drugs · leg cramps · low potassium · low renin
Endocrine
What's the diagnosis?
moon face · wide purple striae · weak hip muscles · new high blood pressure
Endocrine
What's the diagnosis?
pounding headache · palpitations · drenching sweat · blood pressure spikes
Genetics
What's the diagnosis?
intellectual disability · long face and large ears · very large testes · autistic features
Genetics
What's the diagnosis?
keeps falling · high-arched feet · absent ankle reflexes · thick heart wall
Genetics
What's the diagnosis?
jerky, writhing movements · depression · forgetfulness · caudate atrophy
Genetics
What's the diagnosis?
proximal weakness · twitching tongue · trouble swallowing · gynecomastia
Genetics
What's the diagnosis?
can't let go after a handshake · frontal balding · cataracts · small testes
Hematology & Oncology
What's the diagnosis?
Southeast Asian descent · microcytic anemia · big spleen · hemoglobin H
Hematology & Oncology
What's the diagnosis?
Greek descent · chipmunk facies · big spleen · crew-cut skull
Hematology & Oncology
What's the diagnosis?
heavy periods · craves ice · spoon-shaped nails · low ferritin
Hematology & Oncology
What's the diagnosis?
peeling paint · belly pain · poor focus · basophilic stippling
Hematology & Oncology
What's the diagnosis?
isoniazid · microcytic anemia · high serum iron · ringed sideroblasts
Immunology
What's the diagnosis?
boy · recurrent ear infections and pneumonia · no visible tonsils · B cells are nearly absent
Immunology
What's the diagnosis?
recurrent Staph aureus abscesses · Aspergillus pneumonia · granulomas · DHR test is abnormal
Immunology
What's the diagnosis?
heart defect · cleft palate · tetany from low calcium · no thymic shadow
Immunology
What's the diagnosis?
persistent thrush · chronic diarrhea · failure to thrive · no thymic shadow
Immunology
What's the diagnosis?
eczema · petechiae and bloody stools · recurrent ear infections · low and small
Microbiology
What's the bug?
prolonged membrane rupture · unscreened mother · lethargic and grunting · bulging fontanelle
Microbiology
What's the bug?
sudden shaking chills · rusty sputum · lobar consolidation · lancet-shaped diplococci
Microbiology
What's the bug?
sore throat · cola-colored urine · puffy eyes · high blood pressure
Microbiology
What's the bug?
hip replacement · joint aches and loosens · coagulase-negative · novobiocin-sensitive
Microbiology
What's the bug?
tampons · low blood pressure · sunburn-like rash · palms peel
Neurology
Which artery?
left leg weakness and numbness · face and arm spared · urinary incontinence · apathetic
Neurology
What's the lesion?
long-standing hypertension · left face, arm and leg weakness · no sensory loss · no aphasia or field cut
Neurology
Which artery?
right face and arm weakness · leg barely affected · halting, effortful speech · eyes deviated to the left
Neurology
Which artery?
bumping into things on his left · left homonymous hemianopia · central vision spared · strength normal
Neurology
Which artery?
hoarseness · trouble swallowing · left face and right body numb to pain · left Horner syndrome
Pharmacology
What's the poison?
a bottle of pills · felt fine for a day · RUQ pain · AST/ALT in the thousands
Pharmacology
What's the poison?
house fire · bitter almond breath · severe lactic acidosis · bright red venous blood
Pharmacology
What's the poison?
seems drunk · anion gap acidosis · envelope-shaped crystals
Pharmacology
What's the poison?
unresponsive · breathing 6 times a minute · pinpoint pupils · track marks
Pharmacology
What's the poison?
sprayed his crops · drooling and wheezing · pinpoint pupils · muscle twitching
Psychiatry
What's the substance?
chest pain · dilated pupils · paranoia · perforated nasal septum
Psychiatry
What's going on?
confused · tremulous · HR 130, febrile, sweating · sees bugs on the wall
Psychiatry
What's the substance?
unresponsive · pinpoint pupils · breathing 6 times a minute · track marks
Psychiatry
What's going on?
dilated pupils · yawning · runny nose · goosebumps
Psychiatry
What's the substance?
violent, agitated · feels no pain · vertical nystagmus · BP 180/100
Renal
What's the diagnosis?
blood in his urine · trouble hearing · cone-shaped lens · uncle on dialysis
Renal
What's the diagnosis?
coughing up blood · blood in his urine · linear IgG · basement membrane
Renal
What's the diagnosis?
bloody urine · 2 days into a cold · happened before · complement is normal
Renal
What's the diagnosis?
malar rash · painful joints · bloody urine · low C3 and C4
Renal
What's the diagnosis?
sore throat · cola-colored urine · puffy eyes · high blood pressure
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