Anki Milesdown: The Complete MCAT Deck Guide (And a Smarter Way To Study It Faster) – Before you sink months into this deck, see how to actually learn it efficiently (and keep your sanity).

What Is Anki Milesdown (And Why Does Everyone Talk About It)?

If you’re prepping for the MCAT, you’ve probably heard “Use Anki” and “Use Milesdown” about 1000 times already.

Quick recap:

• Anki = flashcard app that uses spaced repetition
• Milesdown = a super popular MCAT Anki deck based on Kaplan + AAMC content
• Together = a massive deck that can be insanely helpful… or insanely overwhelming, depending on how you use it.

The problem?

Most people just download Milesdown, hit “study,” and then drown in 500+ reviews a day.

This is where using the right tool and workflow matters more than the deck itself.

If you want something that:

• Uses spaced repetition automatically
• Has built-in active recall
• Lets you make or import cards fast (from text, PDFs, YouTube, images, etc.)
• And doesn’t feel like a 2010 spreadsheet app

You should seriously try Flashrecall:

👉 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

It works on iPhone and iPad, is free to start, and is perfect for building your own “Milesdown-style” system without the chaos.

Let’s break down how to actually use Milesdown effectively—and how Flashrecall can make your life way easier.

Why The Milesdown Deck Is So Popular For MCAT

People love the Milesdown deck because:

• It’s comprehensive – covers all MCAT sections
• It’s organized by content category
• It’s based on AAMC / Kaplan content outlines
• It’s been used by tons of high scorers

But here’s the catch:

It’s not magic. It’s just a big, well-structured set of flashcards. The real magic is:

• Spaced repetition (reviewing right before you forget)
• Active recall (forcing yourself to remember, not just reread)
• Consistency (showing up daily)

You can get all of that in Flashrecall too—without being locked into someone else’s exact deck or Anki’s clunky interface.

The Big Problem With Anki Milesdown (Nobody Warns You About This)

Most people run into the same issues:

1. Overwhelm from card volume

• Thousands of cards, daily reviews explode
• Easy to burn out before you even hit your test date

2. Mindless clicking

• You stop actually thinking
• You just hit “Good” or “Again” to clear the queue

3. Zero customization

• The deck wasn’t made for your weak spots
• You end up memorizing random details you don’t actually need

4. Learning vs. hoarding

• It feels productive to “do cards”
• But if you’re not actually understanding, it’s wasted time

That’s why a lot of people start with Milesdown… and then quietly drop it.

A Smarter Way To Use Milesdown (Or Any Big MCAT Deck)

Instead of letting the deck control you, flip it:

1. Use Pre-Made Cards as a Reference, Not a Religion

Think of Milesdown as:

• A content checklist
• A source of good question ideas

But then build around it with your own understanding.

With Flashrecall, you can do this easily by:

• Making your own cards as you go through UWorld, AAMC, Kaplan, etc.
• Turning screenshots, PDFs, or notes into cards instantly
• Adding only the high-yield stuff you personally forget

Flashrecall can create flashcards from:

• Text
• Images (like screenshots of passages or tables)
• PDFs
• YouTube links
• Audio
• Or just cards you type manually

So instead of being trapped in one massive deck, you build a personal Milesdown 2.0 that actually fits your brain.

👉 Try it here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

2. Focus on Active Recall, Not Pretty Cards

The power of Milesdown isn’t the formatting—it’s the questions.

You want cards that:

• Ask you to explain (not just recognize)
• Make you retrieve definitions, equations, and concepts
• Force you to think like the MCAT

Flashrecall has built-in active recall, so every card is designed around that “question → answer from memory” loop. No passive flipping.

You can even chat with your flashcards in Flashrecall if you’re unsure:

• Stuck on a concept?
• Ask the app to explain it in simpler terms, give another example, or quiz you in a different way.

That’s something Anki + Milesdown simply can’t do.

3. Use Spaced Repetition Without Babysitting It

Anki is powerful, but you have to manage:

• Deck settings
• Intervals
• New card limits
• Suspensions, tags, etc.

If you’re into micromanaging, cool. If not, it’s a time sink.

Flashrecall handles spaced repetition automatically:

• It schedules reviews for you
• Sends study reminders so you don’t forget
• Surfaces cards right before you’re likely to forget them

You don’t have to think about intervals at all. Just open the app and do the cards it gives you.

And yes, it works offline, so you can study on the bus, in a dead library corner, or whenever your Wi‑Fi dies.

How To Turn Milesdown-Style Studying Into a Flashrecall Workflow

Here’s a simple way to get the benefits of Milesdown without being buried by it.

Step 1: Learn From Content, Then Make Targeted Cards

Instead of starting with a giant deck, start with:

• Kaplan books
• AAMC content outlines
• Videos (Khan Academy, AK Lectures, etc.)
• Practice questions (UWorld, AAMC Qpacks)

Then, in Flashrecall, create cards for:

• Concepts you keep forgetting
• Equations and constants
• Traps you fell for in questions
• High-yield definitions (e.g., types of enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters)

Because Flashrecall lets you turn PDFs, text, and YouTube links into cards, you can literally:

• Paste a chunk of notes or a transcript
• Let Flashrecall help you turn it into flashcards
• Edit or add your own wording so it sticks better

This way, every card is earned—it exists because you actually needed it.

Step 2: Use Tags or Decks by Subject (Like Milesdown, But Cleaner)

Milesdown is organized by topic. You can mirror that in Flashrecall:

• Create decks or tags like:
• Bio/Biochem
• Chem/Phys
• Psych/Soc
• CARS vocab / question traps

Then:

• Do mixed review for exam-style practice
• Or focus on one section when you’re weak there

Flashrecall is fast and modern, so managing decks and cards doesn’t feel like fighting with old software.

Step 3: Turn Practice Questions Into Gold

This is where high scorers separate themselves.

Whenever you miss or almost miss a question:

1. Take a screenshot of the explanation or key diagram

2. Drop it into Flashrecall

3. Make a card like:

• “Why is Option B wrong in this question?”
• “What assumption did I miss here?”
• “What’s the core concept behind this passage?”

Flashrecall can instantly make cards from images and text, so this process is quick enough to actually stick with.

Over time, you build a deck that’s:

• Smaller than Milesdown
• 10x more relevant to your mistakes
• Perfectly aligned with how the MCAT actually tests you

Flashrecall vs Anki Milesdown: Which Should You Use?

To be clear:

Milesdown (and Anki) can absolutely work. Tons of people have crushed the MCAT with it.

But here’s how they compare:

Anki + Milesdown

• Free
• Huge community deck
• Highly customizable (if you want to tweak settings)

• Clunky interface, steeper learning curve
• Overwhelming number of cards
• Harder to create rich cards from PDFs/YouTube on mobile
• No built-in “chat with your card” explanation support
• You have to manage your own settings and schedule

Flashrecall

• Fast, modern, easy to use on iPhone and iPad
• Free to start
• Built-in spaced repetition and active recall
• Auto study reminders
• Makes flashcards instantly from:
• Images
• Text
• Audio
• PDFs
• YouTube links
• Or manual input
• You can chat with your flashcards if you’re confused
• Works great for:
• MCAT
• Other exams (USMLE, DAT, boards, finals)
• Languages
• Uni subjects
• Business / professional exams
• Works offline

• You don’t get the exact Milesdown deck out of the box (but you build something better tailored to you)

If you’re the type who wants a clean, simple, powerful way to study—without fighting settings or drowning in 5k cards—Flashrecall will feel way more natural.

👉 Download it here and start building your own high-yield “Milesdown 2.0”:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

How To Decide Your Strategy (In 30 Seconds)

Ask yourself:

• Do I want to mindlessly grind a giant deck someone else made?

→ Then Anki + Milesdown might be fine.

• Do I want to actually understand, build my own cards, and use a tool that feels modern and easy?

→ Then using Flashrecall with a Milesdown-inspired approach is probably better.

You can even do a hybrid:

• Use Milesdown as a content checklist
• Use Flashrecall for all the cards you truly care about

That way you get the best of both worlds.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Worship The Deck

The MCAT doesn’t care what deck you used.

It cares whether you can think.

Milesdown is a helpful resource, but it’s just that—a resource.

What matters way more is:

• Active recall
• Spaced repetition
• Fixing your weak spots
• Staying consistent without burning out

Flashrecall is built exactly for that. It takes the science behind Anki and Milesdown and wraps it in something:

• Faster
• Simpler
• Way more flexible

If you’re serious about your score and want a tool that actually supports how you study (instead of fighting you), give it a try:

👉 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

Build your own smarter version of Milesdown—and actually remember what you learn.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Anki good for studying?

Anki is powerful but requires manual card creation and has a steep learning curve. Flashrecall offers AI-powered card generation from your notes, images, PDFs, and videos, making it faster and easier to create effective flashcards.

What's the fastest way to create flashcards?

Manually typing cards works but takes time. Many students now use AI generators that turn notes into flashcards instantly. Flashrecall does this automatically from text, images, or PDFs.

How do I start spaced repetition?

You can manually schedule your reviews, but most people use apps that automate this. Flashrecall uses built-in spaced repetition so you review cards at the perfect time.

What is active recall and how does it work?

Active recall is the process of actively retrieving information from memory rather than passively reviewing it. Flashrecall forces proper active recall by making you think before revealing answers, then uses spaced repetition to optimize your review schedule.

How can I study more effectively for this test?

Effective exam prep combines active recall, spaced repetition, and regular practice. Flashrecall helps by automatically generating flashcards from your study materials and using spaced repetition to ensure you remember everything when exam day arrives.

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