Exam PrepNovember 27, 2025by FlashRecall Team

Anki USMLE – What It Is, Examples, and How Flashrecall Anki Helps You Ace Your USMLE With Flashcards and Spaced Repetition

Q: 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.

Q: 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.

Q: 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.

Q: 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.

Maximize your USMLE prep with Anki! Flashrecall simplifies flashcard creation, saving you hours and boosting memory retention. Here’s how it works.

How Flashrecall app helps you remember faster. It's free

If you’re studying for the USMLE, you already know it’s one of the toughest exams in medicine. The amount of information you need to memorise is insane — pharm, micro, biochem, physiology, pathology, ethics, biostats… the list never ends.

Most medical students use Anki because spaced repetition helps you memorise huge volumes of content for Step 1, Step 2, and Step 3.

But traditional Anki can feel slow, clunky, and very time-consuming.

This is why so many USMLE students now use Flashrecall — it gives you the same proven Anki-style spaced repetition, but with massive time-saving features like instant flashcard creation from images, PDFs, class notes, Pathoma videos, Sketchy screenshots, and more.

Try Flashrecall free here:

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

Flashrecall makes USMLE prep faster, simpler, and way more efficient.

What Is “Anki USMLE”?

“Anki USMLE” simply means using spaced repetition flashcards to memorise everything needed for Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 3. The method relies on:

1. Active Recall

You try to recall the answer before revealing it.

This builds strong long-term memory.

2. Spaced Repetition

You review each card at increasing intervals right before you forget it.

No other study method helps you retain thousands of medical facts this effectively.

Flashrecall uses these same learning principles — but without the complexity of normal Anki.

Examples of USMLE-Style Anki Flashcards

Pharmacology

Front: “MOA of Beta Blockers”

Back: “Block β1 receptors → ↓ HR & contractility”

Microbiology

Front: “Gram-positive cocci cluster?”

Back: “Staphylococcus aureus”

Biochemistry

Front: “Rate-limiting enzyme of glycolysis”

Back: “PFK-1”

Physiology

Front: “Normal A-a gradient?”

Back: “<15 mmHg”

Pathology

Front: “Reed–Sternberg cells indicate?”

Back: “Hodgkin lymphoma”

Flashrecall automatically keeps track and reminds you of the cards you don't remember well so you remember faster. Like this :

Flashrecall spaced repetition reminders notification

These are the exact bite-sized facts USMLE students drill daily.

How Flashrecall Helps You Ace the USMLE Faster Than Normal Anki

✔️ Instant flashcard creation (saves HOURS)

Flashrecall builds flashcards automatically from:

Images (textbook pages, Sketchy images, lecture slides)
PDFs (FA, Boards & Beyond notes, worksheets)
Typed notes
Prompts (“Make 40 USMLE pharm flashcards on beta blockers”)
YouTube videos (Boards & Beyond, Armando Hasudungan, Ninja Nerd)
Audio (lectures, mnemonics)

Instead of typing thousands of cards manually, you can generate them in seconds.

This is a game-changer for medical students with limited time.

✔️ Automatic spaced repetition

Just like Anki — but easier.

Flashrecall automatically adjusts intervals based on your rating:

Hard → sooner
Medium → spaced evenly
Easy → shown much later

No settings to manage.

No deck configs.

No technical headache.

✔️ Active recall on every card

This is the key to remembering medical content that is easily forgotten.

Flashrecall forces your brain to retrieve information → which makes memory stick.

✔️ Study reminders so you stay consistent

Medical school is busy.

Flashrecall notifies you when it’s time to review so you never fall behind.

✔️ Fast, modern, clean interface

Flashrecall is built for iPhone & iPad — smooth, simple, and distraction-free.

No plugins.

No confusing UI.

No setup.

Just study.

Flashrecall vs Traditional Anki for USMLE

Feature	Traditional Anki	Flashrecall
Manual flashcard typing	✔️ Required	❌ Not needed
Images → cards	⚠️ Slow	✔️ Instant
PDFs → cards	❌ No	✔️ Yes
YouTube → flashcards	❌ No	✔️ Yes
Create from prompts	❌ No	✔️ Yes
Spaced repetition	✔️ Yes	✔️ Automatic
Reminders	❌ No	✔️ Yes
Beginner-friendly	⚠️ Hard	✔️ Very easy

Flashrecall keeps the power of Anki but removes the pain.

Who Should Use Flashrecall for USMLE Prep?

Step 1 students
Step 2 CK students
Step 3 students
IMG doctors
Medical students with limited time
Anyone who struggles with memorising high-volume content

Flashrecall helps you focus on learning — not card formatting.

Final Thoughts

Anki is one of the best ways to study for the USMLE, but Flashrecall makes the entire experience faster, easier, and more modern. With instant flashcard creation from images, PDFs, YouTube videos, and notes — plus spaced repetition, active recall, and reminders — Flashrecall helps you memorise USMLE content at lightning speed.