Med School Bootcamp (MSB) is a relatively new player in the USMLE prep space but its popularity has been on rise since last few months. While the Bootcamp is an established name in predental circle for its highly informative video lessons, detailed study schedules, and realistic practice questions, many still question how good are its materials for USMLE prep. 

So, let’s find out more about the topic through our detailed review below!

What We Like and What We Dislike?

In a nutshell, here is an overview of what we like and dislike

What is Med School Bootcamp?

It is a one-stop learning resource for Step 1 medicine. It contains:

• Quality video lessons- High yield up-to-date video lessons with emphasis on on application and integration of concepts with board questions. This helps explain many concepts that students might find hard to understand otherwise. The video content focuses on  fostering a comprehensive understanding of pathophysiology, essential mechanisms, and other fundamental concepts crucial for excelling in Step 1. MSB focuses on practical application of complex concepts in question stems to make the material more digestible. As Step 1 questions are evolving to emphasize cross-system material integration and favor the application of knowledge over rote learning, MSB videos are designed to fulfill that need.
• Step 1 Qbank- Med School Bootcamp has a Qbank of high quality that mimics actual test days and covers the new question type (eg longer stem). There are detailed video explanations that explain concepts step by step in an easy-to-understand way and that will help you apply the knowledge you learn. We found questions and explanations to be at par with the Uworld.
• Recall Quizzes- After every lesson, there are recall questions to test you immediately after learning. The questions you have a hard time with will get into your review deck, so you can refer to those later.
• Includes anatomy Bootcamp- Anatomy is a nightmare for many medical students. The course includes a full access to anatomy Bootcamp course coupled with full cadaveric images videos, Qbanks, and practical exams to simplify the course. 

MSB can be used as early as M1 since it has a section of foundational course with cadaveric images for Gross Anatomy, embryology and histology.

Why is it Important?

If you have been to Med School, you understand the need to rely on one constant source instead of studying all over. Preparing for Step 1 can be challenging, and it helps to have one resource, with everything explained to you simply but in detail, allowing you to recap and test your understanding of what you learn. That is what Med School Bootcamp offers. It offers an easy and resourceful way to study medicine in one place.

Course Structure

A Bootcamp, generally, is like an extensive library with study materials centered around Step 1 topics. It includes prep materials by subjects tested on USMLE, such as Biochemistry, Gastro, Pharmacology, Cardiology, Dermatology, Genetics, etc. 

Based on the subject grouping, there are three categories of study materials. There are video lessons, board-style questions, and review quizzes.

The video lessons are short and average length is around 10 minutes, with a few running up to 20 minutes. They are detailed and straightforward, and each video breaks down a topic further into easy-to-understand details. Additionally, you get a PDF handout that tracks the video slides, which you can follow along in.

Most videos focus on content review, and the instructor will take you through the lesson.

Once you are done with a video lesson, the learner takes a review quiz. Review quizzes are often referred to as “bites” in the Bootcamp because they are bite-sized questions. The role of the quiz is to reinforce what was covered in the video lesson and test your understanding. Each review quiz will include a free problem that is related to what the lesson covered.

Then, there are board-style questions. These questions were pulled from the Qbank related to what the video lesson covered and what the bites quiz emphasized. Each answer has detailed explanation with reference to relevant video lesson.

So, you first take the video lesson, then the review quiz, and finish with boar-style questions. While most people do not like quizzes or exams of any sort, it is an easy way to learn. 

The course has a 9-week study schedule help you not get overwhelmed by content. The schedule includes a breakdown of what should be covered daily, making it easier to know what is expected of you. You can check a sample daily schedule below.

We found the study schedule to be very practical if you can given dedicated hours for it.

The Upside of the Bootcamp

With an understanding of what the Bootcamp covers and its cost, let us dive into the upside of the course. There are a few things that I notably liked about the course that stood out to me.

• Outstanding High Yield Videos 

Dr. Roviso’s lecture on Cardiology section is one of the best we have seen in USMLE prep category. Bootcamp videos give nice concise overview of topics in a neatly organized series of videos.

• Custom Test for Practice with Performance analysis

You can practice these questions by creating custom quiz according to the topic of your choice. All your responses are tracked and shown in a neat “performance” dashboard.

 

• Handouts Alongside Videos

One thing that impressed me most about Med School Bootcamp is the handouts for the lecture, which go with the video lesson. While the PDF handouts may not be much, having one for each lesson module is of great need to the user. They can easily highlight things and take notes as they go.

And, they give the handouts as digital copies, allowing you to print them or use them as PDFs, depending on what appeals most to you.

 

• Well-Structured Quiz “Bites”

The quiz bites which follow the video lessons are well-structured. They contain between 10 and 15 problems, which help you apply what you learned. This helps reinforce the theory from the lecture, and it works well in ensuring you remember.

• The Tagging System

  This unique system in Bootcamp lets you rate your current understanding of a particular practice question when you’re doing your review. Basically, you’re tagging all the questions you might want to review further down the line. This means you can identify the questions that you know you’re already familiar with and the particular questions where you might need more help.

  

  You can tag every question, and that helps you a lot.

  •   If you encounter a practice question that you’ve answered correctly, and you’re confident that you can answer this type of question correctly, then give it the green Mastered tag. Then you’ll know that all these questions are easy for you, and you might give them a skim later when you have some time.
  • Another tag is the gray Bookmarked tag. You can tag any practice question this way (even the practice questions you answered correctly) when you want to take another look at it. This is a reasonable tag to use for practice questions that you should examine later in greater detail.
  • Then there’s the yellow Reviewing tag. This is best for practice questions for which you think your understanding could be clearer. You’ll want to review the various practice questions with this tag so you will feel more confident about answering them in the future.
  • The red Learning tag is for the practice questions you got wrong. These are the practice questions you want to recheck and focus more on. There should be a time when you take all these red-tagged questions, and you should be able to answer them all correctly afterward.
  • This system lets you categorize the various practice questions you encounter, so you get a better idea of which questions need a lot more study. You can then change the tags for the questions when you become more confident about answering them correctly.

 

• High Quality Practice Materials You get 2000+ realistic practice questions with detailed explanation for each. For each of the option, you will get the explanation why it is correct or incorrect.

The course study was impressive because they had great practice material, their board-style questions were good, and they matched the real exam’s difficulty. Furthermore, their problem explanations are on point, very detailed, and written in easy-to-understand language, alongside some visuals. 

Most explanations also have a link to the video lecture on the topic, which is helpful if you need to dive deeper or a refresher lesson on the topic. They have embedded other content materials, and the learner can get the most out of it. You can easily highlight any section and right click to cross off an answer choice.

• AnkiHub Integration

Another thing that stood out to me was the Bootcamps integration to AnkiHub integration, which made it easy and convenient to hit flashcards. Med School Bootcamp integrates with Anking v12, a popular Anki deck for medical schools. It is a useful function that promotes convenience in study. If you are new to Anki,you must watch the video below.

Downsides

Like anything else, there are some downsides to the program as well.

• It Lacks a Personal Touch 

Studying is not an enjoyable thing for many, and a personal touch in the form of live classes or office hours might have been better. Unfortunately, with Bootcamp, there are no live classes. Everything is self-paced and based on demand. So, aside from the study schedule provided, nothing holds you accountable.

The course is self-driven, a virtue most students struggle with. So, most students might struggle with commitment or motivation. It is, therefore, better for individuals with self-discipline. Otherwise, you might need to consider other programs like PASS with fixed live class schedules and force you to step up.

There is also a lack of personal touch regarding the study material. Yes, there are videos and PDF handouts, but no written materials such as study notes, outlines, cheat sheets, or other text-based materials exist. This makes the course inferior compared to other competitors.

• Some sections are work in Progress

Following sections are still work in progress ( 1st Aug 2023 Update)

1. MSK – Childhood MSK pathology and pharm

2. Endocrine – Pancreas and pharm

3. Microbio – Virology, Parasitology, Antibiotics, Antifungals, Antiprotozoans

4. Biochem – lipid metabolism, amino acids, vitamins, protien metabolism and nitrogen balance, and porphyrias

Med School Bootcamp: How Much Does It Cost and How Can I Purchase it?

Before diving further into the course details, let us discuss the price and purchase options. 

In regards to cost, there are three membership plans to choose from:

1. Pay as you go, which is a monthly subscription costing $100 monthly
2. An annual membership plan for $300
3. A two-year membership plan for $550

Compared to competitors (including the popular PASS, Boards and Beyond, and Kaplan) Med School Bootcamp is more affordable. 

Since the program is new to the space, their low prices could be because they are trying to gain a share of the market. They also offer special promotions and frequently run sales, so you can check for discounts before signing up.

Med School Bootcamp Promo Code

 

Final Verdict

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Is Med School Bootcamp for?

It is suitable for medical students, including DO and COMLEX Level 1. Since MD and DO students share the same classes, they can both benefit from the course. Besides, there is a lot of overlap between COMLEX and Step 1 because most DO students rely on Step 1 products to read and prepare for their COMLEX. 

COMLEX students can take advantage of the Med Bites quizzes, which are comprehensive and cover a lot of concepts. 

Is Bootcamp good for Med School?

Yes, apart from Sketchy, we found it to be the best resources for USMLE step 1.

Is Med School Bootcamp Better than BnB?

BnB is a very popular resource and MSB is very new compared to it. But, we found Med School Bootcamp to be far more effective(high yield) and production quality to be notch above BnB.

Who is the founder of Med School Bootcamp?

Dr Roviso. You can find his Youtube channel here.

Does the Program Come with a Pass Guarantee?

The pass guarantee will depend on the plan you choose. The one- and two-year programs come with a pass guarantee. If you are a student at an accredited medical program across the US or from Canada and fail to pass Step 1, you will get a refund on your membership purchase. 

However, the purchase for the program must have been made at least a month before the exam was due. You need to have gone entirely through the reading material and all the content, and provide the name of the accredited medical program you are currently enrolled in and the results proving your failure. 

The points above make it possible to verify your claim and get back your money.

Does Med School Bootcamp Have Anking integration?

The Bootcamp is integrated into Anking v.12. you can hit flashcards easily and conveniently. 

How Much Does It Cost?

There are three packages-the monthly pay for $49 a month, an annual plan for $200, and a two-year plan selling at $350.

Is there a Payment Plan for the Course?

Yes, Med School Bootcamp allows a payment plan through Afterpay. It allows you to make payments over four installments that will be free of interest. 

Can I Adjust the Video Lesson Play Speed?

Yes. This is another thing that is appealing about Med School Bootcamp. Different learners have different learning speeds, and their videos are accommodative of this. You can download a video speed controller Chrome extension and choose a playback speed that appeals to you.

Does Med School Bootcamp run a Group Discount?

Yes. Money is tight for students, and you need to take advantage of any discount you can get. Luckily, the course allows group discounts through the Group Discount program. 

You can team up with your classmate and take a course together. Usually, the more you have people sign up for the program, the more you increase your savings. The discount will depend on the plan your referrals subscribe to. You can get between 15 and 25% off.

To take advantage of the group discount, you will first need to fill out the MSB Group Discount Inquiry form. On filing the form, you will receive an email with the discount sign-up form, which you can share with your classmates. 

They will need to enter their details- first name, last name, university email. Note that the form will only be open for a week, after which it will be closed, and the company will distribute the discount codes. 

Students from your team who receive discount codes have a 90-day period to use the code before it expires.

What is the promo code for Med School Bootcamp?

 You can use DENMAX to get the best discount.