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Sketchy is a well-known study tool for medical students who enjoy visuals, mnemonics, and storylines to help them solidify content for their upcoming exams and remember long-term information. (See our review of Sketchy Medical here) With an extensive array of videos, review cards, and practice questions, Sketchy has acquired a lot of attention from medical students. That being said, Sketchy may not be suitable for every student who utilizes these study tactics, and with its high cost, other alternatives may seem more appealing. In this article, we will review several alternatives to Sketchy for students who like the idea of visual aids and mnemonics but may not find Sketchy to be their best option.
| Resource | Videos | Flashcards | Quizzes | Books | Other Features | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sketchy Medical |  | | |  | ‣Pre-clinical & clinical | ‣$399.99/year |
| Picmonic ★ Top Pick | | | | | ‣Anki add-on ‣Pre-clinical & Clinical | ‣$203.88/year ‣Free Version |
| Pixorize | | | | | ‣A-La-Carte Subjects ‣Pre-clinical | ‣Complete: $249/year ‣A-La-Carte: $150/year |
| Osmosis | | | | | ‣Mobile app ‣Pre-clinical & clinical | ‣$199/year |
| Medcomic+ | | | | | ‣Illustrations | ‣$99/lifetime |
| Creative Med Doses | | | | | ‣Illustrations | ‣Free |
| Physeo | | | | | ‣Pre-clinical ‣Podcast ‣Anki add-on ‣Illustrations | ‣$249.99/year ‣$49.99/month ‣Free Version |
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Picmonic is another well-known study tool for medical students looking for fun study resources. They utilize mnemonics to help students remember high-yield information for their medical studies. In addition, they pair the mnemonics with cartoon pictures which further solidifies the high-yield topic into long-term memory.
They cover over 1,800 topics and can break them down by course, examination, or even commonly-used textbooks for medical students. Topics include biochemistry, microbiology, anatomy, and clinical topics, such as neurology, internal medicine, and subspecialties. They even have an Anki add-on tool so you can combine study resources!
Try Picmonic FREE (You’ll also get 20% off if you use our link to sign up and upgrade later.)
Pixorize is similar to Sketchy in that it transforms difficult concepts into cartoon stories, making studying complex material easy and fun. They cover several options, including neuroanatomy, pharmacology, microbiology, immunology, and biochemistry. All of these topics are incredibly high-yield as it pertains to pre-clinical content and the USMLE Step 1 examination.
Within these subjects is a vast amount of videos that are short and easy to comprehend, making studying these difficult topics a bit more digestible. A nice feature of Pixorize is that you can subscribe to the full medical content, or you can subscribe to a specific subject such as immunology, pharmacology, or biochemistry. This is an excellent option if the cost of third-party resources has held you back.
Osmosis is a study aid that includes an extensive library of video lectures with illustrations and descriptions for a large amount of testable material. Topics include foundational sciences for pre-clinical studying, clerkship material, and high-yield content for USMLE Step examinations. Additionally, Osmosis includes study flashcard decks and a question bank to help solidify the material reviewed in the lectures. A unique feature of Osmosis is that it pairs its topics with Picmonic’s cartoon illustrations even further to help students understand and remember complex content. Osmosis also offers a variety of subscription plans for students so that you don’t overpay for the resources you need.
You can view pricing here.
Medcomic is another great study option that utilizes cartoon characters and humor to help students solidify their knowledge for their upcoming medical school examinations. With their combination of short stories with characters and illustrated quizzes, students have a unique way of studying complex material. This study tool offers a variety of illustrations that cover a handful of topics, such as Hereditary Hemochromatosis, pleural effusions, and preeclampsia. In addition, Medcomic offers two books: The Most Entertaining Way to Study Medicine and Sparkson’s Illustrated Guide to EKG Interpretation. As a benefit, it is also a cheaper option when compared to other subscription study tools.
The Medcomic website has more info about Medcomic+ and you can check out the books on Amazon.
Creative Med Doses is a tool that offers fictional illustrations of high-yield topics to enhance students’ visual memory when studying complex material. This study resource provides a vast amount of illustrations on topics such as Goodpasture Syndrome, polyhydramnios, Hepatitis B, and many more. In addition to the cartoons, Creative Med Doses also includes a brief, written overview of each topic to help review content while solidifying the material. Four short illustrated books covering subjects such as tuberous sclerosis, candida albicans, immunology, and osteopetrosis are also offered. A great benefit to this study resource is that it is free!
Physeo is another tool that includes over 800 videos with image mnemonics and lectures that help students study for pre-clinical, clinical, and USMLE Step examinations. Topics include, but are not limited to, anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pediatrics, and surgery. Additionally, Physeo offers textbooks that correlate to their online videos. A unique addition is that Physeo also has a podcast that covers a handful of high-yield topics, as well as an online blog. Finally, they offer a variety of subscription options, so students can choose a plan that fits their timeline.
With ample resources out there and many students offering competing advice regarding which options are the best, finding the best study tools that fit your needs can be overwhelming. With this list of alternatives to Sketchy Medical, we hope that you have a better picture of which options are available and those with the best features and pricing to fit your needs.
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