Unlocking Medical Student Success: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Third-Party Resources Used for Medical Education and USMLE Board Preparation

Med Sci Educ. 2024 Aug 7;34(6):1603-1622. doi: 10.1007/s40670-024-02116-7. eCollection 2024 Dec.

Abstract

An increase in third-party commercial resources targeted towards medical students has led to substantial changes in the way students prepare for medical assessments. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to identify the third-party resources most used by medical students. A total of 1056 citations were screened with 19 full-text studies included. Twenty-two unique third-party resources were examined, with meta-analysis revealing the three most used resources to be First Aid, UWorld, and Pathoma. Medical faculty should consider curriculum adaptation to better cater to the learning needs of students and institute systems that ensure equitable access to verified commercial resources.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-024-02116-7.

Keywords: Commercial resources; Medical curriculum; Medical education; Third-party resources; USMLE.

Publication types

  • Review