A study hub and part of the HemeOncBuddy family.
Preparing for USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK means covering an enormous amount of foundational material and still remembering it on test day. StepStash is a study hub that makes that manageable: every topic comes as a clear study note, an active-recall card deck and a spaced review schedule, all in one place.
There are 742 topics: 358 across 16 Step 1 systems and foundational sciences, and 384 across the Step 2 CK specialties. Each note opens with a high-yield summary and uses comparison tables, stepwise sequences and exam pearls; each card deck checks your understanding as you go and ends with a vignette quiz. Anything you miss comes back on a spaced schedule until it sticks. No login is needed: your progress stays on your device.
StepStash is part of HemeOncBuddy, the education hub for hematology and oncology at HemeOncBuddy.org. It comes from the same founder, follows the same approach — concise, exam-focused and kept current — and shares the same design, so moving between the sites feels familiar.
The family has four study hubs:
HemeOncBuddyHematology & oncologyTrial summaries, board notes, a full Qbank, flashcards and treatment algorithms.Visit HemeOncBuddy.org
StepStashUSMLE Step 1 & Step 2 CKStudy notes, active-recall card decks and spaced review for Step 1 and Step 2 CK.You are here
BoardStashInternal medicine boardsStudy notes, narrated card decks and spaced review for residents and internists.Visit BoardStashStepStash is written and edited by Veli Bakalov, MD, the founder of HemeOncBuddy.
Clinical and research interests in thoracic oncology and head & neck malignancies, with a particular focus on lung cancer screening and the application of AI-related technologies in oncology.
Founder of HemeOncBuddy and editor of the StepStash study notes and card decks.
Every topic is written from scratch in plain language and organized the way the exam is tested. Each topic’s note and card deck cover the same material, so you can read it, drill it and review it without gaps. Content is checked for accuracy against current guidelines and updated when practice changes.
If you spot an error or something out of date, please email us; corrections are made quickly.
StepStash is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice, clinical judgment or medical decision-making, and it does not replace independent reading of original sources or current guidelines. It should not be used as a guide to diagnose or treat patients. Content may contain errors; the field changes quickly and human error is possible.
StepStash is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) or the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB).
The site is provided “as is” without warranties of any kind, express or implied. If you have or suspect a medical problem, contact a qualified healthcare professional or call 911.
StepStash has no accounts and no advertising. Your progress, saved notes, stash and review deck are stored only in your browser on this device; clearing your browser data removes them, and none of it is sent to us. Pages are served by our hosting provider, which keeps standard technical logs.
External links may lead to sites whose privacy policies are not under our control.
Questions, corrections, or feedback: hemeoncbuddy@gmail.com