Heme/Onc
Lessons
Illustrated, high-yield walkthroughs of the heme/onc concepts the boards test most.
A board-focused walk through the microcytic anemias — iron deficiency, anemia of chronic disease, thalassemia, and sideroblastic/lead — anchored on the classic iron-studies pattern, peripheral-smear clues, and the TAILS framework.
A Step 1 high-yield lesson linking macrocytic and hemolytic anemias by mechanism, walking pathophysiology → smear buzzwords → confirmatory labs/markers → next-best-step, with B12-vs-folate and hemolytic-anemia comparison tables and classic G6PD and pernicious-anemia vignettes.
A boards-focused walkthrough of the two hemoglobinopathy mechanisms — qualitative (sickle cell) versus quantitative (thalassemias) — mapping pathophysiology to smear and electrophoresis findings, classic vignette buzzwords, and next-best-step management for STEP 1 and STEP 2 CK.
A boards-focused walkthrough of acute leukemias: the shared marrow-failure presentation, then ALL vs AML separated by smear, flow markers, and cytogenetics, anchored to classic vignettes (APL with DIC, pediatric ALL) and next-best-step decisions.
A Step 1 high-yield lesson on the chronic leukemias, contrasting CLL (mature B-cell clone, smudge cells, CD5+/CD19+/CD23+) with CML (Philadelphia chromosome t(9;22)/BCR-ABL1, basophilia, low LAP), built around classic vignette buzzwords and next-best-step diagnostic and management decisions.
A board-accurate lesson on Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma: Reed-Sternberg biology and HL subtypes, the key NHL entities with their defining translocations/markers/smear findings, and first-line/next-best-step management.
A boards-focused walkthrough of multiple myeloma and related plasma cell disorders — from the 'one clone, one antibody' pathophysiology and CRAB presentation through SPEP/free light chains, marrow criteria, and high-risk cytogenetics, with next-best-step vignettes and a MGUS/smoldering/MM/Waldenström comparison table.
A high-yield USMLE lesson on the BCR-ABL1–negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (PV, ET, PMF): JAK2/CALR/MPL driver biology, classic smear and lab buzzwords, EPO-based erythrocytosis triage, and next-best-step diagnosis and management. Structured patho → presentation → diagnosis → treatment with vignettes and a comparison table.</parameter> <parameter name="imageSuggestions">[{"commonsFile":"Polycythemia vera, blood smear.jpg","alt":"Peripheral blood smear from a patient with polycythemia vera showing increased, crowded red blood cells with mild anisopoikilocytosis","caption":"Polycythemia vera: a crowded peripheral smear reflecting increased red cell mass (Wright-Giemsa).","afterBlock":4},{"commonsFile":"Tear Drop Cells in PBS Microscopy.jpg","alt":"Peripheral blood smear showing teardrop-shaped red blood cells (dacrocytes) with elongated tapered ends","caption":"Teardrop cells (dacrocytes): the classic smear finding of primary myelofibrosis and marrow infiltration.","afterBlock":5}]
Sample flashcards
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma — diffuse large B-cell features?
Macrocytic anemia differential?
AML types with favorable prognosis?
Tumor markers — PSA?
Lynch syndrome cancers?
Most common solid tumor in children?
FAQ
What's covered in the Heme/Onc topic?
Heme/Onc covers high-yield mechanisms, clinical presentations, diagnostic workup, and management — drawn from First Aid, Pathoma, and the NBME content outline.
How many practice questions does Heme/Onc have?
0 board-style multiple-choice questions and 104 spaced-repetition flashcards. Sign up free to drill them with adaptive difficulty and a Socratic AI tutor that explains every wrong answer.
Is Heme/Onc on USMLE Step 1 or Step 2 CK?
Heme/Onc appears on both Step 1 (foundational mechanisms) and Step 2 CK (clinical decision-making). Our questions are tagged by exam target so you can filter to just the Step you're studying.
Drill Heme/Onc on every exam-target.
0 questions + 104 flashcards waiting. Adaptive, spaced-repetition, with a Socratic AI tutor that explains every miss in plain English.
Start studying free