# Board Buddy USMLE — USMLE, COMLEX & Games > Interactive games and practice questions for USMLE Step 1 preparation. (iPhone/iPad app by Blake Young.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/board-buddy-usmle/id6756011006 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Blake Young](https://appshunter.io/developer/1857948179) - Category: Education, Medical - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 4.70/5 from 19 App Store ratings · 10 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 17+ - Requires: iOS 15.1 · 109 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2026-03-16 - Data updated: 2026-08-22 - Monetization: freemium - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/board-buddy-usmle/id6756011006/reviews.md ## What is Board Buddy USMLE? Pass USMLE Step 1, Step 2, and Step 3 with active recall, AI tutoring, and interactive medical games. Stop passively reading explanations. Board Buddy helps you retain high-yield concepts through spaced repetition, board-style questions, anatomy, ECGs, pathology images, and AI-powered tutoring. Terms of Use (EULA): https://ivymed.net/terms Privacy Policy: https://ivymed.net/privacy ## Key features - Interactive study games - Active recall learning - High-yield topic focus - 3,000+ practice questions - 3D anatomy modules - AI-powered explanations ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **Subscriptions** | Subscription | Price | Period | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly | $29.99 | per month | | 6-Month | $149.99 | per 6 months | | Yearly | $199.99 | per year | | Monthly Plan (Promo) | $29.99 | per month | ## Recent user reviews (10 of 10) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/board-buddy-usmle/id6756011006/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Board Buddy Rocks!! *2026-06-09* I rarely write reviews, but this app truly deserves one❤️! If you're tired or just not in the mood to study, this app is incredibly addictive!! It offers a ton of engaging games and learning options beyond the usual QBank and flashcards. I’m not an Anki fan, but with so much information needed to learn for these exams, active recall becomes essential, and this app makes it a fun and enjoyable experience. You’ll be studying without even noticing because this app makes learning exciting and fun!! Huge thanks for creating this masterpiece! I’m counting down the days for the Step 2CK and Step 3 versions!! 🙌🏼❤️ ### 5/5 — Great and Helpful! *2026-05-22* I was using Board Buddy daily, and it really helped me stay organized and manage my study time better. Simple, helpful, and great for staying consistent with preparation. Highly recommend! ### 2/5 — Poor experience *2026-05-13* Very poorly designed app probably vibe coded and has obvious design and functionality issues. **Developer response:** Thanks for your review! Could you send me an email at blake@ivytutoring.net so I can work on improving it? ### 3/5 — Great concept, but not refined enough for $30/month *2026-05-04* Love the many different categories of interactive games that help target weaknesses within specific topics and question types; however, the game is just not developed enough to justify a $30/months subscription price. A few issues I’ve had so far: falsely marking answers as incorrect, HY image section (which asks you to choose 1/4 histology/XR/CT images based on a diagnosis) will have completely unrelated answer choices, making the answer painfully obvious. The 3D anatomy identification is such a dope concept, but also isn’t well coded and very difficult to read. Don’t get me wrong this app is incredibly engaging and well organized, but it functions a bit more like a beta atm, so cannot say the price is justified **Developer response:** Thank you SO much for your review! Can you send me a message at blake@ivytutoring.net? I want to let you try the version 2.0 that is coming out this month! I've fixed a lot of the issues that you addressed. I'd love to get your continued feedback and build features that you enjoy ### 5/5 — Fun, fast and High yield learning ! *2026-04-08* I absolutely love this app. BoardBuddy makes studying feel like a game, which is exactly what you need when you're tired and don’t feel like studying anymore. Instead of forcing yourself through more questions, you open the app and suddenly you're learning while actually enjoying it. The USMLE Bingo feature is amazing it keeps your mind alert and focused. The timed questions push you to think quickly and move on, which is great practice for real exam conditions. I also love how you can study specific topics like Arrows, Pathoma 1–3, pharmacology (beta blockers, alpha blockers), and more. You can create your own quizzes, review specific chapters, and track your progress easily. It also includes NBME-style questions organized by form, which is a huge plus for exam prep. Overall, BoardBuddy is the perfect balance between fun and high-yield studying. It keeps you engaged, motivated, and learning at the same time. If you’re preparing for Step 1, this is definitely an app you want to have. Highly recommend 100% worth it. ### 5/5 — So worth it!! *2026-04-01* This is the best app for step 1 that currently exists! It’s super fun and nothing compared to an AMBOSS subscription, but I learned more from it. Completely recommend if you’re serious about passing Step 1 or the CBSE ### 5/5 — Biggest Help!! *2026-04-01* As an undergraduate pre-med student, this app has given me a HUGE head start and real clarity about my path. I feel much more confident now going forward into the medical field🙏🏽🔥 **Developer response:** Thanks Pookie! More to come! ### 5/5 — great resource *2026-03-22* The premium access resources were super worth it wow. I used this app more than any study tool and it actually paid off ### 5/5 — Honestly addicting *2026-03-18* I played this app whenever I have downtime, and within a couple of weeks I was super surprised that I’d memorized almost all of the high yield images ### 5/5 — Amazing App! *2026-03-16* An amazing app that helps keep accountable for studying for step 1. I can’t believe it took me so long to find this app!! ## Frequently asked questions about Board Buddy USMLE ### What is Board Buddy? Board Buddy is an interactive companion app designed for medical students to prepare for the USMLE Step 1 exam. It uses games and active recall methods to help students master high-yield topics. ### Does Board Buddy have ads? No, Board Buddy does not contain advertisements. The app operates on a freemium model, offering free games and an optional subscription for premium features. ### What are the free features of Board Buddy? Board Buddy offers four free games permanently: USMLE Bingo, Pathoma 1-3, HY Risk Factors, and Bugs & Drugs, covering essential high-yield topics. ### What does the IvyMed Pro subscription include? The IvyMed Pro subscription unlocks over 20 medical games, more than 3,000 practice questions, interactive 3D anatomy, a music library, and AI-powered explanations. ### What kind of games are available in Board Buddy? Games include HY ARROWS for arrow questions, DIAGNOSIS DETECTIVE for auscultation skills, BIOSTATS BATTLE for statistics, PICTURE QUIZ for pathology slides, and CLINICAL ECGs for rhythm strip analysis. ### What devices is Board Buddy compatible with? Board Buddy is available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod, making it accessible on various Apple devices for studying on the go. ### How often is Board Buddy updated? The app was last updated on March 16, 2026, with version 1.2. This indicates ongoing development and potential for future content additions and improvements. ### What is the age rating for Board Buddy? Board Buddy has an age rating of 17+, which is appropriate for the target audience of medical students preparing for a professional licensing exam. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.0.25 — 2026-07-28 New: Psych Timeline — drag a scale to how long each psychiatric diagnosis must last. A new way to learn DSM-5 duration criteria for the Step 2 shelf. • Missed questions now come back at the right time (new spaced-repetition review queue) • Home screen loads faster • Expanded content in Screening Clinic and several match games • Faster, smoother transition from game-over to the leaderboard • Bug fixes and reliability improvements ### 1.0.23 — 2026-07-22 Step 2 CK and Step 3 are here — and every board is now browsable on the free plan, with free games on each. One membership covers Step 1, 2 & 3. • New: Step 3 board with Case Manager, Crunch the Numbers, Ethics Court and more • New: free games on every board — try Step 2 and Step 3 before you subscribe • Redesigned onboarding that tailors the app to your exam and rotation • Screening Clinic: fairer answer order, time to read explanations, leaderboard • Fixed a crash when opening certain quizzes • Fixed games that failed to load their questions • Faster game-over → leaderboard transition • Original artwork for all 86 games ### 1.0.20 — 2026-07-14 • Fixed subscription purchasing — checkout is now reliable even on slow connections • Leaderboards for every game across Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 3 • New games: Exam Speak, Risk Factor Recall, Screening, Monitor This, SAD PUCKER, Which Specialty? and more • Faster home screen and dozens of stability fixes ### 1.0.19 — 2026-07-09 New: dedicated Step 2 CK and Step 3 study boards with their own games and AI Tutor, new interactive games across every board, per-board subscriptions and bundles, plus bug fixes and performance improvements. ### 3 — 2026-06-08 Stability updates and performance improvements ## More apps by Blake Young - [Ivy Lock](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ivy-lock/id6778597203) - [Ivy Sprouts](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ivy-sprouts/id6779100644) - [Ivy Tutoring](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ivy-tutoring/id6780045324) - [Ivy Prep: ACT Test Prep](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ivy-prep-act-test-prep/id6786935829) - [AP Study: Ivy Prep](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ap-study-ivy-prep/id6787478174) All apps by Blake Young: https://appshunter.io/developer/1857948179 ## Related topics [usmle step 1](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/usmle-step-1) · [usmle](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/usmle) · [usmle step 1 mastery](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/usmle-step-1-mastery) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-22.*