What is the student community?

Student Community — How to Use It

The Community board connects you with other MDSteps learners by Step (Step 1, Step 2 CK, Step 3). Ask questions, share study tips, and get feedback — all in a simple, Markdown-friendly forum.

Access the Community

1. From the top nav, click Community.
2. Choose your board (e.g., USMLE Step 1) from the breadcrumb or Step toggles at the top.

Browse & Search

• Use Search titles & content to find threads by keyword.
• Sort with the dropdown (e.g., Recently active).
• Open any topic to read the full thread; the header shows when it was posted and by whom.

Create a New Thread

1. On the board index, click Post New Thread (green button).
2. Write your post in Markdown (see the Markdown tips card on the right).
3. Click Post to publish.

Reply to a Thread

1. Open a topic and scroll to the Reply box.
2. Write in Markdown. To reference part of a post, click Quote on that post — a snippet is inserted in your editor.
3. (Optional) Leave Notify me by email about new replies checked to get updates.
4. Click Post reply.

Subscribe / Unsubscribe

• Inside a thread, use the Unsubscribe button to stop email updates; click it again to resubscribe when available.
• Use Back to threads to return to the board index.

Markdown Quick Guide

• Bold: **text**   Italics: *text*   Code: `inline`
• Lists: - item or 1. item
• Links: [text](https://...)
• Mentions: @username to notify a user (when available).
• Quotes: Click Quote on a post, or start a line with > .

Good Citizenship & Safety

• Be constructive and cite sources when helpful.
• Use descriptive titles (e.g., “NBME-style Renal Tubular Acidosis traps”).
• Tag your Step in the title if posting in a mixed area; otherwise choose the correct Step board.
• Report spam or inappropriate content via Support.

Study Workflows You Can Try

• Daily check-in: Post one concept you learned and one you missed; ask for mnemonics.
• Peer explanations: Share a why X not Y breakdown for a recent QBank miss.
• CCS debrief: Post your case flow (orders → advance → reassess) and request feedback.
• Resource threads: Build a living list of high-yield references per system.

Troubleshooting

• Can’t post? Ensure you’re logged into the correct Step dashboard and your subscription/trial is active.
• No emails? Check your spam folder and thread subscription state; verify your account email in Account → Profile.
• Formatting odd? Preview your Markdown and remove unsupported HTML.

At-a-Glance

Path: Student → Community → (Step board)
Start a thread: “Post New Thread” → write in Markdown → Post
Reply: Quote (optional) → write → Post reply → (notify by email)
Manage noise: Unsubscribe on any thread; use search & sorting
Safety: Educational only • No patient-identifiable info