Medical School MD + DO Mastery

A 4-year, board-aligned study system for medical school and licensing exams.

Walk the full Year 1–4 curriculum — foundational sciences, organ-system blocks, clinical clerkships and advanced practice — each with mastery checklists and linked learning resources, plus a dedicated review system for school exams, Shelf/COMAT, USMLE Step 1–3 and COMLEX-USA Levels 1–3.

YEAR 1 FOUNDATIONAL SCIENCES II

YEAR 1 | PAGE 43A - PHYSIOLOGY: PERTURBATION, COMPENSATION + GRAPH MASTERY

PHYSIOLOGY FRAME: VARIABLE -> NORMAL RELATIONSHIP -> PERTURBATION -> COMPENSATION -> GRAPH/LAB CHANGE. THE TARGET IS PREDICTION: CHANGE ONE VARIABLE, THEN DEFEND THE DIRECTION AND MECHANISM OF THE REST. A. PHYSIOLOGY CLOSED-BOOK REVIEW MAP

AreaMust retrieve without notesHigh-discrimination transfer
Membrane / autonomicResting/action potentials; equilibrium direction; channels; receptor families; autonomic organ effects.Predict voltage/current or organ response when a channel, ion gradient, receptor or autonomic input changes.
CardiovascularPressure-flow-resistance; cardiac cycle; PV loops; preload/afterload/contractility; CO; baroreflex.Move between Wiggers/PV loop/equations and a hemorrhage, valve, drug or exercise vignette.
RespiratoryCompliance/resistance; spirometry; V/Q; shunt/dead space; diffusion; O2-Hb curve; control of ventilation.Name the primary gas-exchange defect, then predict A-a/O2/CO2 and response to oxygen or ventilation.
Renal + acid-baseGFR/RBF/FF; clearance; nephron transport; RAAS/ADH; osmolality; H+/HCO3- handling.Predict GFR/RBF/urine/serum changes, then identify primary acid-base disorder and expected compensation.
Endocrine / integratedFeedback loops; receptor signaling; thyroid/adrenal/pancreatic axes; fed/fasted state; GI/reproductive physiology.Infer hormone pattern from feedback logic and integrate multi-organ compensation.

PHYSIOLOGY FRAME: VARIABLE -> NORMAL RELATIONSHIP -> PERTURBATION -> COMPENSATION -> GRAPH/LAB CHANGE. THE TARGET IS PREDICTION: CHANGE ONE VARIABLE, THEN DEFEND THE DIRECTION AND MECHANISM OF THE REST. A. PHYSIOLOGY CLOSED-BOOK REVIEW MAP — B. DEEP REVIEW RESOURCES - DIRECT & PLAYABLE

Resting Membrane, Graded & Action Potentials - Ninja Nerd - ionic gradients, threshold, channel states and refractory periods. Cardiac Cycle - Ninja Nerd - pressure, volume, valves, ECG and heart sounds across one beat. Ventilation-Perfusion Coupling - Ninja Nerd - V/Q, shunt, dead space and oxygenation consequences. Glomerular Filtration - Ninja Nerd - filtration forces, GFR and glomerular barrier logic. Acid-Base Disorders - Ninja Nerd - primary disorders, anion gap and compensation from mechanism. High Yield Arrows for the USMLE - HyGuru - long-form direction-of-change active recall across systems.

PHYSIOLOGY FRAME: VARIABLE -> NORMAL RELATIONSHIP -> PERTURBATION -> COMPENSATION -> GRAPH/LAB CHANGE. THE TARGET IS PREDICTION: CHANGE ONE VARIABLE, THEN DEFEND THE DIRECTION AND MECHANISM OF THE REST. A. PHYSIOLOGY CLOSED-BOOK REVIEW MAP — C. TOP 10 MOST-MISSED FOUNDATIONAL SCIENCES II CONCEPTS - #1 TO #3 1. Primary perturbation and compensation must be separated Deep explanation

A physiologic disturbance causes a primary change; homeostatic systems then respond in the opposite direction when possible. Correct reasoning identifies what changed first, what compensates, and what cannot fully normalize.

PHYSIOLOGY FRAME: VARIABLE -> NORMAL RELATIONSHIP -> PERTURBATION -> COMPENSATION -> GRAPH/LAB CHANGE. THE TARGET IS PREDICTION: CHANGE ONE VARIABLE, THEN DEFEND THE DIRECTION AND MECHANISM OF THE REST. A. PHYSIOLOGY CLOSED-BOOK REVIEW MAP — C. TOP 10 MOST-MISSED FOUNDATIONAL SCIENCES II CONCEPTS - #1 TO #3 1. Primary perturbation and compensation must be separated Deep explanation

ResourceDescriptionLink
Why learners miss itLearners see all abnormal values at once and treat each as an independent defect.

PHYSIOLOGY FRAME: VARIABLE -> NORMAL RELATIONSHIP -> PERTURBATION -> COMPENSATION -> GRAPH/LAB CHANGE. THE TARGET IS PREDICTION: CHANGE ONE VARIABLE, THEN DEFEND THE DIRECTION AND MECHANISM OF THE REST. A. PHYSIOLOGY CLOSED-BOOK REVIEW MAP — C. TOP 10 MOST-MISSED FOUNDATIONAL SCIENCES II CONCEPTS - #1 TO #3 1. Primary perturbation and compensation must be separated Deep explanation

Easiest clueAsk: what moved first? Then label every other change as direct consequence, compensation or unrelated.
2. Graphs and equations are alternate representations of the same relationship Deep explanationPV loops, flow curves, spirometry, renal clearance and dose-response-like physiologic graphs encode the same causal relationships that equations describe. A shift or slope must be translated into a variable change.
Why learners miss it Easiest clueStudents can verbalize the concept but become disoriented when axes, loops or curves replace prose. Name the axes and controlled variable first. Then predict the direction before looking at options.
3. Pressure, flow and resistance unify cardio, pulmonary and renal physiology Deep explanationAcross organ systems, flow depends on a driving pressure gradient and resistance. Geometry, tone, compliance and downstream pressure change how much flow occurs and where pressures accumulate.
Why learners miss it Easiest clueThe equations are often memorized separately by organ system, hiding the shared physical model. Gradient drives; resistance limits. Use that sentence before system-specific details.
2026/27 foundational-review expanded edition - verify school and official exam updates before testing