Board Tutoring · USMLE · COMLEX · Shelf: Board prep with a plan built around your test date.
One-on-one tutoring for USMLE, COMLEX-USA, NBME shelf exams, and COMAT, with a tutor matched to your exam and goals. It starts with a diagnostic review of your latest self-assessment, runs on a fixed weekly schedule, and uses regular self-assessments to show when you're ready.
Sample Step 2 CK plan
Test day in 8 weeks
- Timed block · 40 questions · Cardiology
- Misses logged by error type
- 1:1 session · ECG and murmur reasoning
Topic tracker
- CardiologyStrong
- Renal & acid-baseImproving
- BiostatisticsFocus area
Illustration with sample data. Not a prediction for any student.
The essentials
Board Tutoring at a glance
- Who it's for
- Medical students, graduates, and residents (MD, DO, and IMGs) preparing for USMLE Step 1, 2 CK, or 3, COMLEX-USA Levels 1–3, or shelf exams
- Format
- Online: live one-on-one video sessions with a tutor matched to your exam
- Length
- Custom Tutoring packages of 10, 20, or 40 hours, planned around your test date
- Price
- Shared on your free consultGood Fit Guarantee on your first session with your matched tutor
- What's included
- Diagnostic review in session 1
- Week-by-week plan to your test date
- Self-assessment schedule and review
- Targeted high-yield question sets
- Study Hall access
USMLE®
- Step 1
- Step 2 CK
- Step 3
COMLEX-USA®
- Level 1
- Level 2-CE
- Level 3
Shelf exams
- NBME clinical science subject exams
- NBOME COMAT
The method
Five pillars of smarter board prep.
More hours and more random blocks rarely fix a stalled score. A smarter system usually does. Every tutoring plan is built on these five pillars.
Strategic Study Plans
Targeted High-Yield Questions
Elite Test-Taking Methods
Live Coaching That Works
1-on-1 Expert Tutoring
Who it is for
Wherever you are starting from, we meet you there.
Taking it for the first time
Start with a plan that fits your school calendar and dedicated period, so you are not guessing about what to study or when.
Stuck on a score plateau
Practice scores flat for weeks? We pinpoint whether the problem is content, reasoning, timing, or test anxiety, and fix that first.
Recovering from a failed attempt
A calm, judgment-free reset: an honest review of what happened, a rebuilt plan, and regular check-ins until you are ready to retest.
DO students taking both exams
Prepare for COMLEX-USA and USMLE together, including OMM and osteopathic principles, with a plan that sequences both exams sensibly.
How tutoring is structured
From the free consult to test day.
Live one-on-one sessions on a fixed weekly schedule, set around your classes, rotations, or dedicated period. Here is the path from the free consult to test day.
- 1Before you buy
Free consult
A short call about your exam, test date, school or rotation schedule, the resources you use, and any self-assessment scores so far. We suggest a package size, with no obligation.
- 2Before session 1
Matched tutor, fixed schedule, written agreement
We pair you with a tutor matched to your exam, goals, and availability, set your weekly schedule, and send you the attendance agreement in writing. You send your latest self-assessment or score report, so session 1 starts with real data.
- 3Session 1
The diagnostic, also your Good Fit Consult
Your tutor goes through a recent self-assessment, or your score report if you're retaking, and logs every miss by type: a content gap, a reasoning error, a timing problem, or a misread question. That error log shapes your written, week-by-week plan.
Session 1 is the first paid session with your matched tutor, and it is your Good Fit Consult, covered by our Good Fit Guarantee: if you're not happy after it for any reason, we refund that first session in full.
- 4Sessions 2 to 4
The highest-yield gaps first
Early sessions go after whatever is costing you the most points: a system such as renal, a discipline such as biostatistics, a question type, or pacing.
- 5Every 2 to 3 weeks
A timed self-assessment
A self-assessment from NBME (for USMLE and NBME shelf exams) or NBOME (COMSAE for COMLEX-USA, or a COMAT Self-Evaluation where one exists for your subject), taken timed on a date we set together, then reviewed in session so the plan follows what it shows.
- 6Final 1 to 2 weeks
Full-length practice under test conditions
A full-length practice day under real test conditions: back-to-back timed blocks at the length of your exam, with breaks as on test day, plus pacing work so the last block goes as well as the first.
What every session looks like
Review, teach, then a block at exam pace.
Every session follows the same rhythm, so you always know what to expect.
- Part 1
Error review
Last session's misses and your homework blocks, sorted by error type, so mistakes get fixed instead of repeated.
- Part 2
High-yield teaching
The next highest-yield topic in your plan, taught through worked questions, so you learn the concept and how the exam tests it.
- Part 3
A timed question block
Questions at the pace of your real exam to lock in the new material. Every miss goes into the error log for next time.
Between sessions
Written homework, with a set time to do it
After every session you get a written assignment, such as timed question blocks, a review of your misses, and spaced review of what you've covered, each with a set day and time. Your tutor checks it at the start of the next session, every time.
Board Tutoring includes Study Hall, live online focus blocks for when you'd like company while you work.
How long it takes
It depends on three things.
There's no honest single number for board prep. The timeline depends mostly on three things, and we set yours after the diagnostic in session 1, not before.
Book the free consult as soon as you know your test date or dedicated period. Starting two to three months before a dedicated period gives us the most room to plan, but we work with any timeline, including the final few weeks before your test.
The exam
A shelf exam or COMAT covers one clerkship subject, so prep is shorter and fits inside the rotation. The Step and Level exams cover far more ground.
Your starting point
How far your latest self-assessment is from your target, or from passing on a pass/fail exam, and which kinds of errors are costing you points.
Dedicated time or rotations
A dedicated study period leaves room for more sessions each week. Studying during rotations or residency usually means fewer sessions spread over more weeks.
How you'll know you're ready
Ready means consistent self-assessment results.
Our tutors look for all three of these on timed self-assessments before calling you ready.
- 1
At or above your target, consistently
Your recent self-assessments land at or above your target score, not just once. Step 1 and COMLEX-USA Level 1 are pass/fail, so there the bar is comfortably above passing, not just over the line.
- 2
The latest one close to test day
Your most recent self-assessment is taken in the final week or two before your exam, so it reflects what you know now.
- 3
Results holding steady
Scores stay close together from one self-assessment to the next instead of swinging, and the error log shows fewer content gaps.
One good self-assessment is luck. A steady trend is evidence.
Still short of your target two weeks out?
We narrow the focus to whatever is costing the most points, usually one discipline or pacing. If you're still below passing close to test day, we'll talk honestly about whether moving your exam date makes sense, within your school's rules.
How we keep you on track
Built so sessions actually happen.
Your effort matters most. Our job is to make showing up, and keeping up, as easy as possible, even in a busy dedicated period or rotation.
A fixed schedule
Progress you can see
An attendance agreement in writing
A short progress update
When it isn't working, we say so.
If a session is missed or homework starts slipping, your tutor asks what's getting in the way and adjusts the plan. If it keeps slipping, we'll talk honestly about whether more hours are likely to help right now, or whether something else needs to change first.
Start today with the free high-yield checklists
Tickable COMLEX-USA and USMLE topic checklists from our original study guide. Use them right now, before your first session.
Meet the founder
Board tutoring designed by a physician who has been through it.
Dr. DaveDO, MBS
Founder & Lead Physician Educator, ProMed United
Dr. Dave, DO, MBS, is a physician, researcher, and the founder of ProMed United, with 50+ peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Dave tutors and mentors students along the whole road to medicine, from the SAT and MCAT through medical school, USMLE and COMLEX boards, research, and the residency match.
- 50+ peer-reviewed publications
- SAT to residency
Custom Tutoring
Packages of 10, 20, or 40 hours.
Board Tutoring is sold as Custom Tutoring packages of hours you use with your matched tutor. As a guide, 40 hours is sized for full dedicated prep; 20 or 10 hours can suit a shelf exam or COMAT, a final review before test day, or one weak area. We suggest a size on the free consult.
10 hours
Pricing shared on your free consult
A targeted block for one clear goal: a weak subject, a strategy reset, or a final review before test day.
20 hours
Pricing shared on your free consult
A personalized plan and regular weekly sessions, with practice reviewed together.
40 hours
Pricing shared on your free consult
Full preparation through test day, with content review, timing work, and full-length practice.
Good Fit Guarantee
Your first session with your matched tutor is your Good Fit Consult. If you're not happy after that first session for any reason, we refund that first session in full.
We'll go over what happens to the rest of your package's hours on your free consult.
Applies to Custom Tutoring packages only. Read the refund policy.
- 1
Free consult
A short call about your goals, timeline, and where you are now.
- 2
Your matched tutor
We pair you with a tutor matched to your exam, goals, and schedule.
- 3
Good Fit Consult
Your first session with that tutor. Not happy after it for any reason? We refund that first session in full.
Free, about 20–30 minutes, no obligation.
Card via secure payment link
Pay by credit or debit card through a secure Stripe payment link. Your card details are handled by Stripe and never stored on our servers.
PayPal
Prefer PayPal? Once we've confirmed your package and amount on your free consult, you can pay that amount securely through PayPal. A PayPal payment on its own doesn't reserve a package.
Every student's path is different. ProMed United provides education and mentorship; we do not guarantee admission, exam scores, residency match outcomes, or publication.
See our refund policy and full pricing.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Still unsure? Book a free consult and ask us directly.
Step 1 and Level 1 are pass/fail now. Is tutoring still worth it?
Passing still matters a great deal. A failed attempt stays on your record and is difficult to explain to residency programs, and the foundation you build for Step 1 or Level 1 carries directly into Step 2 CK and Level 2-CE, which still report a three-digit score that programs review.
Which exams do you tutor?
USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 3; COMLEX-USA Level 1, Level 2-CE, and Level 3; NBME clinical science (shelf) exams; and NBOME COMAT exams.
How much does tutoring cost, and how do I pay?
Board Tutoring is sold as Custom Tutoring packages of 10, 20, or 40 hours. We share package pricing on your free consult, with no obligation. You can pay by card through a secure payment link or with PayPal.
How long does prep take, and when should I start?
Start two to three months before your dedicated period if you can; that gives us the most room to plan. The exact timeline is set after the diagnostic in session 1, because it depends on the exam, your starting point, and whether you're in a dedicated period or on rotations. We work with any timeline, including the final few weeks before your test.
Who will I work with, and what if it is not a good fit?
A tutor from the ProMed United team, matched to your exam, goals, and schedule after your free consult. Dr. Dave, DO, MBS, designed the tutoring method and leads the team. Your first session with your matched tutor is your Good Fit Consult. If you're not happy after that first session for any reason, we refund that first session in full. For Board Tutoring, that first session is the diagnostic review. The Good Fit Guarantee applies to Custom Tutoring packages only.
Is Board Tutoring online or in person?
Online. Every session is a live one-on-one video session at a fixed time each week, set around your classes, rotations, or dedicated period, so you can join from anywhere.
How do I get started?
Book a free consult, a short call about your exam, test date, and latest practice scores. We recommend a package size and pair you with a matched tutor. Your first session with that tutor is the diagnostic review and your Good Fit Consult.
I am a DO student. Should I take both COMLEX and USMLE?
It depends on your specialty goals and the programs you are targeting. We talk through this in your free consult and, if you take both, build one plan that prepares you for each exam and sequences them sensibly.
Do I need to buy self-assessments?
Usually, yes. NBME and NBOME sell their self-assessments directly to students, and some schools provide them. Your tutor helps you choose which forms to take and when, so you have one left for the final week or two.
Do you replace my question bank?
No. We work alongside the resources you already use, such as UWorld, AMBOSS, or COMBANK, and add custom high-yield questions aimed at your weak areas, plus a method for reviewing what you miss.
I failed my exam. Can you help?
Yes. We start with an honest, judgment-free review of your score report, rebuild your plan around your new test date, and use self-assessments to track readiness before you sit again.
Can you guarantee I will pass or reach a target score?
No. No ethical tutor can guarantee an exam result. Tutoring is designed to help you study more efficiently, reason more clearly, and walk in prepared, and your self-assessment results show both of us honestly how it's going.
Free guides
Related guides
Free, answer-first guides for medical students: how to prepare for pass/fail Step 1 and Level 1, and how boards fit into the residency application timeline.
- Medical students
How to prepare for USMLE Step 1 and COMLEX Level 1 now that they are pass/fail
Step 1 and COMLEX Level 1 are pass/fail. Plan dedicated study, use NBME and COMSAE self-assessments, judge readiness, and see why Step 2 CK matters more.
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Residency application timeline: ERAS, interviews, and Match Day
The 2027 residency timeline: away rotations, letters, ERAS and MSPE dates, program signals, interviews, the rank list deadline, Match Week, and SOAP.
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Walk into test day with a plan.
Book a free 20–30 minute consult. We will look at where you are and map the most efficient path to your exam.