Content

AI and Physician Oversight

Ora content is drafted by our best-in-class medical AI and meticulously refined by physicians.

Behind the scenes, Ora AI consists of over 20 unique AI models. Each model is highly trained for its own task, like crafting USMLE-style vignettes, performing PubMed-based fact-checking, and scheduling spaced-repetition flashcards.

AI can make mistakes, so all content is manually vetted by physicians. The full content pipeline is overseen by Ora's co-founder and CEO, Ryan Phelps MD.

Exams and Topics

With over 1,700 topics, Ora comprehensively covers the official 2024 USMLE Content Outline. It is designed for USMLE Step 1, USMLE Step 2, and all eight NBME Shelf exams.

Source Content

Factual accuracy is our highest priority. Ora AI has access to 2.5 million full-text PubMed publications, and weights them by recency, journal quality (impact factor), and publication type (e.g. reviews and meta-analyses). These are distilled into high-yield library articles, which are fact-checked by physicians, and used to verify QBank and flashcard accuracy.

QBank

With over 12,000 questions, Ora is the most comprehensive QBank available for Step and Shelf exams. Our questions precisely emulate the real USMLE and NBME exams, including learning objectives, difficulty, and style. To quickly detect subtle exam changes (e.g. shorter vignettes, more second-line treatment questions, more ethics questions), we interview students every week for detailed feedback on their most recent Step and Shelf experiences.

Flashcards

QBank questions typically require recall and integration of 5-8 core facts. Ora deconstructs each QBank question into these building block facts, converts them into flashcards, and automatically assigns them based on QBank performance. Ora flashcards reinforce all foundational knowledge needed for USMLE and NBME exams. Flashcards adhere to learning psychology best practices (e.g. atomicity, interleaving, elaborative encoding) to ensure efficient and robust memory formation.

Content Reports

We deeply appreciate feedback, including error reports. Any student can report a suspected mistake in our articles, QBank questions, or flashcards. Although most reports are simply misunderstandings, reported questions are automatically removed from circulation until reviewed. All reports are reviewed by a physician within 12 hours.