Pathology is probably one of the most important subjects you’ll cover in your medical education. For that reason; it’s well worth the effort to memorize and retain as much as possible!
Studying pathology from pre-made Anki decks is one of the best ways to do this.
The digital flashcards in each of the following decks help you memorize the high-yield material needed for success in both the subject and the field!
The Best Pathology Anki Decks
The 4 decks we’ll be looking at are:
- Duke’s Pathoma (best for rapid review)
- Anking/Zanki Pathology (most comprehensive)
- Conanna Sketchy Pathology (best Sketchy Path anki deck)
- DIP Deck (best Divine Intervention/Pathoma deck)
Each of these decks is formatted and structured differently, suiting those with varied learning styles. They also differ in size, meaning some will be faster to run through than others.
We recommend taking a look at each and checking out the card examples first before downloading.
We’ve also included some helpful pathology learning resources at the end of this article too!
Contents show
Duke’s Pathoma
| Deck Name: | Duke’s Pathoma |
| Cards: | 1957 |
| Card Format: | Basic/Cloze |
| Year of Upload: | 2018 |
| Required Add-on’s: | N/A |
| Download size: | 716.8 MB |
| Download link: | Download Duke’s Pathoma Anki Deck |
If you prefer to have fewer but more detailed flashcards then Duke’s Pathoma is one to consider.
Using the excellent pathology learning resource Pathoma by Doctor Sattar as its primary source, Duke helps you review all the major points from the videos.
It builds on Pathoma’s basic pathology concepts to give you a very solid foundation in the subject.
For additional context, it also contains images from multiple sources including:
- Robbins Basic Pathology
- Eugene Braunwald Pathology
- DeVirgilio’s Surgery (Pathology/Pathophysiology sections)
There are detailed captions so if you’re unsure of an answer, each card’s “Extras” section will deliver any missing context.
Each individual card consists of a macroscopic/gross image, a radiograph/ultrasound image, and a histology image.
Here’s an example card…
Papilledema is a very high-yield topic that comes up in many different subjects, not only Pathology. Here, we can see the link between malignant hypertension and papilledema – a crucial association to know!
If you’re a fan of Pathoma and want an easy-to-use digital flashcard deck to use right alongside the videos, then this is the deck you need!
Anking/Zanki Pathology
| Deck Name: | Anking V9/Zanki |
| Cards: | 10,000+ |
| Card Format: | Basic/Cloze |
| Year of Upload: | 2021 |
| Required Plugins: | N/A (Hierarchical tags helpful) |
| Download size: | 2.5 GB |
| Download link: | Download Anking/Zanki Deck |
Redditor AnKingMed continually updates the original Zanki deck to help provide a comprehensive overview of all core medical school subjects/topics for both USMLE Step 1, Step 2, and beyond.
Read: What Is The Best Anki Deck For Step 1?
Its pathology sections are organized by organ system but also tagged to use alongside favorite resources like Pathoma, Boards and Beyond, Sketchy Path, and more.
There are more than 10,000 cards covering pathology in the deck (out of a 30,000 plus total), making this an absolutely huge resource for mastering the subject.
Anking’s cards are probably the best formatted and most comprehensive of all decks on this list too. They use cloze and basic card formats to help aid rapid review.
Here’s an example card from the GI Pathology section…
Make sure you suspend all other cards in this deck (ctrl + J) that aren’t relevant to pathology to get the most out of your time.
A seriously time-consuming deck but one that definitely ensures you cover all the necessary material.
Conaanaa’s Sketchy Pathology
| Deck Name: | Conaanaa’s Sketchy Pathology |
| Cards: | N/A (multiple decks) |
| Card Format: | Basic |
| Year of Upload: | 2018 |
| Required Plugins: | N/A |
| Download size: | N/A (multiple folders) |
| Download link: | Download Connanaa Sketchy Pathology |
Redditor Conaanaa updated an older Sketchy Pathology Anki deck to produce this newer version.
As its title suggests, it’s best for those who are strong visual learners and love the mnemonics of the popular Sketchy Path video series.
Each card in the deck refers to the particular image from Sketchy…
There is also minimal text on each card – only the most important information is emphasized.
The deck goes into considerable depth on the fundamentals of pathology but also covers extra topics that don’t always make their way into common pathology syllabus/curriculums.
What’s great about it is that the cards are organized Sketchy Path chapters, meaning you can individually download the specific set you need before/after you watch the relevant videos.
The cards also feature the additional extras featured in Sketchy Path’s learning resource too…
The advantage of Conaanaa’s organization over Anking/Zanki makes for a much faster review of specific areas of the resource (and pathology).
Especially considering the smaller download files and reduced number of flashcards for each pathology subtopic!
Divine Intervention Podcast (DIP) Deck
| Deck Name: | DIP Deck |
| Cards: | 16,568 |
| Card Format: | Basic |
| Year of Upload: | 2021 |
| Required Plugins: | N/A |
| Download size: | 2.1 GB |
| Download link: | Download DIP Anki Deck |
Redditor JimmySkellingtonMD created this pathology-focused Anki deck based on the excellent Divine Intervention Podcasts (the number one resource recommended in this post – 23 Best Podcasts For Medical Students).
The cards follow the cloze format, sticking to minimal information per card.
In the “Extra” field, the cards provide greater context.
There are multiple images incorporated to enhance visual learning as well as optional cards from both Sketchy and Pathoma.
The DIP deck is organized under 3 major categories with hierarchical tags:
- Divine Intervention Podcasts (8000): To see which episodes are in the deck, the redditor has made a spreadsheet. All items in green are included in the deck.
- Optional Sketchy (4500)
- Optional Pathoma (3000)
The Redditor recommends using this deck before/during clinical rotations when you need a refresher on pathology and want to pair it with the podcasts.
Additional Pathology Resources
There are several other platforms besides Anki for those of you who are interested.
Depending on how far into the subject you wish to go, each of these resources goes into varying depth.
Recommended Pathology Textbooks
Although it’s not necessary to study pathology from textbooks, the following recommendations can be a nice supplement to digital flashcards.
So much so that some of the decks above have been built around them!
Robbins Pathology
Considered the “gold standard” pathology learning resource, the latest edition presents an in-depth overview of human diseases from all angles.
Worth it for the high-quality photographs and color illustrations alone!
Video
Both these resources make up “UFAPS“, some of the best rated and most tried-and-trusted resources for med school study.
Pathoma
Pathoma is a lecture series put together by Dr. Hussein Sattar. It’s an incredible overview of pathology and extremely high-yield.
It’s mnemonics and “memory hooks” make learning the subject very easy.
Sketchy Path
Sketchy Path draws on cartoon-style mnemonic illustrations to help reinforce core pathology concepts.
It’s a favorite resource among many students – so much so, many of the decks recommended above are designed around its use!
The video below gives a taster of what they’re all about…
Next to Sketchy, Picmonic is another similar and incredibly useful resource.
We’ve reviewed it here: Picmonic Review: Is Picmonic Worth It?
Where To Find More Anki Pathology Decks
We highly recommend going on Reddit and searching ther/medicalschoolankicommunity.
You can filter your results to see the most recent and most relevant pre-made Anki pathology decks for your studies.
Why Use An Anki Pathology Pre-Made Deck?
- Excellent free resource
- Saves time making your own cards while covering the most high yield principles
Top Tips For Using Anki Pathology Flashcard Decks
There can be lots of information on some cards which can be overwhelming. Our top tip is to keep itSIMPLEand make sure you are actively practicing cards on a regular basis.
Keep reviewing the cards where possible, i.e. once you have finished your set for the day, briefly make a mental note or write down where your study session ended.
If you’re studying from a large multi-subject pre-made Anki deck, make sure you use tags and suspend (ctrl + J) all other cards outside of pathology-based topics.
Related Anki Questions
If you’re not familiar with Anki, I recommend checking outThe Anking YouTube channel.
Here’s a good primer (as well as a good intro on what they offer) below…
This offers many useful tutorials and tips for Anki users. It’s primarily designed for med students but the content is just as good for students in other fields.
CLICK HERE TOGET 10% OFF ANKI PALACE’S ANKI MASTERY COURSE
Why Do I Have To Go To Reddit/Ankiweb To Download?
Reddit/Ankiweb is where these decks are uploaded and shared. The original users deserve credit and the opportunity to be thanked for their hard work.
The files for these decks are hosted in these threads created by the deck’s creator.
If you enjoyed this post, you might find the following articles useful:
- 8 Best Surgery Anki Decks
- Is Pathology Hard? (Explained!)
Sumran Imtiaz
Hey guys, I’m Sumran. I’m a British 5th-year international medical student at the Medical University of Varna, Bulgaria. I transitioned straight from completing my A-Levels into university. Currently, I have interests in Psychiatry and Gastroenterology. Outside of medicine, I enjoy reading crime novels and visiting art exhibitions.
