Pathoma vs Sketchy:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Pathoma had more branded searches than Sketchy among USMLE prep courses in the United States. Pathoma had about 6,600 branded searches, while Sketchy had 3,600. Pathoma made up 6.6% of all USMLE prep course searches we track, and Sketchy accounted for 3.6%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about USMLE prep courses, Pathoma and Sketchy each appeared in two of the five answers. Pathoma was mentioned before Sketchy in every answer that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Pathoma, about 83% more searches than Sketchy
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 2 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Pathoma, named ahead of Sketchy in 2 of 2 answers
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Top USMLE prep courses in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Pathoma and Sketchy were each mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Pathoma was listed before Sketchy in every answer that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
UWorld4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
AMBOSS3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Pathoma2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Sketchy2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Boards and Beyond1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Kaplan1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Lecturio0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about USMLE prep courses
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best resources for USMLE Step 1?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which question bank should I use for Step 2 CK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“How should I plan my dedicated study period for Step 1?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“usmle prep”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“usmle step 1 prep”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 28, 2026.
Share of searches by month for Pathoma, Sketchy. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | AMBOSS | Boards and Beyond | Pathoma | Sketchy | UWorld | Lecturio | Kaplan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 57.3% | 21% | 7.7% | 4.2% | 4.9% | 4.2% | 0.7% |
| Nov 2025 | 53.4% | 23.9% | 8.7% | 3.9% | 5.3% | 3.9% | 0.92% |
| Dec 2025 | 55.9% | 20.4% | 9.1% | 4.1% | 6.4% | 3.3% | 0.73% |
| Jan 2026 | 55.2% | 20.3% | 9% | 4% | 6.6% | 4% | 0.89% |
| Feb 2026 | 59% | 17.7% | 7.9% | 3.5% | 7.7% | 3.5% | 0.67% |
| Mar 2026 | 55.3% | 20.3% | 7.4% | 3.3% | 10.6% | 2.6% | 0.51% |
| Apr 2026 | 56.4% | 20.7% | 7.5% | 2.7% | 9.4% | 2.7% | 0.61% |
| May 2026 | 58.3% | 17.4% | 7.8% | 2.8% | 10.3% | 2.8% | 0.63% |
| Jun 2026 | 60.4% | 18.1% | 6.6% | 2.9% | 8.7% | 2.9% | 0.43% |
| Jul 2026 | 59.4% | 17.8% | 6.5% | 2.9% | 10.7% | 2.3% | 0.45% |
| Aug 2026 | 58.8% | 21.5% | 7.9% | 3.5% | 5.5% | 2.3% | 0.45% |
| Sep 2026 | 60.5% | 22.2% | 6.6% | 3.6% | 3.4% | 2.9% | 0.74% |
How has the Pathoma and Sketchy comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Pathoma was ahead of Sketchy in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Pathoma’s share of searches among USMLE prep courses in the United States moved from 7.7% to 6.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 8.1K to 6.6K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sketchy’s share of searches among USMLE prep courses in the United States moved from 4.2% to 3.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4.4K to 3.6K.
How did search popularity change for United States USMLE prep courses in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Pathoma lost share of searches among USMLE prep courses in the United States, from 7.9% to 6.6%.
In September 2026, Sketchy rose from 5th to 4th among USMLE prep courses in the United States.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Pathoma’s and Sketchy’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
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