Pathoma vs Picmonic
Refund terms split these two. Picmonic's help center says its pass guarantee refunds the purchase or extends access when a student fails the board exam after 3+ months of regular use covering 500+ Picmonics. Pathoma's terms, not confirmed on the live site, call payments nonrefundable and leave refunds to its discretion. For a Step 1 examinee who wants that protection, Pathoma is the weaker buy.
Picmonic, owned by TrueLearn since June 2021, is for the examinee who memorizes across subjects through story videos, and the vendor says it holds 80,000 high-yield facts. A student who wants one teacher walking through pathology chapter by chapter should skip it.
Pathoma's buyer is a second-year student reviewing pathology next to coursework. Dr. Sattar teaches 19 chapters in 35+ hours of video. Each Pro term includes the 2026 paperback at $84.95 for 3 months, $99.95 for 12 or $119.95 for 21, per the vendor's sign-up page, not confirmed on the live site. A free trial account runs one month.
Medical education · Reviewed November 2, 2026
When to pick each one
Pathoma
- 35+ hours of pathology video from one teacher
- Pro 12 months $99.95 with paperback
- Free one-month trial account
Picmonic
- Medicine, nursing and pharmacy product lines
- Pass guarantee needs 3+ months and 500+ Picmonics
Score
Each row shows points earned of points available under the published rubric.
Pathoma
61of 100
Picmonic
36of 100
| Dimension | Pathoma | Picmonic | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peer-reviewed papers | 2.8 / 7 | 0 / 7 | +2.8 |
| RCT / meta-analysis / systematic review | 0 / 1.8 | 0 / 1.8 | 0 |
| Funding & adoption signal | 12 / 12 | 6 / 12 | +6 |
| Pricing transparency | 6.5 / 6.5 | 6.5 / 6.5 | 0 |
| Years in market | 0 / 7.8 | 0 / 7.8 | 0 |
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Pricing
Pathoma
| Tier | Billing period | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free account | 1-month trial | Free | 6 videos, no book |
| Pro3 price points | |||
| Pro | 3 months, one-time | $84.95 | includes the 2026 paperback |
| Pro | 12 months, one-time | $99.95 | includes the 2026 paperback |
| Pro | 21 months, one-time | $119.95 | includes the 2026 paperback |
Verified October 14, 2026 from pathoma.com (opens in new tab).
Picmonic
| Tier | Monthly | Annual | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medicine (USMLE 1 and 2), 12 months | n/a | $180 | About $180 per year per Picmonic's own comparison page (updated March 2025). The 2026 price is not confirmed on a live page. picmonic.com/pricing shows no figures. Other programs have separate pages. |
| Medicine (USMLE 1 and 2), 24 months | n/a | n/a | Per Picmonic's own comparison page (updated March 2025). |
Evidence
Pathoma
Peer-reviewed
1 PubMed record names Pathoma.
Picmonic
No FDA decision, peer-reviewed study or community post in our record.
Compliance and integrations
Documented from each vendor’s own pages.
| Spec | Pathoma | Picmonic |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | ||
| HIPAA | ||
| SOC 2 Type II | ||
| EHR integrations | Not specified | Not specified |
| Founded | n/a | n/a |
| HQ | n/a | n/a |
Scroll horizontally to see both columns.
Common questions
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USMLE prep (UWorld, AMBOSS, Anki), specialty learning (SketchyMedical, Pathoma, Boards & Beyond), CME (Healio AI, AMA Ed Hub). The most affiliate-rich category in healthcare AI.