The Rx Bricks Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Essentials – Megaloblastic Anemia Sep 11, 2026

Show notes

Megaloblast. Now there’s a word you don’t hear every day.

The root -blast comes from the Greek blastos, meaning “germ” or “bud,” and is familiar from terms like blast cells—very young hematopoietic precursor cells. Megalo- comes from the Greek megas, meaning “large” or “great,” as in splenomegaly. So is a megaloblast simply a large, immature cell?

Not quite.

In this episode, we break down megaloblastic anemia: why it develops, what vitamin B12 and folate have to do with it, what you’ll see on a CBC and peripheral smear, and how to recognize and treat the underlying problem.

After listening to this AudioBrick, you should be able to:

Explain the pathogenesis of megaloblastic anemia.
Identify common causes of vitamin B12 and folate deficiency and distinguish their associated nonhematologic findings.
Recognize the characteristic complete blood count findings seen in megaloblastic anemia.
Describe and identify the characteristic morphologic changes in the peripheral blood and bone marrow.
Explain the principles of treatment for megaloblastic anemia.

You can also explore the original Megaloblastic Anemia Brick from our Hematology collection, available free here:

https://usmle-rx.scholarrx.com/rx-bricks/brick/CP_HEM0022

Want to explore more Rx Bricks and USMLE-Rx resources? Start your free USMLE-Rx trial and get five full days of access to Rx360+, including Qmax, Rx Bricks, Flash Facts, and Express Videos.

https://usmle-rx.com/free-trial/

After your trial ends, you can continue accessing over 150 free Rx Bricks, including the complete General Microbiology and Cellular and Molecular Biology collections.

If you enjoyed this episode, we’d appreciate a review on Apple Podcasts:

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Essentials – Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Syndromes Sep 01, 2026

Show notes

Multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) refers to a group of rare inherited syndromes that increase the risk of developing tumors in multiple endocrine organs. MEN affects men and women at roughly equal rates and occurs across geographic, racial, and ethnic groups.

These syndromes are caused by genetic mutations inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern, meaning an affected parent has a 50% chance of passing the mutation to each child. Unlike many sporadic cancers, tumors associated with MEN often develop at a younger age and may involve several endocrine organs over a patient’s lifetime.

In this AudioBrick, we review the three major MEN syndromes—MEN1, MEN2A, and MEN2B—including their characteristic tumors, genetic causes, clinical features, and management.

After listening to this AudioBrick, you should be able to:

Define multiple endocrine neoplasia and identify the three major MEN syndromes.
Compare the key clinical features of MEN1, MEN2A, and MEN2B.
Describe the genetic mutations associated with each syndrome.
Summarize the basic approach to management and surveillance.

You can also explore the original Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Rx Brick from our Endocrine collection, available free here:

https://usmle-rx.scholarrx.com/rx-bricks/brick/CP_END0028 (opens in new tab)

Want to explore more Rx Bricks and other USMLE-Rx study tools? Start a free USMLE-Rx trial:

https://www.usmle-rx.com/ (opens in new tab)

Your trial includes access to Rx360+, including Rx Bricks, Qmax, and other resources designed to help you prepare for the USMLE and COMLEX exams.

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts:

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Essentials – Stimulants and Cognitive-Enhancing Drugs Aug 20, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, we explore stimulants and cognitive-enhancing drugs, medications used to improve alertness, attention, memory, and cognition. You’ll learn how commonly used agents such as amphetamines, methylphenidate, modafinil, caffeine, donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine, and memantine work, along with the conditions they’re used to treat. We’ll also review important adverse effects, contraindications, and serious safety concerns, including cardiovascular complications, growth suppression, stimulant toxicity, and Stevens-Johnson syndrome. By the end, you’ll be better prepared to weigh the risks and benefits of these medications in clinical care.

After listening to this AudioBrick, you should be able to:

Name conditions for which stimulants and cognitive-enhancing drugs are used as treatment.
Describe the mechanism of action of stimulants and cognitive-enhancing drugs.
List the main examples of stimulants and cognitive-enhancing drugs.
Describe the significant adverse effects of stimulants and cognitive-enhancing drugs.

You can also check out the original brick on Stimulants and Cognitive-Enhancing Drugs from our Psychiatry collection, which is available for free.

Learn more about Rx Bricks by signing up for a free USMLE-Rx account: www.usmle-rx.com

You will get 5 days of full access to our Rx360+ program, including nearly 800 Rx Bricks.

If you enjoyed this episode, we’d love for you to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps with our visibility, and the more med students (or future med students) listen to the podcast, the more we can provide to the future physicians of the world.

Essentials – Physiology of the Renal Tubular System Aug 13, 2026

Show notes

Why does a patient on furosemide end up needing a potassium supplement? In this episode we walk the length of the nephron— proximal tubule, loop of Henle, distal convoluted tubule, and collecting duct—and trace exactly how each segment reabsorbs and secretes to keep sodium, water, potassium, and acid-base in balance. Along the way we hit the transporters and drug targets that show up again and again on Step 1, from the Na-K-2Cl cotransporter that loop diuretics block to the aldosterone-driven potassium handling in the collecting duct. By the end, that furosemide-and-potassium puzzle will make complete sense. Looking for more information on this topic? Check out the Physiology of the Renal Tubular System brick.

Follow USMLE-Rx at: Facebook: facebook.com/usmlerx Blog: usmle-rx.com/blog-posts X: @usmle_rx_ Instagram: @usmle_rx_ YouTube: youtube.com/USMLERX

Learn how you can access over 250 of our bricks for FREE: https://usmle-rx.com/free-bricks/

Learn more about Rx Bricks by signing up for a free USMLE-Rx account: www.usmle-rx.com

You will get 5 days of full access to our Rx360+ program, including over 900 Rx Bricks.

Essentials – Cholelithiasis and Cholecystitis Aug 06, 2026

Show notes

Gallstones are hardened deposits that form when substances such as cholesterol or unconjugated bilirubin become overly concentrated in bile. They vary greatly in size and often cause no symptoms, but stones that leave the gallbladder can obstruct the biliary tract and cause inflammation or infection.

After listening to this AudioBrick, you should be able to:

Compare cholelithiasis, choledocholithiasis, cholecystitis, and cholangitis.
Describe how cholesterol and pigment gallstones form.
Identify the major risk factors, clinical course, and complications of gallstones.
Distinguish acute from chronic cholecystitis.
Describe the treatment of gallstones and acute cholecystitis.

Explore the original Cholelithiasis and Cholecystitis brick from our Gastrointestinal collection.

Access more than 230 Rx Bricks for free: https://usmle-rx.com/free-bricks/

Learn more about Rx Bricks: https://usmle-rx.com/products/rx-bricks/

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Enjoyed the episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help more medical students discover the show: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rx-bricks-podcast/id1530646481

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/usmlerx Blog: https://usmle-rx.com/blog-posts/ X: https://x.com/usmle_rx Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/usmle_rx_/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/USMLERX

Essentials – Gastrointestinal Regulatory Substances Jul 28, 2026

Show notes

Digestion is regulated by a complex network of hormones, peptides, and neural signals. In this episode, we review the major gastrointestinal hormones, introduce several secondary regulatory peptides, and explain how the GI tract senses its luminal contents and integrates multiple signals to control digestive function.

After listening to this episode, you should be able to:

Identify the source, release stimulus, and function of the major gastrointestinal hormones, including secretin, cholecystokinin (CCK), gastrin, and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP).
Summarize the release stimuli and functions of key GI regulatory peptides, including bombesin, GLP-1, GLP-2, ghrelin, leptin, motilin, somatostatin, and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP).
Explain how the physical and chemical properties of luminal contents are sensed and how they trigger hormonal responses.
Describe how GI cells integrate hormonal and neural inputs to regulate digestive function.

You can also check out the original brick on Gastrointestinal Regulatory Substances from our Gastrointestinal collection, which is available for free.

Explore more with USMLE-Rx

Create a free USMLE-Rx account at www.usmle-rx.com.

You’ll receive five days of full access to Rx360+, including over 800 Rx Bricks. After the trial, you can continue accessing more than 150 free Bricks, including the complete General Microbiology and Cellular and Molecular Biology collections.

Enjoyed the episode? Please consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts. Reviews help more medical students and future medical students discover the podcast…and help us continue creating resources for the physicians of tomorrow.

Rx Question Lab: Neurology Feb 12, 2026

Show notes

Question Lab: Neuro for Step 1

Think you can spot a subarachnoid hemorrhage from the clues alone? What about localizing a stroke to the exact arterial distribution? In this episode of Question Lab, Dr. Abraham Titus walks through 4 board-style neurology questions, breaking down the clinical clues, teaching the underlying pathophysiology, and walking through the answers step by step.

Pause the episode, commit to your answer, then listen to the explanation. It’s the closest thing to a live boards review session you can get on the go.

Topics covered:

Berry aneurysms and their classic associations
Stroke localization and aphasia types
Parkinson’s disease pharmacology
Traumatic intracranial hemorrhages and herniation syndromes

Want to try these Qmax questions yourself? Take the test: https://usmle-rx.scholarrx.com/share/jory9yevdp5kd3g

Free Rx Study Planner: https://go.usmle-rx.com/study-schedule

Learn more: www.usmle-rx.com

Shock Nov 12, 2025

Show notes

Looking for more information on this topic? Check out the Shock brick.

Follow USMLE-Rx at: Facebook: facebook.com/usmlerx Blog: usmle-rx.com/blog-posts X: @usmle_rx_ Instagram: @usmle_rx_ YouTube: youtube.com/USMLERX

Learn how you can access over 150 of our bricks for FREE: https://usmle-rx.com/free-bricks/

from our Musculoskeletal, Skin, and Connective Tissue collection, which is available for free.

Learn more about Rx Bricks by signing up for a free USMLE-Rx account: www.usmle-rx.com

You will get 5 days of full access to our Rx360+ program, including nearly 800 Rx Bricks. After the 5-day period, you will still be able to access over 150 free bricks, including the entire collections for General Microbiology and Cellular and Molecular Biology.

Rx Question Lab: USMLE Step 2 CK Cardiology Oct 18, 2025

Show notes

Tackle High-Yield Concepts for USMLE Step 2 CK Cardiology

This interactive session, led by Dr. Abraham Titus (Hematology/Oncology Fellow, University of South Alabama) and ScholarRx’s Jeff Downing, focuses on challenging USMLE Step 2 CK cardiology questions that will sharpen your clinical decision-making skills and deepen your understanding of cardiovascular medicine.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: In this episode, we work through four board-style questions using our proven systematic approach that helps you think like a clinician first, then a test-taker second. You’ll learn how to apply clinical guidelines and make evidence-based management decisions through detailed explanations that go beyond just identifying the correct answer.

Topics Covered: