Medical students are faced with multiple challenges while attending medical school, one of them being the plethora of resources and which one to choose. Today on the blog, OHLI, Nichole Anderez shares how Osmosis—”an education platform with Ubuntu”—made it easier for her to feel truly connected to her studies.
As an undergraduate, I anticipated that medical school would be my greatest challenge to date, with countless hours of studying and late nights, unique clinical experiences, and—let’s be honest!—a fair amount of stress. What I wasn’t prepared for was having to completely change my study style and make decisions about which resources to choose to help me study best. I was completely unaware of what Medical Education really consisted of and had no idea of how many options for supplemental learning there would be.
Choosing the proper resources is integral for a successful medical education. Here’s why I ended up choosing Osmosis!
Why I Was Drawn to Osmosis
I first came across Osmosis videos on YouTube, where they provide some of their educational videos to the public. Immediately, I was drawn in by the bright colors and characteristic illustrations. I am accustomed to seeing very technical illustrations in my coursework, and as a visual learner, the way this information is conveyed affects my retention immensely.
Osmosis uses bright colors and fun fonts to communicate difficult concepts. Their illustrations are creative while still being medically accurate, and they’re animated, changing as the concepts are explained during the voiceover. The attention to detail really helps me learn more effectively.
Until I found Osmosis, my experience with medical resources had been pretty mundane and uninspiring. Osmosis was the first learning tool I encountered that changed the way medical topics were presented. Many tools students pay for consist of people talking in front of or over PowerPoint presentations; if I wanted this, I could read a textbook! Osmosis takes learning further by showing you what is physically happening (while still providing high-yield information).
There Is MORE!
Bright colors, organization, and creative illustrations depicting and explaining complex topics easily are the top three reasons why I was drawn to Osmosis. It didn’t take long for me to move from YouTube to the Osmosis Prime platform. And once I began using it, I learned there was so much more to Osmosis than I had first realized!
A Values-driven Platform for Healthcare Students, by Healthcare Students
When I learned that Osmosis was created by medical students, I instantly felt even more connected to this organization. The company founders must have been bored with their education in a similar way to how I had been prior to finding Osmosis.
I also appreciated that Osmosis has a clear vision, mission, and multiple values. That is right, a company with values(!) that’s not just looking out for themselves and profiting off of students. I believe that Osmosis is a company that truly wants to better the communities it reaches. And let me tell you, they lead by example.
The team at Osmosis is always updating the platform. Since I signed up, the education platform and video content have been updated multiple times. I am constantly surprised at how much they listen to us users and continue to innovate so they can serve our needs.
In the last few months, Osmosis has integrated Step 1 review videos that are just fantastic. They are a little longer than the average Osmosis video, but they give clinical examples of topics that are really likely to pop up on your exams. The structure and organization of these videos truly make learning easier!
Start With the Heart
I previously mentioned that Osmosis has values as a company, and they lead by example. My favorite Osmosis value is Start with the Heart. In my opinion, this should be the motto of physicians worldwide.
A South African proverb that I try to live by is Ubuntu. Ubuntu can be described in many ways, but the main idea is “I am because you are.” I think that Ubuntu goes hand-in-hand with Start With the Heart.
As a future physician, my role will be to provide the best care possible. To achieve this, I will need to become a health educator, not just for students but for patients, their families, and their communities. Healthcare is more than a career; it’s a lifestyle that requires Ubuntu, selflessness, and a willingness to go above and beyond for others, regardless of whether nothing is in it for you.
It’s evident that physicians who care about learning started this company. Moreover, the Osmosis team practices these values actively. This is even more evident in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Osmosis team quickly created and released free content to the public to raise awareness about best health and safety practices. They even wrote a song about how important it is to support healthcare workers by practicing physical distancing!
Osmosis COVID-19 content provides the public with accessible information about the virus, allowing for a greater understanding of the importance of isolation. Osmosis is providing medical education to more than just medical students, with the goal of creating a healthier, safer society.
The response to the COVID-19 pandemic was immediate. Some medical education institutions have struggled to accommodate our needs during these difficult times, but Osmosis surpassed expectations. They have even created resources focusing on student mental health and well-being in ways that many medical education institutions have not, whether that’s by hosting virtual yoga sessions or inviting physicians to speak virtually to Osmosis learners.
Everything I’ve written here is why I’m so proud to be an Osmosis learner and member of the Osmosis Medical Education Fellowship program. If you’re reading this, I hope you’ll consider joining us someday!
About the Author
Nichole Anderez is a second-year Osteopathic Medical student at Nova Southeastern University. She enjoys the outdoors, fishing, and kayaking. She has two pups who she loves. Nichole hopes to practice Adolescent Medicine and create health education programs for at-risk youth.
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