• USMLE® Step 1 Question of the Day: Fatigue and Progressive Dyspnea

    USMLE® Step 1 Question of the Day: Fatigue and Progressive Dyspnea

     — Updated: 

     — 

    This week, we are sharing another USMLE® Step 1-style practice question to test your knowledge of medical topics. Today’s case focuses on a 72-year-old man with fatigue and progressive dyspnea. Physical examination shows 3+ edema in the lower extremities and hepatomegaly. Can you figure it out? A 72-year-old man is brought to…

  • The NCLEX-RN® Pass Rates for 2022

    The NCLEX-RN® Pass Rates for 2022

     — Updated: 

     — 

    The National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX®), administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), is the exam that aspiring nurses must pass to apply for licensure in a state board of nursing. Learn more about the 2022 NCLEX pass rate for both U.S. and International nursing students…

  • USMLE® Step 1 Question of the Day: Episode of Syncope

    USMLE® Step 1 Question of the Day: Episode of Syncope

     — Updated: 

     — 

    This week, we are sharing another USMLE® Step 1-style practice question to test your knowledge of medical topics. Today’s case involves a 75-year-old man who lost consciousness for one minute following an episode of syncope two days ago. Can you figure out in which area cardiac auscultation will most likely reveal a…

  • USMLE® Step 1 Question of the Day: Dyspnea on Exertion and Fatigue

    USMLE® Step 1 Question of the Day: Dyspnea on Exertion and Fatigue

     — Updated: 

     — 

    This week, we are sharing another USMLE® Step 1-style practice question to test your knowledge of medical topics. Today’s case focuses on a 68-year-old woman complaining of dyspnea on exertion, fatigue, and chest pain. Past medical history includes carcinoma of the breast. Can you figure this one out? A 68-year-old woman…

  • At Least Humor Is a Mature Defense Mechanism: An Unqualified Guide to USMLE® Step 1 Anxiety

    At Least Humor Is a Mature Defense Mechanism: An Unqualified Guide to USMLE® Step 1 Anxiety

     — Updated: 

     — 

    Today on the Osmosis blog, former Osmosis Health Leaders Initiative member Kayla Hicks shares a humorous account of how she dealt with board exam stress leading up to her USMLE Step 1 exam. Studying for Step 1. You’ve been at it for weeks, using every medical education tool imaginable, and…

  • USMLE® Step 1 Question of the Day: Altered Mental State

    USMLE® Step 1 Question of the Day: Altered Mental State

     — Updated: 

     — 

    Analyze Swan-Ganz catheter hemodynamics in a critically ill patient with elevated PCWP and SVR, low cardiac index, and low SvO2. What’s the cause?

  • Finding Summer Research Opportunities

    Finding Summer Research Opportunities

     — Updated: 

     — 

    In this blog, Christina talks about summer research opportunities. She offers some tips about how to prepare for it and how to look for a research program that will be the right one for you.  Research isn’t for everyone, and in the end, there are tons of medical school students…

  • OMM Question of the Day: OA HVLA

    OMM Question of the Day: OA HVLA

     — Updated: 

     — 

    Today’s OMM question involves a 35-year-old woman with pain radiating down from the bottom of her skull toward her lower neck. How would you set up for HVLA to the occipitoatlantal joint in this patient? A 35-year-old woman presents to your clinic for one week of moderately severe pain radiating…

  • Alternative Careers in Nursing

    Alternative Careers in Nursing

     — Updated: 

     — 

    Nursing is a complex and evolving profession that offers endless career opportunities. Depending on location, skills or interests, as well as financial capabilities and experiences, obtaining a nursing degree can lead to many opportunities in different healthcare settings. In this article, we break down the different career paths for nursing,…

  • USMLE® Step 1 Question of the Day: Shortness of Breath

    USMLE® Step 1 Question of the Day: Shortness of Breath

     — Updated: 

     — 

    This week, we are sharing another USMLE® Step 1-style practice question to test your knowledge of medical topics. Today’s case focuses on a 73-year-old woman with shortness of breath. Past medical history is notable for hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and type II diabetes mellitus. Can you figure it out? A 73-year-old…

  • NCLEX-RN® Question of the Day: Venous insufficiency

    NCLEX-RN® Question of the Day: Venous insufficiency

     — Updated: 

     — 

    Today’s NCLEX-RN® question of the day focuses on a client diagnosed with venous insufficiency. Can you figure it out? The nurse is interviewing a client diagnosed with venous insufficiency. Which of the following statements by the client is consistent with this diagnosis? A. “My feet are always cold, and I can’t…

  • USMLE® Step 2 CK Question of the Day: Second Degree Mobitz type II AV block

    USMLE® Step 2 CK Question of the Day: Second Degree Mobitz type II AV block

     — Updated: 

     — 

    Enhance your USMLE® Step 2 CK exam prep with this clinical case involving a 66-year-old woman with left-sided weakness and symptoms suggestive of cardiac issues. Test your clinical knowledge and improve your diagnostic skills for effective patient care!

  • Your Nursing Grad School Questions: Answered

    Your Nursing Grad School Questions: Answered

     — Updated: 

     — 

    You may not be really thinking about graduate school yet because you’re in the throes of your undergraduate degree, but it’s never too early to start planning for what your next degree might be! A recent report stated that nearly 88,000 bedside nurses are leaving to go to graduate school.…

  • USMLE® Step 1 Question of the Day: Syncopal Episode

    USMLE® Step 1 Question of the Day: Syncopal Episode

     — Updated: 

     — 

    This week, we are sharing another USMLE® Step 1-style practice question to test your knowledge of medical topics. Today’s case involves a 65-year-old man who suddenly collapsed when crossing the street. An electrocardiogram is demonstrated below. Can you figure out which pathophysiologic process is likely the result of this cardiac activity? A…

  • OMM Question of the Day: OA Joint Motion Testing

    OMM Question of the Day: OA Joint Motion Testing

     — Updated: 

     — 

    A 27-year-old woman presents to the clinic for neck pain. She has experienced several episodes of this neck pain since it started two weeks ago. She describes it as a dull ache at the upper part of the back of her neck, extending into the bottom of her scalp. It…

  • USMLE® Step 1 Question of the Day: Severe Lower-Extremity Cramping

    USMLE® Step 1 Question of the Day: Severe Lower-Extremity Cramping

     — Updated: 

     — 

    This week, we are sharing another USMLE® Step 1-style practice question to test your knowledge of medical topics. Today’s case focuses on a 52-year-old man with severe lower-extremity cramping. The cramping appeared after recent thyroid surgery. Can you figure it out? A 52-year-old man comes to the emergency room because of severe…

  • The Best Medical Podcasts

    The Best Medical Podcasts

     — Updated: 

     — 

    Medical podcasts provide a cost and time-effective way for physicians and medical students to learn more about the field of medicine. Whether it’s keeping up to date on the latest research or learning how to avoid burnout, the best medical podcasts provide countless learning opportunities that help you become a better…

  • Things I’ve Learned About Communication in a Country with 11 Official Languages

    Things I’ve Learned About Communication in a Country with 11 Official Languages

     — Updated: 

     — 

    Communication with patients is not always easy. It can get even more complicated when you do not speak the same language. Tom, a 3rd-year medical student, is sharing with us three tips on how to communicate better. We are always told that a comprehensive history can lead you to a…

  • Experiencing Our Patients’ Humanity

    Experiencing Our Patients’ Humanity

     — Updated: 

     — 

    Varun introduces his experience with the Northeast Ohio Medical University-Cleveland State University Partnership for Urban Health, which hopes to address complex systemic issues through multidisciplinary medical education. The Partnership for Urban Health was founded in 2010 in an effort to address health disparities within the city of Cleveland. Reported disparities include those…

  • USMLE® Step 2 CK Question of the Day: Ankle-Brachial Index

    USMLE® Step 2 CK Question of the Day: Ankle-Brachial Index

     — Updated: 

     — 

    Prep for the USMLE Step 2 CK with this case that tests you on what index is preferred in diagnosing peripheral vascular disease with calcified arteries and claudication.

  • Studying Medicine in a Collapsing Country

    Studying Medicine in a Collapsing Country

     — Updated: 

     — 

    Rebecca shares what it is like to study medicine in a collapsing country. In recent years the people of Lebanon had to deal with political protests, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a catastrophic blast that killed many people. Read on to find out what it is like to try to pursue…

  • NCLEX-RN® Question of the Day: Age-related changes

    NCLEX-RN® Question of the Day: Age-related changes

     — Updated: 

     — 

    Today’s NCLEX-RN® question of the day focuses on which assessment findings are expected to be found in older patients and which are not.  An older adult client is admitted to the nursing unit for a cough and increasing fatigue. Which assessment finding should the nurse recognize as an expected age-related…

  • How to Find Research Opportunities in Medical School

    How to Find Research Opportunities in Medical School

     — Updated: 

     — 

    Performing clinical research studies is a great way to contribute to the medical field and build out your curriculum vitae. But how do you find these opportunities? Osmosis Medical Education Fellow Chelsea Lee shares her advice. After settling into the routine of medical school, students begin making plans to fill some…

  • NCLEX-RN® Question of the Day: Electrocardiogram (ECG) strip

    NCLEX-RN® Question of the Day: Electrocardiogram (ECG) strip

     — Updated: 

     — 

    A patient with a slow, regular heart rhythm presents with chest pain and dyspnea. Which nursing intervention should be anticipated first?

  • NCLEX-RN® Question of the Day: Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS)

    NCLEX-RN® Question of the Day: Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS)

     — Updated: 

     — 

    Today’s NCLEX-RN® question of the day focuses on a nurse reviewing laboratory results on an oncology unit.  The nurse is reviewing the blood work drawn for a client on the oncology unit. The nurse should recognize which laboratory result correlates with a diagnosis of tumor lysis syndrome (TLS)? A. Phosphorus…

  • 10 Match Week Takeaways from Clinical Experts

    10 Match Week Takeaways from Clinical Experts

     — Updated: 

     — 

    Did you know that the NRMP Match is around the corner? Do you know how to best prepare for it? We provide 10 tips from medical experts. On the third Friday in March each year, fourth-year medical students in the US and International Medical Graduates (IMGs) participate in The NRMP Match…

  • NCLEX-RN® Question of the Day: Influenza A

    NCLEX-RN® Question of the Day: Influenza A

     — Updated: 

     — 

    Which PPE should a nurse wear when caring for a patient with Influenza A to effectively prevent transmission of the virus?

  • How Can Medical Students and Health Professionals Help People in Ukraine

    How Can Medical Students and Health Professionals Help People in Ukraine

     — Updated: 

     — 

    The Osmosis team is deeply concerned about the situation in Ukraine and that is why Elsevier is offering free Osmosis access to those affected. We are also listing other organizations helping in this uneasy situation. News, videos, and images coming from Ukraine are heartbreaking, and we stand in support of…

  • NCLEX-RN® Question of the Day: Agitated dementia client

    NCLEX-RN® Question of the Day: Agitated dementia client

     — Updated: 

     — 

    Today’s NCLEX-RN® question of the day focuses on how a nurse should handle an agitated client diagnosed with dementia. The nurse in the medical-surgical unit is caring for a client diagnosed with dementia. The client becomes agitated and starts to yell at the nurse and other hospital staff. Which is…

  • Battling Impostor Syndrome: How to Fight Back

    Battling Impostor Syndrome: How to Fight Back

     — Updated: 

     — 

    Impostor Syndrome and Failure are phenomena that gravely affect the mental health of students in the healthcare sector. This article focuses on how students can cope. Impostor syndrome is falsely believing that one is inferior to others based on fear of failure or disappointment. This is not an uncommon phenomenon amongst…

  • NCLEX-RN® Question of the Day: Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) in an infant

    NCLEX-RN® Question of the Day: Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) in an infant

     — Updated: 

     — 

    Today’s NCLEX-RN® question of the day focuses on a nurse taking care of an infant with SVT. A 3-month-old infant with a heart rate of 220 beats per minute is diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). Which intervention should the nurse implement first? A. Identify possible causes such as recently administered medications …

  • Active Recall: The Most Effective High-Yield Learning Technique

    Active Recall: The Most Effective High-Yield Learning Technique

     — Updated: 

     — 

    Are you maximizing your study effectiveness? Many healthcare and medical students rely on familiar methods like rereading text or flashcards without realizing it’s less effective. Discover science-backed study techniques that can improve learning, boost your exam performance, and transform your study habits.