Since Osmosis began, we’ve been on a mission to make medical education more engaging and effective using innovative content, visual storytelling, and evidence-based learning science. What began with a single YouTube video has grown into a trusted company supporting millions of learners and educators around the world.
Today, as part of Elsevier, we’re continuing to expand our impact and reimagine how the next generation of healthcare professionals learn healthcare.
As we celebrate 10 years of learning by Osmosis, we’re reflecting on the milestones, innovations, and people that have shaped our journey. From our first video to millions of learners worldwide, these moments tell the story of how far we’ve come, and where we’re headed next.
2015: The Launch
Our first YouTube video shared a simple physiology lesson that propelled a global mission. In 2015, co-founders Shiv Gaglani and Ryan Haynes took the leap to work on Osmosis full-time, joined by Dr. Rishi Desai and several members of the Khan Academy Medicine team.
As Shiv reflected, “Facing the immense pressure and vast information landscape of medical education, we sought to make learning more accessible and engaging for healthcare students and professionals.” Medical Student to Healthcare Innovator: Shiv Gaglani’s Blueprint for Transforming Medical Education
2015 is also the year when Osmosis introduced a new mascot with Ozzy, a cheerful, engaging character symbolizing curiosity and the digital spirit of Osmosis.
🎥 We’ve brought this one out of retirement so you can see where it all began!
2016: Building the Foundation
In 2016, the Osmosis team expanded beyond medically-focused content to offer training in nursing, PA, and NP education and began producing foundational content in physiology, pathophysiology, and pharmacology. We also introduced our spaced repetition algorithm, helping learners retain information more effectively through active learning techniques.
Read about Shiv and Ryan’s foundational work on Osmosis in this HuffPost interview: “Why These Johns Hopkins Med School Students Left School to Reinvent Med Education.”
2017: Growing the Community
2017 brought the launch of our Embryology series, with Osmosis content continuing to grow along with our audience. By the end of 2017, more than 200,000 learners across a variety of healthcare programs were learning by Osmosis.
The message was clear: healthcare students everywhere wanted a better, more effective way to learn.
2018: Expanding Our Horizons
Osmosis introduced our first Study Schedule in 2018, helping our learners stay organized and take control of their education.
Our content team kicked things into high gear, expanding our content quickly with a variety of new series, including Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Clinical Reasoning, and Dentistry, making Osmosis the go-to learning platform for future clinicians across a variety of healthcare fields.
2019: Reaching a Million Subscribers
In April 2019, we celebrated a major milestone with 1 million YouTube subscribers, inspiring us to continue to grow and evolve. And Mo the Molecule replaced Ozzy as our mascot, representing growth, adaptability, and the heart of learning by Osmosis.
We founded the Osmosis Medical Education Fellowship (OMEF) in 2019, empowering medical students to promote and improve medical education in collaboration with Osmosis. Fellows served as campus ambassadors, content contributors, and advocates for better learning.
We also launched our in-house medical animation and storytelling team, Diffusion Studios, in 2019, as well as expanding our content into Histology, Clinical Skills, and High-Yield content, and released updates such as custom playlists and personalized dashboards. We also launched dedicated programs for nursing, PA, dental, and pharmacy learners, bringing our mission to even more health professions.
2020: Rising to the Challenge
When the world changed, Osmosis rose to the moment. In response to COVID-19, our team produced free, high-quality videos that reached millions of people globally and helped learners and the public stay informed.
We also launched the Raise the Line podcast, giving a platform to healthcare leaders and frontline workers.
2021: Better Together with Elsevier
In 2021, Osmosis joined Elsevier, marking the beginning of a new chapter in healthcare education. Together, we combined the Osmosis “learner-first” approach with Elsevier’s longtime, trusted expertise in health education.
The Osmosis Medical Education Fellowship (OMEF) program evolved into the Osmosis Health Leadership Initiative (OHLI), expanding its membership to include other areas of healthcare, along with focusing on leadership development, global collaboration, and community impact — continuing our commitment to support the next generation of healthcare leaders.
And, to top it all off, we reached 2 million YouTube subscribers and began integrating our content into Elsevier products, unlocking new ways to empower learners everywhere.
2022: Going Global
2022 was all about accessibility and expansion. We launched the RN product on mobile, introduced the PANCE Quiz Builder, and added Spanish translations for video text, making Osmosis more inclusive for learners around the world.
Our vision to empower the world’s clinicians and caregivers with the best learning experience possible truly began to take shape.
2023: Year of the Zebra
In honor of the 40th anniversary of the Orphan Drug Act, we launched the Year of the Zebra campaign to raise awareness about rare diseases and empathy in medicine.
We also reached 3 million YouTube subscribers, released localized nursing products in Australia and New Zealand, updated our Nurse Practitioner product, and launched Clinical Sciences content to replace our older Clinical Reasoning content.
Osmosis videos also appeared in Elsevier’s Sherpath nursing product, bringing the Osmosis learning experience to even more classrooms.
2024: Learning Reimagined
We unveiled a new mobile dashboard, enhanced search, and curriculum-aligned MD and DO content based on the USMLE® and COMLEX-USA® blueprints.
Our nursing library expanded with the addition of 60+ case-study videos, gamified features such as learner badges, and localized products for UK and Ireland learners. The Year of the Zebra continued with outreach, offering new videos featuring real patient stories that blend science, empathy, and storytelling.
2025: A New Chapter Begins
As we celebrate ten years, Osmosis continues to innovate and evolve. This year brought the launch of our brand new LPN product, a fully redesigned Study Schedule, and a refreshed mobile experience with Quiz Builder on the go, Apple Sign-In, and enhanced accessibility. We also introduced over 450 Nursing Summary Notes, concise and beautifully designed resources that help learners master clinical concepts faster.
Ten years later, our mission remains the same: to empower the world’s clinicians and caregivers with the best learning experience possible.
A Sincere Thank You for Ten Incredible Years
From our first YouTube video to a global community of millions, Osmosis has always been about making life better for clinicians and caregivers, with learners, educators, and patients all connected by the shared belief that better learning leads to better care.
To everyone who has watched a video, shared a playlist, listened to a podcast, or told a friend about Osmosis, thank you. You have made these ten years unforgettable.
Here’s to the next decade of learning by Osmosis, together.
Explore our latest videos, podcasts, and study tools at Osmosis.org, or join our community of millions on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn.
Keep learning, keep caring, and keep making a difference, one patient at a time.
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