I recently received access to a membership with Osmosis, an online program that helps you study for classes in medical school, as well as studying for the USMLE. I started using Osmosis in my first semester of MS2, while I was taking pathology, pharmacology, etc.
I have tried a few different review programs for classes and for general studying for the USMLE, but Osmosis is honestly my favorite. One thing I love about Osmosis is how user-friendly and simple it is! The learning platform is set up to where you can choose the class/subject you want to focus on, and within those subjects you can focus in on different topics and other details. I haven’t had an opportunity to use Osmosis for long, but when I used it to review cardiovascular pathology last semester, I found it to be incredibly helpful.
What I enjoyed most about Osmosis was after choosing the topic and details you want to focus on, it gives you a page dedicated to your topic. After you read and take notes on the topic, it gives you options to use flashcards and quiz yourself on pertinent information from that page. It also gives you a link to a video that simplifies and brings that topic to life. Probably my favorite concept of Osmosis is their videos! I LOVE how simple they are to understand, and how high-yield they are. It’s a great change of pace to watch an interesting video on a topic vs. reading it from a textbook or my lecture notes. I am a visual learner, so I can relate to the videos and remember more from them. I recommend the videos to all my friends when I see them struggling on a certain topic in class.
I love that Osmosis can be a supplement to my lectures and provide a fun, different way to study. It can get dull sitting in classes every day and reading notes from a PowerPoint – I like that Osmosis presents the material to me in an interesting way, and gives me the opportunity to test myself as I go along. I plan to utilize Osmosis thoroughly throughout my last semester in basic sciences!
