The Med School Resources series is a compilation of the most useful resources for studying medicine. To check out the other articles, click on the links below:
Osmosis
What is it: Osmosis (YouTube) is a leading medical and health education platform. They offer clear, concise medical videos with comprehensive coverage of pathology, physiology, pharmacology, and clinical reasoning. Osmosis was created by former medical students, and therefore highly customised to medical education.
How I use it: I watch the free Osmosis videos on YouTube, simply for a quick and easy-to-understand overview of certain diseases and conditions. Osmosis videos feature well-illustrated animations and break down concepts into easily digestible content. They are usually around 10 minutes long. (Hint: Check the timestamp. Most videos 1+ min in duration are only previews.)
Why it’s trustworthy: Osmosis works closely with a global network of over 100 doctors, nurses, and health experts across a wide range of specialties to ensure that their content is up to date and accurate.
The cost: Osmosis has only a very limited number of free videos on YouTube (though these do cover some important disease states). The rest of their content, including a library of over 1,800 videos, a mobile platform, case questions, high-yield notes, and other advanced study features require a paid Osmosis Prime membership.
Take a look: View the Osmosis video on Pneumonia as an example:
Alila Medical Media
What is it: Alila Medical Media (YouTube) offers medical illustrations and animations. They are well-known for producing short animated lectures that explain difficult concepts in the simplest way.
How I use it: I watch the Alila Medical Media videos on YouTube, usually on any concept which I find more challenging—especially ones which are better understood with some form of visualisation. Many of their videos are less than 5 minutes long. (Useful tip: I recently discovered that they paste the transcript of each video in the video description!)
Why it’s trustworthy: Alila Medical Media is founded by Alila Le, who holds a PhD and three Master’s degrees, and has many years of teaching experience at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Alila Medical Media imagery and video tutorials are widely used by education and healthcare professionals worldwide.
The cost: Unlike Osmosis, all videos on Alila Medical Media’s YouTube channel are full videos (not previews) for free. (Videos are watermarked. But who cares?) A license is required to use their images and videos (which you wouldn’t need).
Take a look: View the Alila Medical Media video on Pneumonia as an example:
Nucleus Medical Media
What is it: Nucleus Medical Media (YouTube) creates impactful and accurate medical visuals.
How I use it: Similar to Alila Medical Media, I watch the Nucleus Medical Media videos on YouTube to enhance my visualisation of certain concepts. Unlike the other channels on this list, which have either illustrated animations or 2D animations, Nucleus is unique in that it has realistic 3D animations. Most videos are around or under 5 minutes in length.
Why it’s trustworthy: Nucleus employs graduate-degreed and CMI-certified medical illustrators. Nucleus’s production team graduated from renowned institutions such as the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, University of Toronto, Georgia Institute of Technology, and the Rochester Institute of Technology.
The cost: Nucleus Medical Media’s videos on YouTube are free. (The videos are watermarked, but it doesn’t affect viewability).
Take a look: View the Nucleus Medical Media video on Pneumonia as an example:
MedCram
What is it: MedCram (YouTube) was started with one word in mind: CLARITY. It offers an efficient and lasting way to learn and review medical topics. MedCram claims to be excellent for test prep (USMLE and board exams), as the instructor, Dr Roger Seheult, has years of experience as an exam preparation instructor. His passion is “demystifying” medical concepts.
How I use it: I watch MedCram videos on YouTube for certain challenging topics, usually with regard to some disease or condition. The Khan Academy-style (digital sketchpad) videos are accompanied by very clear explanations. Videos vary in length, usually around 10 minutes long. Some may be longer but almost all are under 20 minutes.
Why it’s trustworthy: Dr Seheult, the co-founder and instructor, is quadruple board-certifiedin Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Diseases, Critical Care Medicine and Sleep Medicine through the American Board of Internal Medicine. He holds clinical professorships at several universities and has over 20 years of teaching experience.
The cost: MedCram has over 100 free videos on YouTube. They also offer high-yield comprehensive medical courses as well as CME, MOC Points, and CE credits on their website at a cost. (They claim that most of their videos are not on YouTube. However, there are already many useful ones on their channel for free. Other topics can always be compensated for with videos from other channels.)
Take a look: View the MedCram video on Pneumonia as an example:
Zero To Finals
What is it: Zero To Finals (YouTube) was created specifically to aid medical students in learning difficult concepts and conditions in preparation for their exams. The creator, Tom, started Zero To Finals with the ambition to take dry and difficult information and put it together in a way that is intuitive and engaging.
How I use it: Much like with Osmosis, I watch the Zero To Finals videos on YouTube usually for a nice summary of a particular pathological condition. The videos are digitally illustrated animations, with clear succinct explanations. They range from less than 5 minutes to around 10 minutes long.
Why it’s trustworthy: Tom, or Dr Thomas Watchman, studied Medicine at the University of Manchester and graduated the MbChB programme with honours, with an additional Bachelor of Science in Psychology. He is currently a GP in the UK, with over half a decade of experience working as a doctor.
The cost: Videos on the Zero To Finals YouTube channel are free in full. Most of the other content on the Zero To Finals website are also free! These include Learn (succinct notes on various topics), Podcast (short episodes on various conditions), and Test (quizzes). The payable products are his Books and Flashcards (though these aren’t really necessary).
Take a look: View the Zero To Finals video on Pleural Effusion as an example:
Armando Hasudungan
What is it: Armando Hasudungan (YouTube) is similar to Zero To Finals in that the creator’s aim is to deliver complex medical and biological concepts quickly and through a creative and engaging approach.
How I use it: Much like with Zero To Finals and Osmosis, I watch Armando Hasudungan videos on YouTube for a better understanding of certain disease states. His videos began as marker drawings on paper (but it’s really clear and the explanations are very good!). Since March 2020, he has transitioned to digital illustrations.
Why it’s trustworthy: Armando Faigl holds a Bachelor of Biomedical Science (University of Southern Queensland) and did postgraduate Medicine (University of Notre Dame Sydney). He uses widely acclaimed textbooks as resources.
The cost: The videos are free. Everything else on his website is also free, except the Shop section, where you can purchase PDFs of his illustrations for different topics. There are free Notes for Diseases and Clinical Presentations. These are in point form and some may be even more concise than those on the Zero To Finals website.
Take a look: View the Armando Hasudungan video on Pneumonia (Part I) as an example:
Medicosis Perfectionalis
What is it: Medicosis Perfectionalis (YouTube) was started by a medical student in Egypt who has a knack for explaining concepts in a way that truly makes listeners understand. Just like Zero To Finals and Armando Hasudungan, the content is scoped nicely towards medical school.
How I use it: I watch Medicosis Perfectionalis videos on YouTube not always for disease conditions, but more for concepts that I struggle to understand. He is simply amazing at explaining difficult concepts. One unique aspect is that he also adds in questions and cases in his videos. While all the other channels have great narrations, Medicosis Perfectionalis speaks to you with humour and sarcasm. The videos are created using an Apple Pencil and iPad, and are typically longer at around 20 minutes (he explains each concept very thoroughly!). It is truly “where medicine makes perfect sense”.
Why it’s trustworthy: While Medicosis Perfectionalis has not disclosed his name nor full education background (at least not that I can find), millions of viewers over several years have endorsed his videos and verified the content to be informative and accurate.
The cost: His videos can be viewed for free. He does sell courses and notes and offers a mentorship service on his website.
Take a look: View the Medicosis Perfectionalis video on Pneumonia as an example:
AMBOSS
What is it: AMBOSS (YouTube) is a breakthrough medical learning platform dedicated to helping future doctors succeed on their exams. They are better known for their medical library of articles and other study features. However, they also have a YouTube channel. In comparison to the other channels on this list, their videos have fewer views and usually are not top ranked in search results.
How I use it: I watch AMBOSS videos on YouTube for a good breakdown of a specific topic. These are mostly their Chalk Talk episodes, which cover medical topics ranging from diseases and conditions to concepts in physiology and biochemistry. The coverage of topics is not very complete at this point, but there are some useful videos, and I believe that the library will continually expand as new videos are added. Each video is around 5 minutes long.
Why it’s trustworthy: AMBOSS has developed their content via a rigorous internal peer-reviewed protocol consisting of over 50 physicians in collaboration with top-scoring medical students in the USMLE® and NBME® shelf exams.
The cost: While the entire AMBOSS platform requires a paid membership, the videos on their YouTube channel can be viewed for free.
Take a look: View the AMBOSS video on Calcium Homeostasis as an example:
Which is the Best YouTube Channel?
I use videos mostly as a supplement to learning. It’s great because visual learning is so important in medicine. And sometimes a clear animation or a simple explanation can be truly enlightening, especially when my brain refuses to process a difficult-to-grasp concept. You achieve the same level of understanding in a fraction of the time required to plough through a lengthy text on the same subject.
There is no single “best” YouTube channel. The ones listed above are good recommendations. They have garnered highly positive reviews and generally have a wide coverage of topics in medicine. However, you will find that some of the best videos (see the next section) are not from any of these channels. That’s because there are always gems to be discovered in the vast sea called YouTube.
The best way to use YouTube for medical school, therefore, is to search for a specific topic or concept you wish to clarify your understanding on. Usually the top ranked videos with many views signal that they are user-verified to be among the best for that particular topic.
You could also search for a specific channel. For instance, if you like Osmosis’ explanations and are wondering if they have a free video on malaria, you could just type “malaria osmosis” into the YouTube search bar, or search within their channel.
Cost: All the channels mentioned above have videos for free, and most of them are fully free.
- All videos are free: Alila Medical Media, Nucleus Medical Media, Zero To Finals, Armando Hasudungan, Medicosis Perfectionalis, AMBOSS
- Some videos are free: Osmosis (limited free videos), MedCram (over 100 free videos)
Format: In terms of the format and appearance of the videos, here’s a quick summary:
- Illustrated animation: Osmosis, MedCram, Zero To Finals, Armando Hasudungan, Medicosis Perfectionalis
- 2D animation: Alila Medical Media, AMBOSS
- 3D animation: Nucleus Medical Media
Creator: Some channels on this list are started by solo creators. You may worry about credibility. In these cases (as it is for any channel), it is up to viewers to discern if there are any errors. These are rare (I haven’t encountered any), and if present, they will invariably be pointed out and top-voted, or highlighted by the creators themselves, in the comments.
- Solo creators: Zero To Finals, Armando Hasudungan, Medicosis Perfectionalis
- Companies: Osmosis, Alila Medical Media, Nucleus Medical Media, MedCram, AMBOSS
The Best Videos on Selected Medical Topics and Concepts
This is a non-exhaustive list of the best videos on selected topics in medicine.
Cell Biology
- Microtubules Assembly Mechanism I Cytoskeleton [Medical Sciences Animations]
- Actin Treadmilling I Actin Assembly [Medical Sciences Animations]
Microbiology
- DNA and RNA Viruses Mnemonic for USMLE Step 1 [Matt Skovgard] – best mnemonic EVER to memorise viruses
- Viruses – Part 2: DNA vs. RNA Viruses [AMBOSS]
Cardiovascular System
- Development of the Heart (3D) [Hyeonjoo Kim] – clearest animation EVER to visualise the embryological development of the heart
- ST Elevation and ST Depression EXPLAINED [Dr Matt & Dr Mike] – detailed explanation
- ST-segment changes in STEMI & NSTEMI explained [JACKW] – concise explanation
- Bundle Branch Block, Animation. [Alila Medical Media]
- Heart Murmurs and Heart Sounds: Visual Explanation for Students [Zero To Finals]
Respiratory System
- Oxygen Content and Oxygen Saturation [Medicosis Perfectionalis]
- Flow Volume Loops | Pulmonary Medicine [Medicosis Perfectionalis] – start at 9:01 (watch this video first then the next one)
- Flow Volume Loop | PFT | Respiratory Physiology | Made Easy [Medical Snippet] – start at 5:00 (watch the previous video first then this one)
- Tuberculosis – causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, pathology [Osmosis]
- Pneumonia – causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, pathology [Osmosis]
Endocrine System
Renal and Urinary System
- Basic Renal Function: Clearance and GFR [Lance Miller, PhD]
- Isotonic, Hypotonic and Hypertonic Disorders [Medicosis Perfectionalis]
- Hyponatraemia (Hyponatremia) – classification, causes, pathophysiology, treatment [Armando Hasudungan]
- Hyperkalemia: Causes, Effects on the Heart, Pathophysiology, Treatment, Animation. [Alila Medical Media]
Musculoskeletal System
- Muscle Contraction – Cross Bridge Cycle, Animation. [Alila Medical Media]
- Crossbridge Cycle: Muscle Contraction [AMBOSS]
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) – causes, symptoms, diagnosis & pathology [Osmosis]
- Rheumatoid arthritis – causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, pathology [Osmosis]
Please feel free to share your favourite resources too, especially if they aren’t listed above! Simply leave a comment below. Don’t forget to check out the other articles in the Med School Resources series too. (Disclaimer: TLM has no affiliation to any of the above products or companies. All embedded links lead directly to the official site of the stated resource.)