About HMX Courses

Course components are designed to maximize your learning.

What makes HMX courses so effective?

HMX courses provide online education in key areas of medicine – from foundational science to advanced topics – to give learners of all backgrounds the knowledge needed to get ahead.

Every HMX course is designed to be highly visual and interactive – bringing complex material to life through visually engaging explanations rather than traditional lectures and PowerPoint slides. We apply the science of learning and best practices in biomedical visualization to guide the development of our courses. Our goal is to help learners focus on the understanding and application of key scientific principles, with interactive lessons and regular assessments to ensure content mastery.

Still from an HMX course featuring a woman riding a bike demonstrating her oxygen levels.

True-to-Life Scenarios

Real-world stories let you explore concepts, providing relevance and integration of key principles.

 


Illustration from HMX online course

 

Dynamic Animations

Illustrative visuals guide you through complex processes in a step-by-step, self-paced way.

 


Illustration from HMX online course

Concept Videos

Clear, concise, and visually engaging explanations from expert Harvard Medical School faculty teach key concepts in digestible segments, using writing, drawing, and animations along with conversational tone.

 


Person appears in scuba breathing gear just above water line.

Interactive Components

Explore topics through active learning and experimentation with simulations and other uniquely responsive visuals.

 


Clinical application still from an HMX course video.

Clinical Applications

Focus on the concepts that matter for your future by tying your learning to real clinical applications. Venture inside the hospital or other clinical setting with outstanding HMS clinicians. These videos bring you closer to the practice of medicine and give you a glimpse into your future.

 


Graph of HMX pre-course quiz scores

Quiz Questions and Other Assessments

Check your understanding, enhance your learning, and measure your progress. Quizzes at the beginning and end of each course showed significant learning gains for students at all levels of background knowledge. In HMX Immunology, students showed an average of 83% improvement in score.


Still of a notetaking guide from an HMX course.

Notetaking Guides

Downloadable for digital or paper-based note taking workflows, these visually crafted documents help you synthesize and review key topics.

Course Previews

Sign up for a free preview to see how we bring key science concepts to life through multimedia content backed by the latest in learning science.

Experience sample lessons from HMX Fundamentals courses: Free Preview →

Review sample material from advanced HMX Pro courses: Free Preview →

We’ve also created some free resources including videos and interactive materials from HMX courses to help with understanding how the body reacts to threats like the coronavirus, how vaccines can help prevent serious disease, and how sequencing and other technologies are used in genetic testing.

 

Course Experience

To expand your learning experience, each course includes an “Ask a Question” forum, where you can pose questions about the material and see questions from your peers. The forum is moderated by advanced Harvard Medical School students, who provide valuable guidance and insights to help you deepen your understanding and take your learning to the next level.

Meet the HMX Moderators

Elliot Akama-Garren
Harvard Medical School student
MD/PhD Candidate, 2025

Adam Berger
Harvard Medical School student
MD/PhD Candidate, 2026

Juli Coraor Fried
Harvard Medical School student
MD/PhD Candidate, 2024

Anže Godicelj
Harvard Medical School student
PhD Candidate, 2025

Hannah Hoffman
Harvard Medical School student
MD/PhD Candidate, 2029

Catherine Jacob-Dolan, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Harvard Medical School

Gha Young Lee
Harvard Medical School student
MD Candidate, 2024

Kevin Ma, DDS, FRSPH, FRSM
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Massachusetts General Hospital
Harvard Medical School

Harrison Ngue
Harvard Medical School student
MD/PhD Candidate, 2031

Phani Paladugu, MMSc, MS
Research Scholar
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Harvard Medical School Alumnus (MS 2021)
Sidney Kimmel Medical College student
MD Candidate, 2026

Michael Quezada
Harvard Medical School student
MD/PhD Candidate, 2029

Jacob Ronald Anderson
Harvard Medical School student
MD/PhD Candidate, 2026

Gaspar Pacheco Ruidíaz
Harvard Medical School student
PhD Candidate, 2028

Justine Rutter
Harvard Medical School student
MD/PhD Candidate, 2028

Priya Shah, MD
Pediatrics Resident
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Harvard Medical School Alumna

Blake Smith
Harvard Medical School student
MD/PhD Candidate, 2026

Jesús Valdiviezo, PhD
Research Fellow
Harvard Medical School

Get Started Today

Expand your expertise.

Immunology Fundamentals

Get an in-depth look at how the body fights disease – and how new therapies can help.

  • HMX Online Learning
  • Online; Instructor-Paced
  • Group Enrollment Option

Dates: -

For: Pre-med students; Current medical students; Health care professionals working in R&D, product management and strategy, sales, and marketing

Cancer Genomics and Precision Oncology: The Genetic Basis of Cancer and Its Treatment

Understand the links between genetics and cancer, and how genomics knowledge is advancing precision cancer treatments.

  • HMX Online Learning
  • Online; Instructor-Paced
  • Group Enrollment Option

Dates: -

For: Clinicians; biomedical researchers; health care professionals whose work intersects with cancer research and treatment – including those working in R&D, product management and strategy, sales, and marketing

Pharmacology Essentials

Gain essential pharmacology knowledge to prepare for the future of health care.

  • HMX Online Learning
  • Online; Instructor-Paced
  • Group Enrollment Option

Dates: -

For: Health care professionals working in roles such as R&D, product management and strategy, sales, and marketing

Physiology Fundamentals

Build a body of knowledge on the systems that keep bodies functioning.

  • HMX Online Learning
  • Online; Instructor-Paced
  • Group Enrollment Option

Dates: -

For: Pre-med students; Current medical students; Health care professionals working in R&D, product management and strategy, sales, and marketing