Making Synapses Blog
Guides for medical, physician assistant, nursing and EMS students preparing for their clinical exams: AI patients and AI in medicine and education, OSCE stations, NCLEX clinical judgment, the NREMT practical exam, the physical exam and studying with VR and virtual patients. Every article is built on official exam sources and published research.
I believe it is the best medical simulator because it goes straight to what matters: talking to the patient, examining them and learning from every mistake. As the line often attributed to Einstein goes, “everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.”
— Alejandro Friant, creator of Making Synapses
AI patients, PC and VR, multiplayer and free to start: all in one simulator. No other simulator brings all of this together.
Free to start: 30 free AI patient cases, then 10 free foreverNo card. Sign in with your favorite platform: Steam, Epic, Meta, Apple or Google. You can unify your platforms thanks to Epic.
If you think something here does not reflect reality, please don't hesitate to contact us.
AI in Medicine & Education →
Can You Use an AI Patient Simulator Online Free, and What Can You Practice Without Paying?
Looking for an AI patient simulator online free? See what free AI patient cases let you practice, what free tiers leave out and how to build a practice routine.
Read the guide →Where Can Students Find Medical Simulation Online Free, and How Should They Use It?
Medical simulation online free: virtual patients, AI patients, open case banks and VR, what the evidence says, and a weekly plan for OSCE, NCLEX and NREMT prep.
Read the guide →Prepare for your clinical exams →
OSCE Exam Tips: How to Prepare for and Pass Your OSCE
OSCE exam tips from the research: how OSCEs are scored with checklists and global ratings, how long they take, and a 10-step plan to prepare and pass.
Read the guide →What Are OSCE Stations? Examples, How Many There Are and How to Practice Them
What are OSCE stations? Examples for medicine, nursing, PA and EMS, how many stations an OSCE has, how long each one lasts and how to practice them for free.
Read the guide →NCLEX Clinical Judgment: How the NCSBN Model Works and How to Practice It
NCLEX clinical judgment explained: the six steps of the NCSBN model, how case studies and partial credit work on the 2026 test plan, and how to practice.
Read the guide →NREMT Practical Exam in 2026: What Is Tested, Who Runs It and How to Prepare
The NREMT practical exam in 2026: who runs it, the 7 EMT skills, critical criteria, retest rules, what to bring and how to practice so test day feels routine.
Read the guide →OSCEs for Medical Finals: How the Final-Year OSCE Works and How to Prepare
OSCEs for medical finals explained: how the final-year OSCE works in US MD and DO schools, the best stations, how to study, and sample questions with answers.
Read the guide →How to Practice OSCE Alone: A Step-by-Step Solo Plan
How to practice OSCE alone: set up solo stations with a timer and checklist, rehearse out loud, score your video, and use OSCE scenarios with answers.
Read the guide →OSCE Station Checklist: What Examiners Score and How to Build Your Own
What goes on an OSCE station checklist, how it differs from a global rating, where to find OSCE checklists and how to build your own from the AAMC EPA 1.
Read the guide →OSCE Stations for Nurses: Examples, Sample Questions and How to Prepare
OSCE stations for nurses: common stations, how they are scored, sample questions with model answers for medical-surgical nursing, and how to prepare.
Read the guide →NREMT Skill Sheets in 2026: All 10 EMT Stations, Points to Pass and Critical Criteria
NREMT skill sheets for 2026: all 10 EMT stations with official links, points to pass, critical criteria, who runs the skills exam and how to practice them.
Read the guide →PANCE Exam in 2026: What It Tests, How It Is Scored and How PA Students Prepare
PANCE exam guide for 2026: 300 questions in five blocks, the January 2025 blueprint, the 350 passing score, pass rates and how PA students prepare for it.
Read the guide →Study with VR →
VR Medical Training: What the Research Shows, How Schools Use It and How to Practice Well
VR medical training improves knowledge and skills, per meta-analyses of randomized trials. How schools like Stanford use it, and PC vs headset practice.
Read the guide →VR Nursing Simulation: What the Evidence Shows, Which Standards Apply and Whether It Counts for Clinical Hours
VR nursing simulation, explained: what the research shows, the INACSL and NCSBN standards that apply, and whether it can count toward your clinical hours.
Read the guide →Virtual Reality in Medical Education: What the Research Says, What Runs on Meta Quest and Where It Is Going
Virtual reality in medical education, per the research: what meta-analyses show, VR in healthcare, what runs on Meta Quest 2 and how to pick VR medical apps.
Read the guide →Medical VR Games: Fun Practice That Trains Real Clinical Skills
Medical VR games explained: serious games vs training software, nursing simulation games, free patient simulator cases and how a game becomes OSCE practice.
Read the guide →Study on your PC
What Is Virtual Patient Simulation? How It Works for Learning, Assessment and Practice Online
Virtual patient simulation lets you take a history, examine and decide on a digital patient. What it is, the evidence, learning and assessment uses, and AI.
Read the guide →Clinical Skills Practice: What Clinical Skills Are and How to Train Them Between Clinicals
Clinical skills practice that works: what clinical skills are, how deliberate practice, mastery learning and spacing build them, and how to train at home.
Read the guide →Simulation in Nursing Education: Types, High-Fidelity Evidence, Advantages, Disadvantages and Examples
Simulation in nursing education explained: the main types, what high-fidelity research shows, advantages and disadvantages, examples and the NCSBN 50% rule.
Read the guide →Physical exam and auscultation
Physical Exam Steps in Order: The 4 Techniques, the Abdomen Exception and a Head-to-Toe Flow
Physical exam steps in order: inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation. Why the abdomen flips it, a head-to-toe flow and how to practice for OSCEs.
Read the guide →Heart Sounds Practice: The 5 Places to Listen, S1 to S4, Murmurs and How to Actually Learn Them
Heart sounds practice made simple: the 5 places to listen, S1 to S4, murmur basics and a repetition plan backed by research for med, PA, nursing and EMS.
Read the guide →Head to Toe Assessment Nursing Guide: Step-by-Step Checklist, Questions and a Documentation Example
Head to toe assessment nursing guide: the steps in order, a checklist, questions to ask, a documentation example and how to practice it in a simulator.
Read the guide →Auscultation Practice: Where to Place the Stethoscope, Normal vs Adventitious Lung Sounds and How to Train Your Ear
Auscultation practice made simple: where to place the stethoscope for heart and lung sounds, normal vs adventitious lung sounds, and a quiz plan that works.
Read the guide →Crossplay and cross-platform →
Which MacBook Should I Get for Med School or Nursing School?
Which MacBook for medical school or nursing school? Air vs Pro vs Neo, M1 to M5 chips, school and Examplify requirements, Steam on Mac and crossplay.
Read the guide →