FAQ

HMX courses are suitable for a variety of learners interested in medical science, including:

• Students who are considering or attending medical school or other health-related professional programs (nursing, pharmacy, PA) – including those at the high school, undergraduate, and postgraduate levels
• Professionals looking to improve knowledge for work on health care applications, projects, and research
• Curious learners with sufficient prerequisites (biology, chemistry, physics) who want to know more

Who takes HMX courses? Meet some of our participants.

The answer depends on the topics you’re interested in and the level of depth you desire.

HMX Fundamentals courses provide a grounding in foundational medical science topics, covering a wide range of concepts over the duration of the course. These are appropriate for any participants with a background in basic biology, chemistry, and physics who want an introduction to key subjects taught in medical school, and a look at how these concepts are applied in medical practice.

HMX Pro courses have been designed for professionals who have a specific topical interest and application in mind. The advanced courses in this series cover a single topic in depth and require an understanding of the underlying topic to get the most from the experience. We also offer introductory Essentials courses as part of the HMX Pro series, which cover the key concepts a professional learner needs to know.

If you’re deciding between HMX Fundamentals and HMX Pro courses in a given area, we recommend taking a closer look at the topic outlines to determine which course best fits your needs. We recommend choosing either a Fundamentals or an Essentials course in a given topic area, not both, as there is topic overlap in the courses.

You do not have to be associated with a school or company to take HMX courses. However, some organizations partner with us to offer HMX courses, so you might want to check with your school or company before signing up as an individual.

Yes. You can get free access to sample material from HMX Fundamentals and HMX Pro courses.

If you are not taking HMX courses through a school or company, you will need to fill out a brief application that gives us some basic information about you and what you hope to get out of the HMX courses. It is recommended that you have knowledge of basic chemistry, biology, and physics for all HMX courses. See below for more recommended knowledge by course type.

No prerequisites are required, but we do recommend knowledge of basic chemistry, biology, and physics for all HMX courses. For HMX Fundamentals courses and HMX Pro Essentials courses, no advanced knowledge is needed.

Advanced HMX Pro courses focus on a specific topic in depth; in order to get the most from these courses, participants should have some knowledge of the underlying topic (for example, genetics or immunology). Those requiring further background may choose to take an accompanying Essentials course, or consider our HMX Fundamentals courses for a more broad overview.

We do not offer academic credit for HMX courses, but we offer a Certificate of Achievement or a Certificate of Completion for those who attain certain thresholds in a course.

Your scores and participation in assessments throughout the course, including a final exam, will determine whether you qualify for a Certificate of Achievement or Certificate of Completion from Harvard Medical School. Earning a certificate requires significant effort, and not all participants will meet that level of achievement. You will not receive a letter grade (A, B, C, and so on).

Yes. Certificates that you earn are appropriate for inclusion on LinkedIn or on your resume.

If you are listing an HMX course on your resume, we suggest listing it under the education section, below any earned degrees. Courses should be listed as “HMX Fundamentals program (Harvard Medical School online learning platform) – [course titles]”

On LinkedIn, include any courses in the Education section as below:

School:Harvard Medical School
Degree: Other; HMX Fundamentals or (HMX Pro) online certificate program -[course title(s)]

Field of Study:leave blank
Start/End Year: Year in which you completed the course(s)
Grade: leave blank
Activities and societies: leave blank
Description: HMX Fundamentals (or HMX Pro) is a 10-week online program from Harvard Medical School. I earned a Certificate of [Achievement/Completion] in [course title]

 

Yes, if you earn a certificate you will have the option to receive both an electronic copy by e-mail and a physical copy by postal mail. If you would like a physical copy, there is a fee charged to help cover printing and shipping costs.

HMX does not provide formal transcripts. However, at the end of the course, should you earn a certificate, you will receive a cover letter listing certificates earned and qualifying scores.

HMX can provide a letter of enrollment confirmation upon request. If you need a letter confirming your current enrollment in a course, please complete this form. Enrollment confirmation letters will be sent electronically.

If you are listing an HMX course on an AMCAS, PharmCAS, SOPHAS, or other application, you should include it in the “work and activities” section. As HMX courses are not for credit and do not provide transcripts, they should not be listed as “course work.”

Yes! Gifts help us continue to develop outstanding courses and offer reduced tuition to students in need. You can use this form to give to HMX. Please note that the form cannot be used to sponsor specific students’ enrollments–if you would like to support particular students’ enrollments, please get in touch with us.

Yes! If you would like to sponsor a student or a group of students, please get in touch with us.

The enrollment fee for each HMX Fundamentals course is US$800, and for each HMX Pro course is US$995. If you sign up for a multi-course bundle, you receive a significant discount. Note that bundle pricing is only applicable if you enroll in multiple courses within the same course period, and within the same course series (HMX Fundamentals or HMX Pro). The maximum number of courses you can bundle is five.

Bundle pricing is as follows for HMX Fundamentals:
US$1000 for a two-course bundle ($500 per course)
US$1425 for a three-course bundle ($475 per course)
US$1800 for a four-course bundle ($450 per course)
US$2125 for a five-course bundle ($425 per course)

For HMX Pro:
US$1250 for a two-course bundle ($625 per course)
US$1795 for a three-course bundle ($598.33 per course)
US$2350 for a four-course bundle ($587.50 per course)
US$2695 for a five-course bundle ($539 per course)

These are introductory prices and are potentially subject to change in the future. There is also a US$35 non-refundable application fee.

We take all major credit and debit cards: Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. We do not accept personal checks, wire transfers, or forms of payment other than those listed here.

You are eligible for a refund if you drop within the first 6 days of a course.

We are able to offer a limited number of partial fee waivers for HMX Fundamentals courses only. If you wish to be considered for a waiver, you will need to complete an additional application section and submit your application for a slightly earlier deadline. (See application deadlines here.) We consider a number of factors when granting waivers, including academic achievement, interest in the field of medicine, and a statement of financial need.

At this time HMX is unable to accept federal student aid or GI Bill benefits.

We are unfortunately unable to offer payment plans.

You can find a schedule of course cohorts and application deadlines on the HMX Fundamentals and HMX Pro course pages.

Course periods last for ten weeks, with new material released periodically. The course concludes with a final exam.

The time you spend will depend on a number of factors, including how carefully you take notes, how seriously you take the assessments, and how much you participate in the Ask a Question forums.

Most people can expect to spend 4 to 6 hours per week on an HMX Fundamentals course. HMX Pro courses are designed to take 10-20 hours total to complete.

New material is released at intervals throughout each course. Once material is released, it stays open for the remainder of the course. You can complete released lessons at your own pace, but you will not receive the lessons for the next release until their release time, even if you complete your current lessons early.

HMX Fundamentals

In HMX Fundamentals Physiology, you will learn foundational concepts in physiology and see how they apply to patient care. This course focuses on principles that are important for understanding multiple organ systems.

In HMX Fundamentals Immunology, you will learn foundational concepts in immunology and gain a basis for understanding a broad range of medical conditions. This course focuses on principles that are important for understanding innate and adaptive immunological responses and includes lessons on failures of the immune system and novel immune therapies.

In HMX Fundamentals Genetics, you will learn foundational concepts in genetics and gain new insight into the rapidly evolving field of genomics. This course spans the field from basic to advanced genetics.

In HMX Fundamentals Biochemistry, you will learn foundational concepts in biochemistry and gain a new appreciation for how this field applies to human health and disease. This course focuses on the foundational principles and themes in biochemistry, spanning from the molecular up to the whole organism.

In HMX Fundamentals Pharmacology, you will learn foundational concepts in pharmacology and gain a basis for understanding how drugs and other therapeutics are used in the treatment and prevention of diseases and disorders.

HMX Pro

In HMX Pro Genetics – Cancer Genomics and Precision Oncology, you will learn about key cancer genetics concepts and understand how genomics knowledge is advancing precision cancer treatments.

In HMX Pro Genetics – Genetic Testing and Sequencing Technologies, you will learn about current genetic testing approaches and their clinical applications, get an inside look at sequencing technologies, and learn about emerging tests poised to move health care forward.

In HMX Pro Genetics – Gene Therapy, you will learn about recent advances in gene therapy and the implications for patient care.

In HMX Pro Genetics – Essentials, you will learn about key genetics concepts with an emphasis on genetic variation and inheritance of disease.

In HMX Pro Genetics – Nucleic Acid Therapeutics, you will learn how nucleic acid therapeutics can be used to treat, prevent, and cure diseases.

In HMX Pro Immunology – Immuno-oncology, you will learn how immune cells recognize and kill cancer cells, and what we can do to enhance their ability to fight cancer through emerging therapies.

In HMX Pro Immunology – Novel Therapies for Chronic Inflammation, Autoimmunity, and Allergy, you will learn how the immune system is activated and regulated, and see how that informs the development of cutting-edge treatments for chronic inflammation and related diseases.

In HMX Pro Immunology – Vaccines and Viral Immunology, you will learn how the immune system is being harnessed to create vaccines that protect against infections by disease-causing viruses.

In HMX Pro Pharmacology – Drug Delivery, you will learn about advances in drug delivery systems, approaches, and technologies, and see how improved drug delivery can improve patient experiences and outcomes.

In HMX Pro Pharmacology – Drug Discovery and Development, you will learn about advances in drug discovery and development and how new therapeutics are developed.

In HMX Pro Pharmacology – Clinical Drug Development, you will learn how therapeutics are assessed during clinical drug development.

In HMX Pro Pharmacology – Essentials, you will learn about key pharmacology principles governing how drugs impact the body, and understand what that means for patient care.

View a detailed list of topics in each course.

You will not have access to most course materials after a course is over, but you will continue to have access to your downloaded lesson notepads (note-taking guides).

Each course includes many assessment questions throughout lessons to let you check your understanding, as well as a final exam. Your score on the assessments and exam is used to determine whether you qualify for a certificate.

The lessons require a modern browser – the latest Chrome, Safari, or Firefox should work well. A broadband internet connection is recommended to access the rich media in the program. If you’re unsure of what browser version you’re currently using, check WhatsMyBrowser.org for more information.

The HMX platform allows engagement with the content, including course videos, with bandwidth of at least 750 Kbps download speed. At this speed, there may be video buffering and some slowness. Videos can be viewed in HD, or ‘high’ quality with a minimum recommended bandwidth of 2Mbps download speed.

Each course has an “Ask a Question” forum where you can ask questions about the content of the course and see your peers’ questions.

The “Ask a Question” forums are moderated by HMX staff/subject matter experts, who respond to all questions about the content of the courses. If you are taking HMX Fundamentals through a school program, the forums will have moderators from your school.