Stuck on a Concept at 1 AM? Get an Answer in 10 Seconds - Without Leaving Your Session
Cortex is your AI study assistant built right into BoardMaster. Highlight any term, ask any question, screenshot any diagram. Get instant explanations without breaking your study flow.
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Every Time You Google a Concept, You Lose 20 Minutes
You're reviewing flashcards at 1 AM. You see "RAAS pathway" for the fifteenth time. You still don't fully get the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone cascade. You know you should understand it. You don't.
So you open a new tab. Google it. Click on a Wikipedia article. Read three paragraphs. Click on a related link. Somehow you're now reading about Addison's disease. It's been 25 minutes. You still don't feel confident about the RAAS pathway.
Or maybe you open YouTube. Find a 12-minute video. The first 3 minutes are intro. By minute 8, you're checking your phone. You close the tab. Where were you in your flashcards? You've lost the thread.
Every time you leave your study session to look something up, you lose context, momentum, and time. The interruption costs more than the answer is worth.
Why Existing Resources Break Your Study Flow
Google / Wikipedia
Opens a new tab, takes you down rabbit holes, and you lose your place in your study session. Information is unfiltered and not tailored to medical education level.
YouTube medical videos
Great for deep dives, terrible for quick answers. A 10-second question turns into a 12-minute video with ads. You lose your study momentum completely.
Textbooks
Authoritative but slow. Finding the right page, reading the right section, and contextualizing it takes 10-15 minutes. Not practical during a late-night review session.
You need answers that come to you - inside your study session, in seconds, at the level of detail you need right now.
When the Answer Is 10 Seconds Away, You Never Lose Your Flow
You're reviewing flashcards. "RAAS pathway" comes up again. This time, you highlight the term. Cortex explains it in 10 seconds. Clear, concise, at exactly the level you need right now.
No new tab. No rabbit hole. No 12-minute video. You understand it, you move on, and you're still in your review session. Momentum intact.
See a confusing diagram? Screenshot it. Cortex breaks it down - labels the parts, explains the relationships, highlights what's clinically relevant.
It's like having a smart friend on call. Except this one never sleeps, never gets annoyed, and always explains things at the right level for where you are in medical school.
When you can get answers without leaving your session, you study more in less time. No context switching. No lost momentum. Just continuous learning.
10 sec
From question to answer - without leaving your study session
Your Study Assistant That Never Sleeps
Instant explanations
Highlight any medical term, concept, or phrase. Get a clear, concise explanation immediately. No searching, no browsing, no waiting.
Diagram analysis
Screenshot a confusing diagram and Cortex breaks it down - labels, relationships, clinical significance. All in seconds.
Context-aware answers
Cortex knows what you're studying. Explanations are tailored to your current material, not generic medical knowledge.
Built into every session
Available during flashcard review, QBank practice, and study sessions. Never need to leave your workflow.
Included with all plans
Cortex is included in every BoardMaster plan - free and paid. No add-on fees, no premium tier required.
When to Ask AI vs. When to Look It Up Yourself
AI study assistants are powerful tools, but knowing when and how to use them makes the difference between genuine learning and false confidence.
Use AI for "stuck moments" - not as your first step
When you hit a concept you don't understand, try to work through it for 2-3 minutes first. Attempt to recall related concepts, draw a diagram, or re-read the slide. If you're still stuck, then ask. This initial struggle - called "desirable difficulty" - actually strengthens learning. The AI explanation lands better when your brain is primed with the question.
Ask for explanations, not just answers
"What's the answer to this question?" teaches you nothing. "Explain why ACE inhibitors cause hyperkalemia, and how this relates to aldosterone" teaches you the mechanism. Always frame your questions around understanding, not just getting the right letter choice.
Use AI to connect concepts across systems
One of the hardest parts of medical school is seeing how systems interact. AI is excellent at explaining cross-system connections: "How does CHF lead to prerenal azotemia?" or "Why does cirrhosis cause coagulopathy?" These integration questions are exactly what board exams love to test.
Verify important claims against your course material
AI assistants are highly accurate but not infallible. For high-stakes topics - drug dosages, treatment algorithms, diagnostic criteria - cross-reference with your professor's slides or a trusted reference. Building this verification habit now prepares you for clinical practice where double-checking saves lives.
10 sec
Average time from question to answer
Free
Included with all BoardMaster plans
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Medical students using BoardMaster
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Stop Googling. Start Asking Cortex.
Get instant medical explanations right inside your study session. Included free with every BoardMaster account. No extra cost, no add-ons.