About Brain Brew
Brain Brew is a study platform built around a simple idea: the tools that make studying work should not be the expensive part of an education.
A study platform, and a free review series
Brain Brew turns the material a student is already studying into the tools needed to learn it. A lecture, a textbook chapter, a photo of handwritten notes — uploaded to Brain Brew, it becomes flashcards on a spaced-repetition schedule, practice questions with explanations, study guides, mind maps, and podcasts. Every review is tracked, so the platform knows what has been learned and what is slipping.
Brain Brew also publishes and hosts OpenReview, a series of open-access review materials for standardized examinations in the health professions. Its first title, MCAT OpenReview, comprises four textbooks and a question bank covering all four sections of the exam. Every question is written against the AAMC foundational concepts and reviewed by practicing physicians.
The platform is available on the web, iOS, and Android. Every core study tool and the entire OpenReview series are free and unlimited.
Why the core is free
Preparing for a professional entrance examination currently costs between two and three thousand dollars for a typical student. That figure buys practice questions, explanations, and time with well-written material — none of which is expensive to produce, and all of which is expensive to buy.
The consequence is that a student's score reflects their preparation budget alongside their ability. For an examination that helps determine who enters medicine, that is a poor way to sort people.
Brain Brew is built the other way around. The study tools, the textbooks, and the question bank are free and stay free, without a trial period or a generation cap. A single optional subscription, Advanced, funds the rest. That model is deliberate, and it is the reason the free tier is not a marketing device.
About the founder
Mark Lee, MD
Founder and editor
Mark Lee is a practicing otolaryngologist and educator in New York City, where his research focuses on the development and application of new technology in surgical care.
He grew up in Honolulu and studied at the University of Hawai'i before earning his MD at Weill Cornell Medicine and completing residency in otolaryngology at NewYork-Presbyterian, in the combined Weill Cornell and Columbia program. During training he led the introduction of 3D printing into surgical education, which is where his interest in building teaching tools began.
He founded Brain Brew in July 2024 and edits the OpenReview series. He continues to practice and operate full time.
How OpenReview is made
Review material is only as useful as it is accurate. The series follows a fixed process, outlined here.
Sourced from openly licensed material
Content is developed from open-source texts, including OpenStax, rather than from proprietary material.
Written against the published exam blueprint
Every question maps to one of the AAMC foundational concepts and content categories
Reviewed and edited by practicing physicians
Each question, answer, and explanation is checked by a physician for factual accuracy and for whether the explanation actually teaches the reasoning.
Corrected on an ongoing basis
Every item can be reported from inside the app. Reports are reviewed and corrections published on a rolling basis, rather than held for an annual edition.
Free to access, with no restrictions on use
The series is open access. There is no paywall, no cap on questions attempted, and no limit on retakes.
About the company
Brain Brew
Founded
July 2024
Based in
New York, New York
Legal entity
AppBrief LLC
Available on
Web, iOS, and Android
Get in touch
Questions, corrections, and suggestions all reach the same inbox, and all of them are read.
Students and general questions
Corrections to OpenReview
Report any item from inside the app, or write to the address above.
Pre-med clubs, advisors, and institutions
Brain Brew is free for student organizations to use and share. Write to us and we will help set it up.
