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About SimpleMed

The team behind the free SimpleMed notes and the SimpleMed+ question bank.

Who are we?

We're a group of doctors, designers and developers with a passion for learning and education.

Our aim is to create a site that is easy to use and accessible to all. We want it to help relieve the stress that medical and allied health professional students experience, by simplifying content and delivering the quizzes students love to learn from.

We also aim to tackle financial inequalities in medicine by providing professionally made, premium-quality content for free, to all.

SimpleMed+

SimpleMed+ is our question bank: 20,000+ pre-clinical single best answer questions, written by UK doctors, not generated by AI, and each one triple peer-reviewed. It sits alongside the free SimpleMed notes and covers the same subjects.

Browse the question bank Read the SimpleMed Notes (opens in a new tab)

Our team

The people who write, edit, illustrate and build SimpleMed and SimpleMed+.

  • Dr Marcus Judge

    Founder | CEO | Developer | Radiology & Pharmacology Lead

    Read Marcus Judge’s bio

    I'm Marcus, an NHS Radiology Registrar with a passion for Acute Care, Radiology and Information Technology (IT). I'm also the creator and designer of SimpleMed.

    While I love Medicine, it can be immensely stressful and quality learning resources can be unfathomably expensive, which is why I started SimpleMed as a student to try to help. My aim is for it to become a staple in medical education; big goals, but we're getting there!

    I learnt to program from a young age, using my skills as a professional developer in my free time to code AI-based algorithms for games. I have decided to put these skills to good use in Medicine, a field where technological advances tend to face many barriers, despite the positive impact they could make.

    Prior to studying for my Medical Degree at the University of Leicester, I studied Biomedical Sciences at the University of Warwick. My dissertation at Warwick involved "Programming Bacteria to Learn" to play tic-tac-toe against humans!

    I have been a core committee member of Leicester University's MedRIFT (Medical Research Into Future Technologies society), Leicester Surgical and Acute Care/Anaesthetics society, Leicester Medics' Revue (a medical comedy society), the University of Leicester Quadball club (!) and I am often involved in a number of other smaller projects at any one time. I play Field Hockey for a local team and have been a keen Track & Field athlete in the past. I have also written the mobile app for the Leicester University Student Union Medical Association (LUSUMA), as well as an AI-powered Augmented Reality Escape Room system for the National Medical Research Conference (from scratch) and do a whole host of other contracted professional IT work.

    As you can probably tell, I love being busy and make a point of being where the action is happening, so my aim in life is to end up working in a career where I can be kept on my toes. I'd also love to use my skills to help improve the NHS and its ability to deliver holistic care to patients, something that I personally believe requires better use of technology to free up healthcare professionals to focus on patients.

  • Dr Thomas Judge

    Architect SimpleMed+ | CIO

    Read Thomas Judge’s bio

    I’m Tom, the lead architect behind SimpleMed+ and CIO of Lili’s Ark Limited.

    While my background is in technology rather than medicine, I’ve always been motivated by learning and by building tools that genuinely help people. I trained as a Computer Systems Engineer at the University of Warwick before completing a PhD in Engineering, and I’ve spent much of my career turning complex ideas into practical, reliable systems.

    I spent over twenty years working at IBM as a Senior Managing Consultant and IT Architect, designing and delivering large-scale systems across financial services and the UK public sector. These were often environments where reliability really mattered, and where good technology could make a meaningful difference to how people worked day to day.

    I decided to put that experience to use in education through SimpleMed+. Medical training can be intense, time-pressured, and expensive, and my aim has been to build a platform that supports students rather than adding friction. SimpleMed+ was designed to be fast, intuitive, and dependable, while respecting the high standards required for medical learning.

    Outside of work, I enjoy art and creative projects, and I love dancing as a way to stay active and social. I tend to have a few different things on the go at any one time, and I’m happiest when I’m learning, building, or improving something.

    As you can probably tell, I like being involved where things are happening. My goal at Lili’s Ark is to help SimpleMed and SimpleMed+ continue to grow as trusted, long-term resources for medical students with thoughtful design, collaboration, and the right use of technology.

  • Dr Thomas Burnell

    Writer | Editor | QI Lead

    Read Thomas Burnell’s bio

    Hi, I'm Tom Burnell, a Paediatrics Trainee who graduated from Leicester University. After completing a paediatric rotation I found my vocation and will be creating content in the future for SimpleMed around paediatrics.

    My love for teaching led to me signing up for SimpleMed while living with Marcus at medical school, and have continued this passion since, taking part in teaching medical students at Blackpool and creating paediatric teaching sessions there as well.

    Outside of work I enjoy hiking the Lake District and Yorkshire dales, having completed a continuous 100km walk for charity in 2023! I also enjoy travelling and exploring new places, with my aim being to climb a volcano during my life.

  • Dr Ben Appleby

    Lead Editor

    Read Ben Appleby’s bio

    Hi, I’m Ben, I’m an editor here at SimpleMed and a GP Trainee. Whilst at Med school I got involved with SimpleMed as I was aware of the lack of free, quality medical notes on the internet. Whilst at university I also taught other medical students through multiple societies at Leicester Med school including LUSUMA, LMSRS, Insight and Streetdoctors and have continued to teach after qualifying.

    Alongside my interest in medical education I have also enjoyed clinical medicine especially paediatrics and general practice.

    Outside of medicine I’m an avid drummer and have played in an number of different bands and ensembles including once for Sir David Attenborough! (However it was a rather cold day and he only caught about 30 seconds of the set.) I’m also a keen squash player and record collector.

  • Ellie Green

    Medical Illustrator

    Read Ellie Green’s bio

    Hi, I’m Ellie, the Medical Illustrator at SimpleMed. I combine creativity and clear communication to create engaging visual resources that support learning. Alongside this role, I run my own design studio, Ellie Green Design, where I create surface pattern designs for fashion, interiors and stationery.

    I studied Printed Textiles & Surface Pattern Design at Leeds Arts University and have since worked with a range of brands across fashion, homeware and lifestyle products. My work is inspired by nature, colour and everyday details, and I enjoy translating complex ideas into visuals that are both accessible and engaging.

    Alongside my design work, I also work as a Nursery Practitioner. I love supporting children’s learning and development through creative, engaging and play-based experiences, and I enjoy bringing my creative background into the nursery environment through art, design and imaginative activities.

    Having grown up in the Peak District, I’ve always loved spending time outdoors and exploring nature. When I’m not designing or working in the nursery, you’ll usually find me playing squash, dancing, walking, or working on a creative project. At home, I’m also kept busy by Winston, my exceptionally fluffy Ragdoll cat, who firmly believes he should be involved in everything I do!

Past contributors

People who wrote, edited and taught for SimpleMed. Each name links to their full bio on SimpleMed.

Our partners

People, societies and organisations who have helped SimpleMed develop and grow through partnerships and support.

  • LUSUMA Leicester University Student Union Medical Association
  • Terese Bird University of Leicester Medical Education Designer
  • MedRIFT University of Leicester Medical Research into Future Technologies Society