Full Review
ECG Academy Review
A deep, physiology-first EKG learning platform built around high-quality lessons, structured Levels 1–3, and a massive ChalkTalk library that teaches you how to think through tracings—not just pattern-match.
Quick verdict
ECG Academy has been around since 2011, and it shows: the production quality is excellent, the curriculum is organized from fundamentals to advanced material, and the teaching approach emphasizes physiology and reasoning. If your goal is to read EKGs confidently—and keep getting better over time—this platform is unusually comprehensive.
- Standout feature: ChalkTalks (short, high-yield “think-out-loud” EKG walkthroughs)
- Depth: complex rhythms, 12-leads, and even advanced pacemaker troubleshooting
- Teaching style: informal, conversational, unscripted, and often genuinely enjoyable
“You learn why EKGs look the way they do. That makes the concepts easier to remember—and it helps you see findings that aren’t obvious to other readers.”
Overview
ECG Academy has been around since 2011. Its creator, a cardiac electrophysiologist (heart rhythm specialist) known as “Dr. Nick” Tullo, started posting YouTube videos in 2010—and you can still find scores of them there.
The website itself is attractive (though not terribly smartphone-friendly), and it can take a while to navigate because there are many different options available. But the material offered is top notch.
The core content takes the form of video tutorials, and it’s not just someone standing in front of a whiteboard. The high-definition videos are expertly edited, well produced, and easy to watch. They begin with basic principles of electricity and how EKG machines work, then move into cardiac anatomy and physiology—so you don’t need prior experience to jump into this course.
We think this is an outstanding course for beginners, and also for experienced readers who want to raise the bar in a major way. Dr. Nick’s goal is to get learners reading EKGs “like a cardiologist,” and there’s really no ceiling on how far you can take it.
The Levels (1–3)
The content is divided into three “Levels.”
Level 1
Level 1 focuses mostly on EKG measurements and rhythm-strip interpretation. This is where Dr. Nick really shines, because he takes a deep dive into the physiology of arrhythmias. You learn why EKGs look the way they do—which makes the concepts easier to remember and helps you start seeing findings that aren’t obvious to other readers.
Level 1 also includes advanced topics that many courses gloss over. It’s ideal for telemetry techs, nurses, and students who want to look at a rhythm strip and know exactly what’s happening.
Nothing is held back—Dr. Nick even gets into complex pacemaker troubleshooting, which you won’t find in most basic courses.
Level 2
Level 2 expands into everything you need to interpret a full 12-lead EKG.
Level 3
Level 3 is “Expert” material for those who can already read a full EKG but want to go deeper. There’s a large amount of advanced content, including expert-level lectures and clinical case presentations.
They also offer live EKG Masterclasses each month for learners who want to ask questions during the presentation.
ChalkTalks
A major part of the ECG Academy Learning System is a series of short (about 6-minute) videos called ChalkTalks.
These begin with an unlabeled rhythm strip or 12-lead, and Dr. Nick draws directly on it while narrating his real-time thought process as he figures out what’s going on. It feels like a private lesson with a physician who reads EKGs for a living. As he goes through each tracing, you start to pick up the subtleties that even experienced readers miss.
Each ChalkTalk is full of practical “pearls.” At the time of this review, there are already around 700 ChalkTalks available to subscribers at the Expert level, and a new ChalkTalk is released most every week—so there’s always more to learn.
Why it stands out
We think ECG Academy is the best online course for a number of reasons:
- Exceptional production quality: video and audio are superb.
- Well organized: the material builds from basics to a very high level of proficiency.
- Informal, engaging teaching style: the videos are clearly unscripted and conversational—more like you’re sitting side-by-side with a friend who genuinely wants you to learn, rather than listening to someone read a textbook.
- A physiology-first approach: you learn to analyze EKGs instead of pattern-matching. That leads to better retention and better performance on difficult tracings.
- A clear thinking framework: especially in the ChalkTalks—he shows you what to look for, how to generate possibilities, and how to narrow down to the correct interpretation.
Some ChalkTalks include clinical history, and occasionally he touches on management (for example, when a pacemaker might be needed), but the primary focus remains the EKG itself.
The Live ECG Masterclasses are a unique offering for learners who want a stronger clinical perspective. These sessions go beyond pattern recognition and dive into real-world decision-making—how EKG findings influence patient management and treatment strategies. Premier subscribers also gain access to an archive of prior recordings, which represents an extensive and continually growing library of advanced clinical learning.
Overall, ECG Academy provides one of the most comprehensive looks at complex rhythms and 12-leads available online. Once you work through the lessons and ChalkTalks, it becomes very difficult to miss an important finding. This approach is light-years ahead of any arrhythmia/ACLS course we’ve taken, offering deeper insight into dissecting difficult EKGs than most other online options.
Who it’s for
Great fit if you want…
- A true “start from fundamentals” path (electricity → physiology → rhythms → 12-leads)
- To understand the why behind EKG patterns
- High-volume practice with expert-level explanation (ChalkTalks)
- Advanced rhythm and pacemaker content that most courses skip
- Access to advanced clinical case discussions that connect EKG interpretation to real-world patient management (Expert & Premier tiers)
Less ideal if you want…
- A rapid, pattern-recognition–focused overview without deeper physiologic explanation
- A minimal time investment or “crash course” format
- A platform optimized primarily for short-form mobile browsing
Ready to start?
If you want an EKG course that builds true understanding—then reinforces it with hundreds of real tracings—ECG Academy belongs on your shortlist.