Any Use For A Laptop?

[TruTrooper]

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I am trying to convince myself to just go and bite the bullet and get a laptop but sort of afraid to take the plunge. I am mainly getting it for the convience of checking my email without having to search out places when I travel. Also, to work on presentations while on the road but it is not like I have to do a presentation every week or so.

Also, being able to watch a DVD or work on USMLE questions while riding the train or a plane sounds attractive but I am not sure if this is valid enough to spend over a $1000 for one a laptop. I was wondering what do you guys generally use them for if you own one.

 

[fantasty]

Ditto - I'm facing the same question. I've only been on one rotation, and it didn't seem like it would be that benefitial. But, I may be getting one as a gift, because my brother-in-law outfits laptops for residents and doctors. I can't really think of what I would need while in the hospital that I wouldn't get from their system (or possibly a decent PDA).

I do work on a lot of stuff while traveling (presentation, research, etc) but I have an older laptop that seems to working fine, so I'm not sure I can justify a "souped up" laptop for the wards (and maybe even residency?). But, if any technophiles can make a good argument, I might be able to get on board 🙂

 

[TruTrooper]

I admit it, Dante...your post is better than mine.


We're waiting, technophiles!

 

[allylz]

hello computer lovers!

I have a laptop I carry with me on all away rotations as well as a flash drive I am using right now. These things are crucial for me because I need to keep up with extracurricular activities I'm involved in that involves a lot of working on and sending files. Most of the away rotation locations I go to either have rotten computers available for students or they have decent ones but not enough so they are always in use. I think it's great to have a laptop plus a flash drive because then I can write up files for example applications, essays, proposals, PowerPoints, and put them on the flash drive so I can bring them to a hospital computer and e-mail them to people.

I don't know about you but using hospital computers really sucks, they are all firewalled plus right now I am sitting next to this resident who keeps coughing and burping and it's driving me nuts. I would much rather be curled up in bed with my laptop.

On a final note, if anyone out there is getting rid of a junk laptop and wants to help out a really good cause, I am looking for old laptops (they can be realllly old and have nothing on them in the way of programs, that doesn't matter) for use in an international health program I am involved in, Uganda Village Project. Uganda Village Project is working to increase the capacity of local NGOs in rural Uganda (sub-Saharan Africa) by providing them with computers so that they can use them to learn vocational skills, write for grants, do project proposals etc. This in turn will help Ugandans living in poverty to get things like clean water, healthcare, and education. For more information check out our website http://www.ifmsa-usa.org/UVP

I would be happy to pay for postage to send the laptop along! Private message me if you're interested. Many thanks - Alison

 

[Hurricane]

I have a powerbook. It's my only computer, so I use it for everything one uses a computer for. But honestly, although I love and use my laptop a lot, I don't really use it on the wards at all. I brought it a couple times to work on an unrelated research paper during slow call nights, but that's about it. There are computers all over the hospital with logins to uptodate.com and mdconsult and whatnot. And epocrates and other various references on my Palm. I can access my webmail from anywhere, and I have a usb keychain drive I can use to transfer stuff I need to. It's much easier to use those than to keep up with your own comptuer on the wards, worry about it getting stolen, will you have access to the hospital wireless network, etc.

That said, I am starting interviews this month, and I will be very glad to have my computer on the road with me. If you're planning to get a new computer, I'd think about getting a laptop instead of a desktop, but if you've already got a nice useful desktop, I don't think you really need a second laptop as a 3rd year med student.