Are kindles useful in medical school?

[Dr Gerrard]

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My GF is tryin to buy me a awesome bday gift. She gave me a 200 budget. I don't know what to ask for and was considering a Kindle.

I am a senior now. I know I would use it a lot until medical school. But would I have time to use it in med school? Would it be useful?

 

[Ursa]

My GF is tryin to buy me a awesome bday gift. She gave me a 200 budget. I don't know what to ask for and was considering a Kindle.

I am a senior now. I know I would use it a lot until medical school. But would I have time to use it in med school? Would it be useful?

From what I hear, the stethoscope that is widely recommended by med students is ~$150-$200...that's a possibility if you are interested. The model has been mentioned several times on SDN, so you could use the search function and find out what its called. I think that's what I'm going to ask for for my birthday in May before I start classes in July.

EDIT: Sorry for not answering the question. I do not honestly have an answer about the Kindle. My first instinct is to say that it will not be helpful in med school, but that may be because it is a fairly new product, not because it has been proven useless in the past decade or something like that. You may want to contact the school you will be attending (if you already know) and see what they have to say about it.

 

[marele86]

I'd suggest you consider getting a Nook instead of a Kindle.

First, because whenever you're in a Barnes & Noble's WiFi zone, the Nook treats it like a library and lets you digitally read any book in the store without buying it. This is awesome for studying - head to B&N, get some coffee, and read Harrison's without spending $200 on it.

Second, you can loan books to other people for free, which you can't do on the Kindle. So if you know someone else with a Nook in med school and you both want to go in on a textbook, you can each pay half and just share (although just like a regular book, you can't both be reading it at the same time - you have to switch off, so this is better to do with reference books or fiction).

Third, because the Kindle doesn't have full support of the open-standard ePub format (and probably never will, since it prefers to use its Amazon-specific proprietary format), but the Nook does. So if you want to download a ton of the free books that are being open-sourced out into ePub, the Nook will let you do that.

Neither has great availability of medical textbooks yet, but based on the Nook's early support of .pdf and free formats, I felt it was more likely the Nook would eventually have better support. It's anyone's guess, but it seems safer to me. It still uses eInk and is very easy on the eyes.

 

[honkeypot]

I've been thinking of getting one of these e-readers to cut back on text book costs and shear convenience of not lugging around 30 pounds of books when I want to study anywhere other than home. Do you think it's worth it to invest in one of these for medical school?

 

[rhesuspieces]

Don't get an e-reader for textbooks. The screen is too small, it's hard to quickly flip through the book, it takes a long time to highlight and take notes, there aren't many textbooks available, etc. I don't even use my Kindle for reading PDF's...it works just fine but I don't like to have to pan around on the page to read the text.

That being said, I have a Kindle for recreational reading and I love it. If you're big on reading for fun, it's a great choice. No more leaving your book at home because you have to carry five other huge texts in your backpack.

 

[Geekchick921]

I've heard schools are starting to put notes and things on an IPad for students. Stanford is one of them. Crazy neat... but I don't know long until when, if ever, that becomes mainstream.

 

[MidnightSun32]

I'd suggest you consider getting a Nook instead of a Kindle.

First, because whenever you're in a Barnes & Noble's WiFi zone, the Nook treats it like a library and lets you digitally read any book in the store without buying it. This is awesome for studying - head to B&N, get some coffee, and read Harrison's without spending $200 on it.

Second, you can loan books to other people for free, which you can't do on the Kindle. So if you know someone else with a Nook in med school and you both want to go in on a textbook, you can each pay half and just share (although just like a regular book, you can't both be reading it at the same time - you have to switch off, so this is better to do with reference books or fiction).

Third, because the Kindle doesn't have full support of the open-standard ePub format (and probably never will, since it prefers to use its Amazon-specific proprietary format), but the Nook does. So if you want to download a ton of the free books that are being open-sourced out into ePub, the Nook will let you do that.

Neither has great availability of medical textbooks yet, but based on the Nook's early support of .pdf and free formats, I felt it was more likely the Nook would eventually have better support. It's anyone's guess, but it seems safer to me. It still uses eInk and is very easy on the eyes.

I was looking into a Kindle and really didn't know much about it or the Nook. The Nook definitely sounds pretty awesome... thanks for posting that info. 🙂 I like that you can read the books while sitting in a B&N. I'm not really sure if I'd use it for reference/text type books, but reading for fun would be good.

 

[ZzzZzzZzzZzzZzz]

Don't get an e-reader for textbooks. The screen is too small, it's hard to quickly flip through the book, it takes a long time to highlight and take notes, there aren't many textbooks available, etc. I don't even use my Kindle for reading PDF's...it works just fine but I don't like to have to pan around on the page to read the text.

That being said, I have a Kindle for recreational reading and I love it. If you're big on reading for fun, it's a great choice. No more leaving your book at home because you have to carry five other huge texts in your backpack.

The Kindle DX is great for text books, although at that price one might as well spend a little more for an iPad. Nonetheless, I think my kindle (non-DX) was the best investment, for leisurely reading, I have made in the last two years.

Third, because the Kindle doesn't have full support of the open-standard ePub format (and probably never will, since it prefers to use its Amazon-specific proprietary format), but the Nook does. So if you want to download a ton of the free books that are being open-sourced out into ePub, the Nook will let you do that.

While I can't refute your first two points, the third point can easy be solved by the freeware program calibre. Personally, I had this debate on whether to buy the Nook or Kindle, and I choose the kindle due flaws in the nook. At the time I was looking for an e-ink ereader, I found the nook the be sluggish in the page turns. The colored lcd screen at the bottom I found to be a bit gaudy for an ereader. I preferred the minimalist approach of the kindle; not to mention the kindle was in its 2nd generation, while the nook was just released. I have not compared the two since, but those were some of the few reasons why I choose the kindle over the nook.



Ps: that 3rd generation kindle is AWESOME. The case is smaller than the 2nd generation, yet the screen is the same size.

 

[MeowMeowCAT]

Kindles are nice if you are into pirating pdf's of textbooks. But I personally find that it is more convient to study from "paper" textbooks instead since you have more ease of control over the flipping through the pages, taking and tucking in notes, etc.

 

[MCAT guy]

I'd suggest you consider getting a Nook instead of a Kindle.

First, because whenever you're in a Barnes & Noble's WiFi zone, the Nook treats it like a library and lets you digitally read any book in the store without buying it. This is awesome for studying - head to B&N, get some coffee, and read Harrison's without spending $200 on it.

Second, you can loan books to other people for free, which you can't do on the Kindle. So if you know someone else with a Nook in med school and you both want to go in on a textbook, you can each pay half and just share (although just like a regular book, you can't both be reading it at the same time - you have to switch off, so this is better to do with reference books or fiction).

Third, because the Kindle doesn't have full support of the open-standard ePub format (and probably never will, since it prefers to use its Amazon-specific proprietary format), but the Nook does. So if you want to download a ton of the free books that are being open-sourced out into ePub, the Nook will let you do that.

Neither has great availability of medical textbooks yet, but based on the Nook's early support of .pdf and free formats, I felt it was more likely the Nook would eventually have better support. It's anyone's guess, but it seems safer to me. It still uses eInk and is very easy on the eyes.

wow. Read in store function is pretty cool.

 

[marele86]

While I can't refute your first two points, the third point can easy be solved by the freeware program calibre. Personally, I had this debate on whether to buy the Nook or Kindle, and I choose the kindle due flaws in the nook. At the time I was looking for an e-ink ereader, I found the nook the be sluggish in the page turns. The colored lcd screen at the bottom I found to be a bit gaudy for an ereader. I preferred the minimalist approach of the kindle; not to mention the kindle was in its 2nd generation, while the nook was just released. I have not compared the two since, but those were some of the few reasons why I choose the kindle over the nook.

Actually, I agreed with you on the page turns when I was looking into what to buy - but recently they sent out an update that sped up the page turns significantly. I wasn't sold on it until I checked out one of the new ones. (I don't know how the speed currently compares to the Kindle - it's fast enough that it seems any differences would have to be minor, but I haven't compared them side-by side.)

I hear you on the LCD screen, though.

 

[ZzzZzzZzzZzzZzz]

Actually, I agreed with you on the page turns when I was looking into what to buy - but recently they sent out an update that sped up the page turns significantly. I wasn't sold on it until I checked out one of the new ones. (I don't know how the speed currently compares to the Kindle - it's fast enough that it seems any differences would have to be minor, but I haven't compared them side-by side.)

I hear you on the LCD screen, though.

That's interesting to know. For the computer savvy people out there, the nook can be rooted to run a couple android applications on it. 🙂

I also remember a time where showing your nook at the B&N Cafe granted you a free coffee. I don't think they do that anymore

To the OP: it really comes down to what you want out of the ereader. If its for leisurely reading then by all mean get one! My suggestion is try them out first. Go to Target/Best Buy to try both the Kindle and Nook. See which one you like better. Read the ereader forums; they can be just as educating as SDN (minus the neurotic pre-meds). However, if you want a ereader for textbooks and studying, I would strongly advise search for a different option.

Kindles are nice if you are into pirating pdf's of textbooks. But I personally find that it is more convient to study from "paper" textbooks instead since you have more ease of control over the flipping through the pages, taking and tucking in notes, etc.

Sometimes when the indexing doesn't transfer over to the mobi format, it can be hell navigating chapters.

 

[mvenus929]

I got my kindle last year for my birthday, because my mom thought it would be neat for me to be able to take it with me on planes to read instead of bringing a bunch of books with me. I love it. And I have probably around 50 books on it now that I haven't read. There's often free books in the Kindle store if you know where to look (though the Nook has them too). You can also upload music to your kindle to listen to as you're reading (but it's not MP3 player quality... you can't see the titles playing, and you can't control the order in which they play). The reading is really easy on the eyes... quite literally like reading a book. I highly recommend it, but I don't know much about the Nook.

I wouldn't plan on using it for textbooks, though. Too cumbersome to try and fine what you're looking for.

 

[p30doc]

no, but the iphone is.

 

[MilkmanAl]

A kindle would be useless in med school, but if you like to read a lot, it's not a bad thing to have just for kicks.

 

[ILikeDrugs]

I thought everything you needed to know was provided in handouts/slides?

 

[Myuu]

From what I hear, the stethoscope that is widely recommended by med students is ~$150-$200...that's a possibility if you are interested. The model has been mentioned several times on SDN, so you could use the search function and find out what its called. I think that's what I'm going to ask for for my birthday in May before I start classes in July.

EDIT: Sorry for not answering the question. I do not honestly have an answer about the Kindle. My first instinct is to say that it will not be helpful in med school, but that may be because it is a fairly new product, not because it has been proven useless in the past decade or something like that. You may want to contact the school you will be attending (if you already know) and see what they have to say about it.

If you like reading books that aren't necessarily textbooks, this is great. I've never tried one with a textbook before, so I can't give you any good advice on that. I wouldn't buy one for the express purpose of "textbooks in med school", though, given the format constraints.

Don't get an e-reader for textbooks. The screen is too small, it's hard to quickly flip through the book, it takes a long time to highlight and take notes, there aren't many textbooks available, etc. I don't even use my Kindle for reading PDF's...it works just fine but I don't like to have to pan around on the page to read the text.

That being said, I have a Kindle for recreational reading and I love it. If you're big on reading for fun, it's a great choice. No more leaving your book at home because you have to carry five other huge texts in your backpack.

I have an iPad that I use for textbooks, note taking, and just about everything else. It's actually pretty awesome, but a bit above the Kindle's pricepoint.

I've heard schools are starting to put notes and things on an IPad for students. Stanford is one of them. Crazy neat... but I don't know long until when, if ever, that becomes mainstream.

My school doesn't do this, but I can't tell you how much I 😍 not having to carry my laptop around anymore.

I thought everything you needed to know was provided in handouts/slides?

That is reaaaally curriculum-specific. At Case this is definitely not so, but at a school with a more traditional curriculum, like U Cinci, it is.

 

[mdeast]

I definitely think a Kindle would be useless in terms of med school productivity. It's good for recreational reading, music, etc. what everyone mentioned before.

My medical school distributed iPads to all incoming students. Personally, I feel as though iPads don't replace computers or good old fashioned printed books (you should just buy these....you'll need to reference them for the rest of your career anyway), but there are definitely things that they come useful for. There's a mixed bag of opinions on it among my classmates, but I definitely think that would be a much better investment for your med school years. There are actually a lot of residency programs right now experimenting with distributing iPads to residents and small personal tablet devices will probably be how records and patient charts are accessed in hospitals in the future. I could definitely see most patient encounters in the future involving some sort of record keeping involving iPads or an iPad-like device.

Just my two cents.

 

[Dr Gerrard]

for some reason a free ipad was enough to make me want to apply to stanford.

i didn't apply because i dont like research. unfortunately, i didn't realize that there were other options in research besides basic lab research. oh well i guess.

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

Personally, I prefer reading books over e-books. I'm also not really planning on utilizing textbooks much during med school (will mostly be using class notes and review books).

The thing that I found my iPhone (or any e-reader device) to be awesome for is to carry all the research articles I need to keep track of! Instead of lugging a huuuuuuuge stack of papers with me everyday, I can just store them in pdf format on my iPhone and reference them whenever I need to. Absolutely love that! I haven't found an app yet that'll let me highlight and save the pdfs though. 🙁

 

[ILikeDrugs]

Absolutely love that! I haven't found an app yet that'll let me highlight and save the pdfs though. 🙁

What about iAnnotate and PDF Highlighter?

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/iannotate-pdf/id363998953?mt=8
http://itunes.apple.com/es/app/pdf-highlighter/id400191310?mt=8

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

What about iAnnotate and PDF Highlighter?

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/iannotate-pdf/id363998953?mt=8
http://itunes.apple.com/es/app/pdf-highlighter/id400191310?mt=8

Thanks! I'll give them a try.

 

[WorldChanger36]

Can you actually get textbooks on a Kindle or Nook? That would be golden if you could. No need for paper anymore freaking awesome if you can do that.

Also isn't there a kindle app on the ipad? So if you get the iPad isn't it like getting a kindle anyways?

 

[Myuu]

Personally, I prefer reading books over e-books. I'm also not really planning on utilizing textbooks much during med school (will mostly be using class notes and review books).

The thing that I found my iPhone (or any e-reader device) to be awesome for is to carry all the research articles I need to keep track of! Instead of lugging a huuuuuuuge stack of papers with me everyday, I can just store them in pdf format on my iPhone and reference them whenever I need to. Absolutely love that! I haven't found an app yet that'll let me highlight and save the pdfs though. 🙁

Goodreader handles that pretty well. You can annotate, highlight, whatever.👍

Can you actually get textbooks on a Kindle or Nook? That would be golden if you could. No need for paper anymore freaking awesome if you can do that.

Also isn't there a kindle app on the ipad? So if you get the iPad isn't it like getting a kindle anyways?

Sort of, except with eyestrain and shorter battery life. I still think the iPad is worth it, but I'm pretty biased.

 

[tomh98]

I think a laptop should suffice.

If you want to get something... get an iPad so you'll have color illustrations. I can't imagine studying grayscale anatomy

 

[MilkmanAl]

I definitely do not think an iPad is worthwhile. Buy used copies of the books you need - previous editions if they aren't too old - and be glad you saved yourself a bunch of cash. Not counting USMLEWorld subscriptions, everything I've used for med school so far has clocked in well under $300, and that's including $50 for the dissector and $60 for a new Rohen's.

 

[willen101383]

Never would own one of these most likely....but look @ the wikipedia article on "e ink." Totally cool way that type of display works!

 

[Dr Oops]

I strongly suggest a tablet PC. its been great. We have access to all our textbooks online (although I bought the ones I use the most because i use the tablet to take notes and have the book open and its just much easier than using any kind of e reader).

My buddy has an ipad and he loves it, but obviously the functionality wasnt as high as my tablet. I was surprised at how much it could do though.

I dont think the nook/kindle would be that great for reading text books though. There will be a thing called nook study thought coming out soon, not sure when. Its supposed to be full of textbooks for students and stuff.

 

[eablackwell]

You also might want to make sure your school doesn't give you a tablet PC when you enter. I know at the school I'm going to everyone is issued one. It's not an iPad though, it's one of those HPs they use in Project Runway.