Technology Are students still using tablet PCs?

[DrJosephKim]

Question: are medical students still using tablet PCs in the classroom? Do you see students using these, or is everyone back to a standard laptop?

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[Twitch]

I have one and there are few occasions that I've found useful to use one. Primarily for classes that have PPT or PDF already available prior to class, I use that to make notes to clarify or add things during class. Then for exam review I'd just use that.

The other time it has been useful is with path lab where I can draw / highlight certain areas. Phys - also useful to flowchart certain concepts. I imagine it's also useful for pathophys but I never went to class.

As far as actually taking handwritten notes on MS one note or other software - probably never during the pre-clinical years. Now it may be just because I can type faster than I can write and my chicken scratch is terrible anyways.

Overall my thoughts on tablet pc for medical school - nice to have a convertible. BTW this is my 3rd tabby. I used to have a slate and sorely missed a keybd. As lappys get lighter + SSD + prolonged battery, it'd get more mileage.

Then there is always the useful / useless web surfing. Useful - use wiki or google define to lookup a term / concept / image while in class. Useless - you can imagine.

 

[xanthomondo]

I use a tablet every day and I love it. Every lecture's notes are provided online and I "print" them into onenote. Its perfect for having all the notes from the entire year with you at all times. Its also nice for searching for keywords

This thing is the only reason Im somewhat organized now

 

[JeetKuneDo]

A little while ago, I ran into this rumormill online about how apple might make a tablet. Anyone have insight into whether apple might make a tablet?

 

[187502]

A little while ago, I ran into this rumormill online about how apple might make a tablet. Anyone have insight into whether apple might make a tablet?

Considering how closed lip Apple is on all their products no one will be able to tell you what hardware is coming and when until about a week before it comes out.

 

[xanthomondo]

A little while ago, I ran into this rumormill online about how apple might make a tablet. Anyone have insight into whether apple might make a tablet?

You can buy the 3rd party apple-modded tablet. It's expensive as hell, but isnt everything from Apple that way?

 

[rebith75]

I had a tablet my first year of pharmacy school, it was a thinkpad one and I paid a ton for it. Over the summer I sold it and bought a 400 dollar standard, larger screen laptop. I dont miss the tablet at all, in fact I prefer my 400 dollar one due to the better build with the 2 hinges, bigger screen, faster processor and cooler (due to being bigger, less localized heat). I will never recommend a tablet.

 

[ClockworkDoc]

I have the now extinct Gateway C-140 series convertible tablet. Works great for anatomy and pathology classes. It is probably the largest tablet that was in existence (14.1'' screen). Pretty much acts like a powerful laptop or a slate depending on the professor's lecturing style.

I would say that you should only get one if the school provides professors lecture slides before class, otherwise writing on good old paper is probably much faster. Oh yeah, and it is great to see all slides in large beautiful color rather than small dull printouts.

Good luck.

 

[RainerMaria]

Tablet PCs at all useful during clinical rotations / residency? I am allergic to Windows OS and would like to avoid purchasing one if at all possible.

 

[TMP-SMX]

Tablet PCs at all useful during clinical rotations / residency? I am allergic to Windows OS and would like to avoid purchasing one if at all possible.

Not really. At work you'll be on your PDA/Smartphone. Tablets are really only good for students taking notes if you are provided with electronic copies of everything.

 

[n3opologist]

I'm attending a school next year that does a majority of its lectures via powerpoint, and many of the times, the files won't be available until hours before lecture, which will make it hard to print the lectures. In addition, I image that paper would really start to pile up. I see many of the students using tablets and was wondering if any of you can recommend one. I'm thinking of getting the Lenovo x200. Any opinions?

 

[DOctorJay]

get a mac
sign up for evernote account (free version with some upload limitations, paid version worth it and not very expensive - works on pc as well)
drop all ppt/pdf/word files into evernote - organize folders and use tags
add some of your own notes

you now have your entire medical education searchable from any internet connected DEVICE* (pc, mac, iphone, internet capable phone) by OCR (optical character recognition, meaning even the words in pictures are searchable). I wish this was available during med school for me but at least I have my system ready for residency. just gotta ditch my windoze machine and get a mac.

 

[brucecanbeatyou]

ATSU-SOMA requieres its students to buy Thinkpad tablets. I'm interested to see how I will use my tablet, the X200, when school starts.

 

[SDN2013]

fujitsu or lenovo make nice tablets. I myself use a fujitsu t2010, the t2020 model is out.

most of my classes, at least in undergrad, give out powerpoints online that you can dl, I convert them into one note and takes notes on that. If there are classes where they give out handouts, I scan them when I get home into pdf and then convert into one note. I sync onenote between my tablet and my desktop.