Calling all tech savvy medical students

[HalfPast6]

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Hi Everyone,

I'm attending medical school this august and would like some advice on what kinds of technologies you've been using to aid in your studying. FYI it's been 7 years since I graduated undergrad so I don't know how outdated I am.

1. Regarding lecture captures and taking notes on lecture captures: which devices have you found most useful?

I'm a visual learner; I take lots of notes and draw diagrams, so Im going to try a tablet (like the IPAD) or just plain pen and paper before getting a laptop (since I have a PC) . Some people swear by the IPAD or a tablet, but there's a plethora of tablet pens (whatever theyre called) and software that I find a bit overwhelming to sift through. Do you have any suggestions on useful programs?

2. Flash cards for mobile devices
Any suggestions for a good flash card software that allows you to generate your own software?

3. Program for consolidating notes.
I'm currently using Microsoft's OneNote to condense my class notes for a prerequisite I'm taking. However, I find minor nuisances with it. Any thoughts on other programs like Evernote etc?

Thanks.

 

[001100010010011]

1. Pen and paper all the way for taking notes and writing diagrams.

2. Anki is the best program for making your own flash cards.

3. Just make folders and organize your documents in them.

 

[evilbooyaa]

1. Pen and paper all the way for taking notes and writing diagrams.

2. Anki is the best program for making your own flash cards.

3. Just make folders and organize your documents in them.

Agree with all of the above. Never used Anki b/c I hate flash cards, but that seems to be what everyone likes the most.

 

[witzelsucht]

I think pen and paper is still the best way to go. Print the slides and annotate. Most of the people in my class who started M1 with the whole super-tablet pen bull**** gave that up pretty quickly. Alternatively, some people use a laptop and before class just make a big table with the slide number on the left, and blank column on the right, that way they can cross reference the slides with their typed notes.

Last year I was planning to go power-nerd with notes, but (at my school anyway) they give it to you straight up what you need to know for the test, nice and neat.

edit - time spent consolidating into onenote is time better spent elsewise

 

[sakata8242]

Pen & paper. Our school continues to distribute printed copies of all the lecture slides for each sequence. You will likely never look at them again after taking the final exams, but they are still the easiest to work with IMO. Generally recorded lectures can be reviewed on any computer, or if you want you can go for an iPad.

 

[tantacles]

1. iPad with iAnnotate (or another program for notes, like goodreader) makes it harder to get distracted by the internet since you can only do one thing at a time. Play the lecture on your computer and take notes on your iPad.

 

[HalfPast6]

I think pen and paper is still the best way to go. Print the slides and annotate. Most of the people in my class who started M1 with the whole super-tablet pen bull**** gave that up pretty quickly. Alternatively, some people use a laptop and before class just make a big table with the slide number on the left, and blank column on the right, that way they can cross reference the slides with their typed notes.

Last year I was planning to go power-nerd with notes, but (at my school anyway) they give it to you straight up what you need to know for the test, nice and neat.

edit - time spent consolidating into onenote is time better spent elsewise

Thanks for all the responses so far...I was a tad afraid that I may have become behind with the times in studying methods. I'll try all of your suggestions and see what works (starting with the cheapest method: pen n paper). Was a bit concerned that the volume of printed material will make it hard to lug my studying materials around.