iPad for Residency

[jmed617]

Hello everyone,

I have heard that iPads (or comparable tablets) can be very helpful for residency, especially during inpatient rounds so that updates and orders can be placed immediately and not forgotten later. Assuming a residency program uses an EMR that can be accessed remotely like this, what are your thoughts about iPads' usefulness? It would be interesting to hear from those who liked having one and those who didn't mind lacking one.

Thanks!

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[VA Hopeful Dr]

Hello everyone,

I have heard that iPads (or comparable tablets) can be very helpful for residency, especially during inpatient rounds so that updates and orders can be placed immediately and not forgotten later. Assuming a residency program uses an EMR that can be accessed remotely like this, what are your thoughts about iPads' usefulness? It would be interesting to hear from those who liked having one and those who didn't mind lacking one.

Thanks!

It depends on how you round. My program did all of our rounding in a conference room that had a computer with a projector. My 3rd year they bought a bunch of iPads for the inpatient service. They were never used.

My wife's program does bedside rounding on everyone and she loves having her iPad for the exact reasons you mentioned.

My advice, wait til you match and then see how you program does things.

 

[jm192]

^

Agree with the above. I mean, if you want one for the sake of having a new toy, and the money's there--why not. But, I bought mine during 2nd year for QBanks. I loved using it for step 1 and step 2 studying.

Now? I watch netflix on it. During the NFL season, I use it to track fantasy football stats and checking the score updates. You can watch sports on it, but you can do that on your laptop too.

 

[galactus]

ipad mini fits in a white coat!
I used my ipad mini during rounds while in residency, looking up lab values and putting in orders when all the COWs are being used up by med students and nurses.
I still occasionally use my ipad now to finish some charting whenever I'm in ground rounds or something, but mostly now I use it to read and Netflix.

Bottom line: agree with above and wait until you find out where you match and go from there.

 

[jmed617]

Thanks, everyone!
I agree with the advice to wait and see where I match. My top places all seem to do bedside rounding where it might be helpful. The money certainly isn't there, but my birthday is in June, so I was considering asking for one as a combined graduation/birthday gift - but I didn't want to ask my family for such an expensive thing if I wouldn't use it!

 

[MerickManual]

I guess it's somewhat related question: but why ipad? I have been looking into the tablets that can snap-on/off from keyboards (the names escape me, I am not too tech savvy). Why do most hospitals use apple-based products? Is there something here I'm overlooking?

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

I guess it's somewhat related question: but why ipad? I have been looking into the tablets that can snap-on/off from keyboards (the names escape me, I am not too tech savvy). Why do most hospitals use apple-based products? Is there something here I'm overlooking?

You're thinking of that new windows tablet, the Surface.

Hospitals use apple because apple got the tablet thing going first and held it by themselves for a decent bit of time.

 

[jmed617]

And not really being a Microsoft person, I would prefer the iOS anyway. Plus, I have used iPads with Epic before and found it really nicely worked in. Detachable keyboards can work for them, too. Although I would definitely be more interested in the mini, since as Galactus pointed out, it fits in the coat pocket.

 

[MerickManual]

Does the ipad mini have a detachable keyboard that you can buy? I saw some reviews of ipad keyboards that were terrible.

 

[jmed617]

Does the ipad mini have a detachable keyboard that you can buy? I saw some reviews of ipad keyboards that were terrible.

Yep! Any bluetooth keyboard will work, but there are a number of 3rd party case/keyboard combos and detachable keyboards you can use (with various ratings, too)

 

[jm192]

I bought the Apple Brand Bluetooth keyboard when I first got it. It works great, looks sharp. Don't know that it's any better than one that ISN'T 70$.