iPad in med school

[pumpkin64112]

I know there are numerous threads On this topic already, however I haven't found the exact answer I'm looking for yet, so I would appreciate any opinions!

General consensus seems to be that iPads are useful for M3/M4. Does anyone think it is worth it to purchase one for M1/M2, or just wait a year or two (since a newer one will likely be released in that time )?

Also do people feel like a data plan is necessary? Or will wifi be adequate in med school/hospital buildings?

Thanks for your input!

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[darkjedi]

We were given iPads our first year to replace all the paper materials that we otherwise would have been given. It's actually quite nice to have a digital curriculum, but it depends on your own preferences. I'd say the majority of the class continued to solely use their iPads until the end of pre-clinical classes. The rest converted back to laptop.

As far as M3/4 goes, I've actually heard from the upperclassman that it's not that useful once you're in clinics.

Wifi is more than enough, I never needed to purchase a data plan.

 

[ksmi117]

I personally think my iPad is extremely useful during 3rd year. When you have downtime you can study or read up on whatever without carrying around books or relying on the computers which you'll undoubtedly get kicked off of since the residents will need to enter orders or things like that. I think it's use as a first or second year depends on your school. My school prints out course packets with all the material in them making those much more convenient than trying to find the lecture notes online and then converting them to a more readable format. If you choose a more tech-friendly school, I can definitely see an iPad being a great resource for studying.

Wifi is more than enough if you are using your iPad at school or home. All of the hospital/school buildings at any institution should be well wired with wifi.

 

[mcloaf]

I bought one expecting to use it a lot M1 and now I don't use it much. If you're someone who takes notes it's nice to be able to take notes on the slides with something like notability, I just stopped taking notes. I do still use it to play with anatomy apps and it's nicer than lugging a bunch of papers to occasional small group meetings, but I'm not sure whether it's been worth the money I paid. If you'll use it then go for it; many of my classmates depend on theirs. No need to waste money on data plan.

 

[IncognitoGuy]

I like using it to read textbooks and papers. Otherwise I just use it for entertainment/e-mail and such. I tried to use it to take notes but it just wasn't working well for me.

No need for a data plan. If your school's wifi isn't enough, you have bigger problems to worry about.