Med School Necessities?

Started by PathToMDPhD
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Petypet said:
false. I wear 3 shirts and rotate between 10 ties that I got at goodwill. A new tie = a new outfit 🙂
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I owned 2 ties, 2 suits, 2 dress shirts and 1 pair of dress shoes before I came to medical school. Maybe that was my problem.....haha

Edit: On that note, you don't really need more than one suit, but I would recommend a handful of ties and more than 2 dress shirts.
 
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Chipster. said:
Would you recommend the iPad mini with retina display or go with a full ipad? Also, how much memory would you recommend going with?
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I never went above 24GB, and I regret spending the extra money for the 64GB model.

The big screen is nice for the preclinical years when you read and write more. I plan on switching to a mini when I do third year rotations because it will fit in my pocket.
 
Ties indeed are the worst. Especially in the hot summer days, my throat hates that. Thankfully, I'm at a chill place where noone wears ties, unless they choose to.

I did rock a Garnet and Gold tie in clinic after FSU won the national championship though 😛
 
I would say that anxiolytic or antidepressant medications are pretty necessary, depending on what you have issues with.
 
oceanmist said:
For those that take notes on their tablets (handwritten as opposed to typed), which stylus pens have you had success with? I haven't been able to find one which is sensitive enough for fast writing/note-taking during lectures
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I have a surface pro (was on sale for a total of 570$) and it is so amazing. I'm not a med student yet - I am a high school teacher and I can write ontop of PDF/ppt/ etc
 
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bulldogmed said:
Same here. We had some girl show up to our first test in PJs and the administration wasn't happy, but since then, people wear normal clothes and no one has said anything.
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Yeah first day everyone was dressed business casual and looked real professional. I didn't get the email and so I showed up in shorts and T-shirt. No one seemed to care.
 
HarryPlopper said:
Yeah first day everyone was dressed business casual and looked real professional. I didn't get the email and so I showed up in shorts and T-shirt. No one seemed to care.
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Sorry for hijacking this thread, but I have a question about this. I'll be starting med school next Fall and was wondering how people dress for class. Is it the norm for people to dress business casual for class or do most students just dress how they did during undergrad?
 
justAstudent said:
Sorry for hijacking this thread, but I have a question about this. I'll be starting med school next Fall and was wondering how people dress for class. Is it the norm for people to dress business casual for class or do most students just dress how they did during undergrad?
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The older students (nontrads) occasionally dress nicer, probably because the have more nice clothes in their closets? In general, most people are in comfortable clothes, unless there is an event going on, special lecturer, standardized patient encounter, etc. Pretty much just like undergrad.
 
justAstudent said:
Sorry for hijacking this thread, but I have a question about this. I'll be starting med school next Fall and was wondering how people dress for class. Is it the norm for people to dress business casual for class or do most students just dress how they did during undergrad?
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People generally just dress like they do in undergrad. Dress more nicely if there is a guest speaker but otherwise the students dress pretty relaxed. You need to feel comfortable if you're going to learn.
 
NuttyEngDude said:
How long have you had your chair and how much do you use it?

I have bought a few chairs from Staples and over time every one of them has had problems with their hydraulic tubes. Has your model been pretty durable?
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I got it the summer before M1. I'm currently an M2. I use it every day for long periods at a time. I probably spend about 6 or more hours in it a day. I've never had a problem, though I don't do any adjusting on the hydraulic tubes. It's set for my desk, and I'm not moving around, so there's no reason to adjust. I've been very happy with my chair.
 
A lot of people have mentioned Surface Pro 2, which is a good choice if you want to handwrite your notes. It has an active digitizer pen which is night and day compared to passive stylus when it comes to handwriting. It's kind of annoying to use with a keyboard though since you have to prop it up with a kickstand instead of a hinge like on a laptop. If that bothers you, you could consider a Lenovo Helix which is a convertible tablet/laptop that has an active digitizer pen.
 
HarryPlopper said:
People generally just dress like they do in undergrad. Dress more nicely if there is a guest speaker but otherwise the students dress pretty relaxed. You need to feel comfortable if you're going to learn.
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I learn better when I dress up and wear high heels to make me feel elevated. Will this be awkward in med school?
 
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malaika said:
I learn better when I dress up and wear high heels to make me feel elevated. Will this be awkward in med school?
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As long as you don't mind your classmates making assumptions about you, then sure, go for it. Every poor sap who goes to class likes to have something to look at to distract him/her from the crap on the screen.
 
HarryPlopper said:
No. Please show as much skin as possible and sit in the front.
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evilbooyaa said:
As long as you don't mind your classmates making assumptions about you, then sure, go for it. Every poor sap who goes to class likes to have something to look at to distract him/her from the crap on the screen.
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She said dress up. Not dress inappropriately.
 
C.glabrata123 said:
She said dress up. Not dress inappropriately.
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If someone wore high heels to class routinely... let me just say I don't understand it. I get it in the hospital/clinic as women have to be dressed professionally all the time, but just to class? Dress for comfort. I get if that means dress clothes, but I've never heard of high heels being comfortable.
 
evilbooyaa said:
If someone wore high heels to class routinely... let me just say I don't understand it. I get it in the hospital/clinic as women have to be dressed professionally all the time, but just to class? Dress for comfort. I get if that means dress clothes, but I've never heard of high heels being comfortable.
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No argument here...
 
I am considering getting an iPad and stylus to go along with my macbook pro so that I can take handwritten notes on the powerpoint slides. I'm a huge Apple fan, as their products have served me well over the years. Can anyone here comment on the ability to annotate Ppt slides on the iPad? Thanks
 
evilbooyaa said:
If someone wore high heels to class routinely... let me just say I don't understand it. I get it in the hospital/clinic as women have to be dressed professionally all the time, but just to class? Dress for comfort. I get if that means dress clothes, but I've never heard of high heels being comfortable.
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I am comfortable only when I have heels on. Heels can be very comfortable, you just have to know how to wear them. I don't wear shoes that I am not comfortable in.
Status Sciaticus said:
She is also a troll....
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What makes you think I am a "she"? Never assume.
 
malaika said:
I am comfortable only when I have heels on. Heels can be very comfortable, you just have to know how to wear them. I don't wear shoes that I am not comfortable in.

What makes you think I am a "she"? Never assume.
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........ Hahahahahaha
 
evilbooyaa said:
If someone wore high heels to class routinely... let me just say I don't understand it. I get it in the hospital/clinic as women have to be dressed professionally all the time, but just to class? Dress for comfort. I get if that means dress clothes, but I've never heard of high heels being comfortable.
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High heels from brands like Rockport, Naturalizer and Cole Haan are now surprisingly stylish and extremely comfortable. I used to associate those brands with "Mommy shoes" but was pleasantly surprised that they remain as comfortable as mommy shoes but still look great. My Christmas present was a nice pair of Rockport heels for interviews. It was an excellent decision because they are so comfortable that I could run between rooms and walk in them for eight hours without so much as even a sole ache, forget back aches or calluses and other #highheelproblems. They're definitely pricey but so, so worth it for the ladies who will have to look nice at clinic but who do not want to be hindered by their heels.
 
gumdrops said:
High heels from brands like Rockport, Naturalizer and Cole Haan are now surprisingly stylish and extremely comfortable. I used to associate those brands with "Mommy shoes" but was pleasantly surprised that they remain as comfortable as mommy shoes but still look great. My Christmas present was a nice pair of Rockport heels for interviews. It was an excellent decision because they are so comfortable that I could run between rooms and walk in them for eight hours without so much as even a sole ache, forget back aches or calluses and other #highheelproblems. They're definitely pricey but so, so worth it for the ladies who will have to look nice at clinic but who do not want to be hindered by their heels.
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You my dear, are awesome!
 
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cronaldo7 said:
I am considering getting an iPad and stylus to go along with my macbook pro so that I can take handwritten notes on the powerpoint slides. I'm a huge Apple fan, as their products have served me well over the years. Can anyone here comment on the ability to annotate Ppt slides on the iPad? Thanks
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I also wonder if anyone has had experience with this.
 
Actually malaika, I do something slightly similar. I don't "dress up" but I style my hair a bit and wear a touch of makeup on days when I have exams. It's like a date, except more exciting!
 
malaika said:
I am comfortable only when I have heels on. Heels can be very comfortable, you just have to know how to wear them. I don't wear shoes that I am not comfortable in.

What makes you think I am a "she"? Never assume.
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Your posting style makes your gender very obvious.
 
Anastomoses said:
Actually malaika, I do something slightly similar. I don't "dress up" but I style my hair a bit and wear a touch of makeup on days when I have exams. It's like a date, except more exciting!
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Sweet!! I like you already:highfive:
Psai said:
Your posting style makes your gender very obvious.
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I am genderless. Some days I feel like a man, some days I feel like a woman. And some days, I just am. On days when I feel like a man, my heels are 1 inch higher.
 
malaika said:
Sweet!! I like you already:highfive:
I am genderless. Some days I feel like a man, some days I feel like a woman. And some days, I just am. On days when I feel like a man, my heels are 1 inch higher.
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if gender is subjective, then it is okay for you to feel like you are genderless while i feel you are a woman all day everyday.
 
PrideNeverDie said:
if gender is subjective, then it is okay for you to feel like you are genderless while i feel you are a woman all day everyday.
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Gender is subjective... lol gender is psychological, sex is biological. So whatever you feel like that day kind sir/maam 🙂
 
Anastomoses said:
Actually malaika, I do something slightly similar. I don't "dress up" but I style my hair a bit and wear a touch of makeup on days when I have exams. It's like a date, except more exciting!
Click to expand...

Don't most (or at least a lot) of women wear "a touch of" makeup everyday? It sure looks like it when I look around. I'm not saying they are dressed for the oscars or anything...but most women I see in the workplace are wearing a bit of eyeshadow or eyeliner, etc.
 
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SouthernSurgeon said:
Don't most (or at least a lot) of women wear "a touch of" makeup everyday? It sure looks like it when I look around. I'm not saying they are dressed for the oscars or anything...but most women I see in the workplace are wearing a bit of eyeshadow or eyeliner, etc.
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Yes, that's true. I should say...I make a significant effort to look especially polished on exam dates. I'll wake up an hour earlier to make my hair perfect...I'll do the liner with care, some mascara (which is a bit dramatic for me)...and some blush with lip gloss. I'll wear something lovely that I wouldn't normally waste on normal class days, but nothing out of the normal style. And chug a red bull that morning.

I suppose what I mean to say is I make it kind of ritualized.
 
SouthernSurgeon said:
Don't most (or at least a lot) of women wear "a touch of" makeup everyday? It sure looks like it when I look around. I'm not saying they are dressed for the oscars or anything...but most women I see in the workplace are wearing a bit of eyeshadow or eyeliner, etc.
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I don't wear make up ever. But then again, I work in a wet lab so I wear jeans and a t-shirt pretty much everyday.
 
Anastomoses said:
Yes, that's true. I should say...I make a significant effort to look especially polished on exam dates. I'll wake up an hour earlier to make my hair perfect...I'll do the liner with care, some mascara (which is a bit dramatic for me)...and some blush with lip gloss. I'll wear something lovely that I wouldn't normally waste on normal class days, but nothing out of the normal style. And chug a red bull that morning.

I suppose what I mean to say is I make it kind of ritualized.
Click to expand...

On test days I usually set my alarm ~2 hours before I need to leave so I can review my "just memorize this" list, but proceed to hit the sleep button for an hour and a half. Drink a quick cup of coffee during my shower, teeth brushing. Run to school and walk in with a couple minutes before showtime, wearing probably what I wore to the library the day prior.
 
cronaldo7 said:
I am considering getting an iPad and stylus to go along with my macbook pro so that I can take handwritten notes on the powerpoint slides. I'm a huge Apple fan, as their products have served me well over the years. Can anyone here comment on the ability to annotate Ppt slides on the iPad? Thanks
Click to expand...

I use Notability. It will also record your lectures in sync with how you annotate the lecture. It worked great (even on a 1st gen iPad).
 
QuantumJ said:
Are tablets useful enough to justify getting one for school only?
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Yes. Yes, they are. I have an iPad mini - I use it to take notes (notability) straight on the pdf/ppts for my classes. Notability is so extremely functional - all my notes are backed up to dropbox so that I can access them to anywhere. I don't have to carry around a bulky laptop to class. No notebooks either. My planner is also on my ipad. And it gives you an "extra screen". I can pull up my notes on my ipad, for example and make anki flashcards on my laptop while reviewing them. It's less distracting. There's an anki flashcard app that I use really often as well.

When you're reading or reviewing notes, it's a lot more convenient than a laptop. Because you only have one app open at a time, it really helps me focus as well. I also like annotating (highlighting, underlining, diagramming) my notes while I study and I used to have to print to do that. Now, it feels like I don't ever need to print anything when I can just have it on my ipad. I can't really imagine studying or taking notes without my ipad anymore.
 
I wish I'd had Backblaze. It's a program that automatically backs up your computer daily onto a third party system. I had so many notes and presentations saved onto my computer; I would have failed without them. Every time my computer was a bit slow or flickered once or a site was weird, I had an internal moment of panic. I classmate of mine had their computer stolen and was totally f-ed.

Got Backblaze for $5/month, never have to panic again! 10/10 would recommend.
 
Everyone seems to have their own things that they use, but I definitely prefer a small laptop (e.g. Mac Air) to a tablet for class.

Depending on your school and personal preferences, you may need several changes of "professional dress". There are plenty of threads on here about clothing, gender differences in clothing, etc. You can read them until you go crazy if you want. Otherwise, just take a cue from your seniors.

Someone mentioned Evernote, and I love it as well. I use it to take notes, keep track of my ToDo lists, research projects, etc. I use it all day long. You can develop your own system, but you likely will need something like that to keep yourself efficient.

Pathoma ia fantastic, very popular at my school. Definitely worth a subscription: http://www.pathoma.com
The magic Pathoma book will basically teach you a big fraction of what you need to know in the first two years.

Kaplan QBank or another big bank of questions is basically essential for Step 1, at least for most usual methods of studying. Again, you can go through all the many threads on SDN on this topic.

I like the WhiteCoat Clipboard, and have found them very helpful. Other people think they are silly. It depends on your work mode. I saw an intern using one, and got some people in my class interested:
http://mdpocket.com/Clipboards/medical-clipboards-category

A lot of people recommend various white coat pocket accessories, some of it seems to be service dependent. I've found popping a snack bar into the pocket to be a good morning ritual, regardless.

Good luck!
 
Anastomoses said:
Yes, that's true. I should say...I make a significant effort to look especially polished on exam dates. I'll wake up an hour earlier to make my hair perfect...I'll do the liner with care, some mascara (which is a bit dramatic for me)...and some blush with lip gloss. I'll wear something lovely that I wouldn't normally waste on normal class days, but nothing out of the normal style. And chug a red bull that morning.

I suppose what I mean to say is I make it kind of ritualized.
Click to expand...

Interesting. Whatever works for you. Even at my school, the only people that look presentable on exam days are a small proportion of the girls. I used to roll in wearing sweats/hoodie/t-shirt depending on how cold it was.

As to the trans poster - I'm not gonna get into a discussion about that on SDN.
 
Anastomoses said:
Yes, that's true. I should say...I make a significant effort to look especially polished on exam dates. I'll wake up an hour earlier to make my hair perfect...I'll do the liner with care, some mascara (which is a bit dramatic for me)...and some blush with lip gloss. I'll wear something lovely that I wouldn't normally waste on normal class days, but nothing out of the normal style. And chug a red bull that morning.

I suppose what I mean to say is I make it kind of ritualized.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure I would do this for a regular test, but I definitely see the merit in taking time to groom oneself for centering/confidence boosting before a big event/test/whathaveyou. I dressed up, applied makeup and did my nails for every phone interview I did on the job hunt, and I think feeling polished helped me perform better.
 
alamo4 said:
Everyone seems to have their own things that they use, but I definitely prefer a small laptop (e.g. Mac Air) to a tablet for class.

Depending on your school and personal preferences, you may need several changes of "professional dress". There are plenty of threads on here about clothing, gender differences in clothing, etc. You can read them until you go crazy if you want. Otherwise, just take a cue from your seniors.

Someone mentioned Evernote, and I love it as well. I use it to take notes, keep track of my ToDo lists, research projects, etc. I use it all day long. You can develop your own system, but you likely will need something like that to keep yourself efficient.

Pathoma ia fantastic, very popular at my school. Definitely worth a subscription: http://www.pathoma.com
The magic Pathoma book will basically teach you a big fraction of what you need to know in the first two years.

Kaplan QBank or another big bank of questions is basically essential for Step 1, at least for most usual methods of studying. Again, you can go through all the many threads on SDN on this topic.

I like the WhiteCoat Clipboard, and have found them very helpful. Other people think they are silly. It depends on your work mode. I saw an intern using one, and got some people in my class interested:
http://mdpocket.com/Clipboards/medical-clipboards-category

A lot of people recommend various white coat pocket accessories, some of it seems to be service dependent. I've found popping a snack bar into the pocket to be a good morning ritual, regardless.

Good luck!
Click to expand...
On Evernote, I'm not quite understanging the 1 GB limit. How do you get around this? I'm assuming there will be much more data than 1 GB that you'll need access to while studying.
 
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