PDA for medschool

[iliab]

Is anyone planning on getting PDA for medschool? What OS/models are you considering? I really like sony ux50 but heard some reference programs won't work on it because of its landscape screen.

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[EggHead]

I have been looking at the Tungsten C by Palm. I like this b/c the school where I am enrolling in August is equipped with wireless as are most hospitals now. This model has also received great reviews, but doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles such as a camera or stereo output for MP3s. I also like the fact that it has a built-in keyboard so I don't have to use the stylus.

Just my 2-cents.

--Egghead

 

[Chronotropic]

I don't know if you really need one for the first two years. I've had a Sony Clie for about 2 years now and hardly do anything on it besides use it as a planner and grade book. I imagine that I'll be doing pretty much the same thing for my first two years at med school.

I would wait until your clinical years and buy a really nice one. Or if you really want one get a very cheap now and a better one later.

 

[exmike]

I don't know if you really need one for the first two years. I've had a Sony Clie for about 2 years now and hardly do anything on it besides use it as a planner and grade book. I imagine that I'll be doing pretty much the same thing for my first two years at med school.

I would wait until your clinical years and buy a really nice one. Or if you really want one get a very cheap now and a better one later.

I agree. Hold off until your rotations. You'll definitely want one then.

However, if you do get one now, I definitely think the Tungsten C is the best blend of price/performance/features.

 

[DrMom]

If you get some good programs (5MCC, medical dictionary, Harrisons, etc) then the PDA can be useful in med school, otherwise I wouldn't bother. I don't think I would have used one much during first year, but I used mine regularly in 2nd year. (mostly in our PBL class, but still used it otherwise) I wouldn't say that a PDA is a necesity, though.

 

[kinetic]

The fuzzy bird lady is right: PDAs are not a necessity. In fact, most students who get one use it for playing games on.

 

[freddydpt]

I got a Sony Clie PEG UX 50 and it kicks major @$$. MP3, audio and video record, camera, keyboard etc. I got it off ebay for 400 bucks in perfect condition. I got that one cause it has two different wireless connectivities and I wanted to get proficient with its use before starting med school. There are great references for pharm, microbio, and gross for the PDA. palmdocs.com is a good site. As far as waiting to get one, its a lot like waiting for prices to drop on a laptop to buy one. The longer you wait the better you'll get, however, the wait is longer for PDA's cause new models don't come out as rapidly. I'd say get one as soon as you WANT one, then when you want to upgrade, sell it on ebay, get some cash back, then buy a new one off of ebay.

 

[Richie Truxillo]

Bought a Tungsten T3 at the International American Urological Association meeting. Comes pimped out with all the necessary medical software. Also can play videos, MP3 and has Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity. It's not for everyone but for a techno-geek like me, it's great. Got mine for $379 for the entire package.

-Richie

 

[celticmists18]

At Jeff they recommend waiting until rotations . . . plus each year they pick one that they are going to offer tech support on (hence the waiting). my advice would be to forget the PDA for now and pour the extra money into a new computer if you are planning on buying one/

 

[patzan]

I got an iPAQ 2215. As mentioned above, I use it mostly for games.

 

[phdmed07]

I bought a Sony Clie before M1 year and hardly used it except during boring orientation seminars to play videogames. After that I hardly used used except to put phone numbers in. Hold off until 3rd year when you need it. If you buy something now it will be outdated in 2 years so you might as well wait. Trust me, a palm is a waste of money for 1st year!

ECU Med 07

 

[iliab]

What is good reference soft that you are guys using and would recommend. Thanks for all replies.