PDA question

Started by DrZion
Get help with your application

Use all the free resources available to you from SDN: articles, guides, expert advising, forums discussions, and school research.

Browse articles Compare schools My application plan Read Interview Feedback
Practice for interviews Ask an Advisor
D

DrZion

Full Member
10+ Year Member
5+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Is PDA really necessary for pharm school?. And how much do you use it. I have an old Dell axim, not even sure if it still works. But i'm thinking of buying a smartphone. If it's something we'll use once in a while i could hold off on that.
 
I personally don't think you'll need a PDA much at all in the early parts of pharmacy school. Once you get to rotations, then they can be quite useful. I would hold off and get one closer to rotations so that you'll have the latest technology and not something 2-3 years old. 🙂
 
I am going to wait until the end of 3rd year, just before rotations. Give myself enough time to put software on it and learn to use it.
 
The paperwork my school sent to me has pda and laptop requirement. Whereas they only require laptop for med students.
I guess i'll wait till i get there.
 
I don't think you need a PDA during your early professional years of pharmacy school, but definitely get a PDA before rotations. I recommend going to the Micromedex (if your pharmacy program subscribes to it) website and downloading it free into your PDA. Or you can get the Lexi-Comp package for abour $200 if you are an APhA member. I use Lexi-Comp and I think it's great; it's got everything I need in it and it's helped me through all my rotations. On my General Med rotations, all I carried around was my PDA and my little pocket Sanford Guide and it seemed to answer the bulk of questions I got.
 
If the Lexi-Comp Rep comes to your school, you can get an extra discount on top of the student discount.
At my school, they cannot give out free Micromedex or Lexi-Comp because our IPs overlap with other hospitals in the area.
 
I used my PDA a lot during my 3rd year and so far on rotations (because of Lexi-comp). The way our program is set-up we can use resources during our 3rd year so it was very helpful during pharmacotherapy. I definately used it daily!

~Pam
 
The only time I've used a PDA is during rounds when I wasn't near a computer to access Clinical Pharmacology. And that was just the calculator. I've found that I actually know most of the crap they ask me, which honestly surprises me. They'll still stump you on the oddball questions ("Hmmm...does DPP-IV metabolize polypeptide Y, I forget...where's pharmacy?") and a PDA ain't gonna help you with that crap. But, hey, it make for a nice, warm security blanket.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.