Smart Phone in Medical School - Necessary?

[NewYorker9]

After doing some background searching I found threads asking which smartphone is best for medical school, but could not find one on the topic I am interested in. Currently I am able to upgrade my old "feature" phone and am thinking about getting a smartphone. Finances are a struggle, though, and if I don't need the smartphone I would rather save the ~$1000 in data plans and insurance over the next two years.

Those of you already in medical school, is a smartphone necessary during the pre-clinical year(s)? What about during the clinical years? Thank you for your input!

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[Mel A Noma]

After doing some background searching I found threads asking which smartphone is best for medical school, but could not find one on the topic I am interested in. Currently I am able to upgrade my old "feature" phone and am thinking about getting a smartphone. Finances are a struggle, though, and if I don't need the smartphone I would rather save the ~$1000 in data plans and insurance over the next two years.

Those of you already in medical school, is a smartphone necessary during the pre-clinical year(s)? What about during the clinical years? Thank you for your input!

7

First of all, its time to step up into the modern era. Seriously. Get a smart phone.

In all honesty it's fairly useless to have a smart phone in pre clinicals. All you will do is check your emailz like every minute of like every day.

I have been on teh wardz for a few months. Just keeping track of phone numbers, emailz, and to stay in touch with my residents has been hard since everyone changez so often.

P.S. Lurker turned Poster

 

[NickNaylor]

If you think you need a phone but don't want to pay out the wazoo, go with a budget carrier (e.g., MetroPCS or whatever is in your area). You obviously won't be able to get a top-of-the-line phone, but it doesn't seem like that would be that important to you anyway.

In pre-clinicals I have yet to be in a situation where it's been "necessary." It's nice and convenient but not required. On the wards I imagine you could just buy an iPod touch or a tablet and use the hospital's wifi rather than buying a smartphone and paying for the data plan.

 

[achamess]

Smartphones are very useful, but not necessary.

Here is an option. I just did this for myself.

Get a used iPhone (4, 4S). I got a iPhone4 in mint condition for $100. Make sure it's ATT. I went to ATT, got a free SIM card and signed up for the $25/mo GoPhone prepaid option. 250 mins/mo, unlimited text. Although ATT will tell you that you can't get a data plan, you can. There are instructions on the web. I get about 50-100 mb mobile data/mo. That's for when I really need it and I'm not in wifi range. If you're at school, or the hospital, you can have wifi, and it's free.

All told, my wife and I each are spending $30/mo to have iphones. Sure, they're not iPhone5 and Siri isn't making dinner for me, but it's more than enough, and it's affordable.

 

[MilkIsGood]

Virgin Mobile $35 a month

 

[45408]

No, they are definitely not necessary.

 

[Smokemont]

I haven't needed one yet for the first 2 years. I also plan on using an old ipod touch to look things up on wifi for clerkships. Gotta keep that debt down anyway possible.

 

[Renaissance Man]

I got a smart-phone the last semester of college. It has been almost necessary during my first semester of medical school. Mostly I use it to check the millions of emails I get from the school a day. I also am able to import the class schedule into the calendar app and that is always useful. I am lucky and still on my parents plan for another year or so, but I can't really imagine school without it.

 

[duckie99]

If you have gone this far without one chances are you will be ok. However having had one for many years there are 3 things I think a phone requires (besides the ability to talk):
1. Text messages
2. Reliable and fast email
3. Internet

You can do without most every app an iphone has. But those three things above are extremely helpful to have on the go, especially during clinical rotations. You should be able to find cheap smartphones that can perform those functions (also fyi old iphone models are free now...). Smartphones are usually much better at the above three than cheap flip phones.

 

[medhearter]

signal is really patchy in the hospital
wifi is good though
i just carry around my macbook air
and use google voice for texts
no need for a smart phone
can look up whatever i need to/take notes/do uworld questions

 

[cubssox2000]

I had a regular non-smart phone during the first two years and upgraded before third year. I think it worked out pretty well, as I really didn't need an extra internet connection during my pre-clinical years. Once on the wards I found that having my phone available to check email and internet without having to find an open computer was much more convenient.

 

[Hotei]

Halfway through first year and haven't needed a smartphone for anything yet.

 

[JP2740]

You will fail. You bum, loser. Why don't you take out extra loans and join the rest of us in the 21st century. You dumb idiot. Smart phones will lead you to the promised land.

 

[LossForWords]

I used an iPod Touch with epocrates and Medscape and I got along just fine. The VA I worked at had only spotty wifi, but the other hospitals had good coverage so I was usually good for email/uptodate/Google/etc.

Just make sure you have an adequate texting plan. It can be the lifeline to your team.

 

[thedoctor8706]

I have found my smartphone really useful in pre-clinical years, especially for keeping myself on schedule and on top of things. But if finances are tight, I really would recommend getting an iPod Touch or Samsung Galaxy Player or something that can do all the same things without the data plan. Most places you'd utilize it would probably have wifi to support this.

 

[PharMed2016]

I think a smartphone is useful but not necessary. MS1 right now, don't have really any use for a smartphone other than checking my emails, texts, listening to pandora on my walk to school, and looking at random articles. An ipod or a samsung galaxy player would do without those fees. Haven't gone through rotations but when I was a pharmacy student, I used my ipod at a few locations. However, you should have computer access which I much rather prefer since I can look at multiple things at once. Honestly, its not an absolute need. Most hospitals if not all should have an EHR in place - which pretty much means you'll have computer access so no worries.

PS. some hospitals don't allow smartphones.

 

[surftheiop]

Im MS2 and dont have one, definitely not necessary for preclinicals. Although I plan on getting one before MS3 b/c at that point there seems to be huge benefit to having one.

 

[BlackSwan]

Google Nexus 4 - $300
http://www.google.com/nexus/4/

T-Mobile 4G
Unlimited everything - starting at $50/mo
100 min, unlimited text/web - $30/mo
http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/monthly-4g-plans

Ditch that poverty flip phone.

 

[GorillaPanic]

My smart phone makes my life so much easier and convenient, so I'm sure it'd make MS1 easier in some aspects as well. I love my smart phone and can't imagine not having one day to day, but I bet you'd get along fine without one if you haven't needed one yet.

Some find not having a smart phone liberating since you don't get emails and alerts pushed to your phone immediately, so not having one might make for fewer distractions. But Googling things on the fly is always awesome. Plus, you know... instagram .

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[235009]

You definitely don't need a smart phone during the preclinical years. You will always be somewhere with access to a computer and/or wifi. During clinical years it's different and you will be on the go for 12+ hours per day and will need to stay ontop of important emails or look things up on the fly.

Basically if your day consists of going to class and studying (whether it's high school, college, or preclinical years of med school) then you can get by perfectly fine without a smartphone.

 

[Stellar Clouds]

The only time that I would say that a smart phone would be better than an iPod touch would be when interview invites go out during fourth year. It is often necessary to respond pronto if you want to get your top choice of interview dates (and you may find yourself without wifi).

If money is the issue, find a used iPod touch so that you have quick access to email/Internet, because just about everywhere you rotate will have wifi, and your basic phone will be just fine for you to call/text your residents and classmates while on the wards.

You definitely do not need a smartphone for your pre-clinical years.

 

[ManaPool]

The only time that I would say that a smart phone would be better than an iPod touch would be when interview invites go out during fourth year. It is often necessary to respond pronto if you want to get your top choice of interview dates (and you may find yourself without wifi).

If money is the issue, find a used iPod touch so that you have quick access to email/Internet, because just about everywhere you rotate will have wifi, and your basic phone will be just fine for you to call/text your residents and classmates while on the wards.

You definitely do not need a smartphone for your pre-clinical years.

Its pretty annoying to carry 2 devices rather than just 1.

 

[valkener]

Yes it's absolutely necessary. You need to check emails/schedules/facts online I recommend the Iphone or Samsung Galaxy.