What school supplies/study materials do I need for first year?

[TheFutureFatMan]

I really appreciated your well thought out responses comparing the ipad and sp3 . But your video is not really a fair comparison, since you're comparing a regular ipad to a sp3 (which is comparable in size to an ipad pro) and you're comparing a regular stylus for the ipad to a surface pen (which is comparable to the Apple pencil)...Now Apple selling the Apple Pencil for an additional $99 when sp3 includes it in the purchase price, no eraser button on the Pencil and nowhere to put the Pencil on the ipad itself are legitimate disadvantages.

if you flip the pencil over it erases. I use the pro for art and I think the interface in art applications is far more natural. I haven't done much in terms of PDF editing with apple though, and the surface book may be a better product for that. I'll be able to make a solid comparison once we get our tech package in the fall and I'll throw a post up breaking down the pro's/con's of both.

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[BK2681]

It really depends on the type of learner you are. I strongly learn better by writing. Additionally, i really like the fact that I can annotate images without having to get a finnicky stylus, or something i cannot rest my palm on. I have shared examples of how my notes are below. Furthermore, I like being able to take notes, have them backup to google drive, print them and compile them in a binder. If i ever missed something in a section, i simply grab all the stuff, move it down and add my additional note. Can't really do that on paper.

Finally, it is better because it is an ACTUAL PC, not a tablet etc. It has full capabilities of a laptop. I personally had a macbook pro, sold it, and got myself a SP3. I do not regret it at all. I love it, and would not trade it for a macbook. (just an FYI, I have had a macbook since 2006, so it is not a PC fanboy thing etc)

THe other reason I love my SP3 is that sometimes, lecturers make LAST moment changes, then if you print your slides, you have a an outdated slide, and stuff that is in there will not be on your printed sheet. With the SP3 I quickly download it and I am ready to take notes just as I would on paper. It is also noted that you retain information better by writing than by typing. Anyway, if you have any other questions let me know.

Here are examples of notes etc that I take:


here are notes after ppt

then printed stuff after notes





Hope that helps!

Does the SP3 have all the anatomy and medical apps like the iPad?

 

[DrDreams]

Does the SP3 have all the anatomy and medical apps like the iPad?

The only one you will be using ever is essential anatomy. That is on the sp3

 

[Torilynn92]

For those of us who are a little strapped for cash, is the SP2 acceptable, or is it worth the extra few hundred bucks to pop for the SP3? I've been a diehard hand-writing note-taker for years but I'm told that just won't cut it in medical school. I'm hoping the SP2 or SP3 would give me that happy medium.

 

[Throwaway201536]

For those of us who are a little strapped for cash, is the SP2 acceptable, or is it worth the extra few hundred bucks to pop for the SP3? I've been a diehard hand-writing note-taker for years but I'm told that just won't cut it in medical school. I'm hoping the SP2 or SP3 would give me that happy medium.

Definitely spend more for the SP3. It's when MS really turned the corner, refined it very well.

I think the best combination of value is an SP3 w/ the newest generation surface keyboard

Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk

 

[Torilynn92]

Definitely spend more for the SP3. It's when MS really turned the corner, refined it very well.

I think the best combination of value is an SP3 w/ the newest generation surface keyboard

Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk

Great, thank you! I'll take the plunge as soon as loans come in. Maybe I'll fiddle around with a classmate's first and make sure it's worth it before I buy.

 

[Throwaway201536]

Great, thank you! I'll take the plunge as soon as loans come in. Maybe I'll fiddle around with a classmate's first and make sure it's worth it before I buy.

Yeah, definitely give it a try--you might not enjoy writing on it or something; it is still a great little machine for school purposes!

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[Jaurim]

For those of us who are a little strapped for cash, is the SP2 acceptable, or is it worth the extra few hundred bucks to pop for the SP3? I've been a diehard hand-writing note-taker for years but I'm told that just won't cut it in medical school. I'm hoping the SP2 or SP3 would give me that happy medium.

I think it's totally acceptable. I'll give you a little breakdown of the differences. Sorry if this is unsolicited but I love talking about stuff like this.

Screen:

Sp2 has the wide-screen aspect ratio that makes it narrower and taller whereas sp3 is shaped like a standard A4 price of paper, more or less. In practice you'd be zoomed into your text and not writing as if you were on real paper so I don't find it too big of a deal. Sp2 is smaller (10 vs 12 in screen) which is a plus for me but may not be for others.

Sp3 has a higher screen resolution and pixel density but in practice Sp2 has 1920x1080 full HD which is plenty for note taking and doesn't waste battery pushing around so many pixels. Also the high resolution of sp3 makes the icons and text super small on desktop.

Pen:

Sp2 has a Wacom digitizer which has more levels of pressure sensitivity but in practice doesn't look a lot different from the sp3. The sp3 stylus needs battery to power while Sp2 does not and works with any Wacom pen. Wacom digitizer doesn't perform accurately around the extreme edge of the screen, but again in practice I've never found this to be an issue. Wacom digitizer works much better with Adobe and corel software.

Processor:
Sp2 has an older generation core i# chip. Sp3 has newer generation core i#. Doesn't make any difference for the average user who's not trying to crush their cpu (which why would you do that with a tablet).

Battery:
Sp3 has to push around more pixels, Sp2 has a less battery efficient chip. Ends up with both having around the same battery life.

Kickstand:
Sp3 has an upper hand here because it bends in all the angles. Sp2 has 2 angles. Doesn't matter to me because I use it flat against the table.

Keyboard:
Sp3 has improved type cover but I didn't buy a type cover because I'm cheap and also don't use it in the laptop formation. I just use a Bluetooth keyboard.

Price:
A brand new Sp2 right now goes for about 350. That's pretty amazing for a core i device. Someone mentioned a used sp3 is 450. I don't like buying used tech but up to you.

 

[Throwaway201536]

Another thing to consider about both the SP2 and SP3 is, as trivial as it may seem, the pen does not have a place to be held. It's easy to lose if you're not careful. It took four generations for MS to make it magnetically attach to the side of tablet...

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[Torilynn92]

@Jaurim and @Throwaway201536 thanks for the info! I appreciate it! I'm pretty much technology illiterate so I definitely appreciate the breakdown! Way back when I used to have an early generation Wacom pen and tablet for photoshop art, I loved that little doodad, until I eventually lost it and that was the end of my career as a budding digital artist haha

 

[dogemeow]

Has anyone here used a Lenovo yoga? I'm leaning towards that over SP3/4 because it has an actual hard top keyboard.

 

[Throwaway201536]

Has anyone here used a Lenovo yoga? I'm leaning towards that over SP3/4 because it has an actual hard top keyboard.

My issue with the yoga pad is the way the keyboard is exposed in tablet form; if your budget allows, the Surface Book might be what you're looking for

If you don't care for your laptop to act as a tablet (i.e. like the yoga, surface book), I'd highly recommend something along the lines of the Dell XPS series or Samsung ATIV Books (also apple laptops)

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[dogemeow]

My issue with the yoga pad is the way the keyboard is exposed in tablet form; if your budget allows, the Surface Book might be what you're looking for

If you don't care for your laptop to act as a tablet (i.e. like the yoga, surface book), I'd highly recommend something along the lines of the Dell XPS series or Samsung ATIV Books (also apple laptops)

Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk

With the keyboard: do you not like it because the keys get pushed and write on whatever you're working on? Or because it's just extra wear and tear on the keyboard?

I like the idea of a tablet because I like to draw/write things when I study. I'm wary about the SP because almost all the residents I work with HATE the SP.

 

[Throwaway201536]

With the keyboard: do you not like it because the keys get pushed and write on whatever you're working on? Or because it's just extra wear and tear on the keyboard?

I like the idea of a tablet because I like to draw/write things when I study. I'm wary about the SP because almost all the residents I work with HATE the SP.

Because of the extra wear and tear....

The surface book is different from the SP; it's Microsoft's first ever laptop. The screen is detachable from the keyboard, which houses most of the internal goodies. It's a pretty awesome device at this point in its life (was plagued with software and driver issues at launch). Check it out!

Edit: also, it's possible the residents have used the original SP and the SP2, it wasn't until the SP3 that it became a very well refined product (and the SP4 is a very good product).

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Surface-Book/productID.325716000

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[dogemeow]

Because of the extra wear and tear....

The surface book is different from the SP; it's Microsoft's first ever laptop. The screen is detachable from the keyboard, which houses most of the internal goodies. It's a pretty awesome device at this point in its life (was plagued with software and driver issues at launch). Check it out!

Edit: also, it's possible the residents have used the original SP and the SP2, it wasn't until the SP3 that it became a very well refined product (and the SP4 is a very good product).

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Surface-Book/productID.325716000

View attachment 204017

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Wow thanks! That definitely does not look like what the residents use, haha. Now my only issue is the price...but buy once cry once, right?

 

[Throwaway201536]

Wow thanks! That definitely does not look like what the residents use, haha. Now my only issue is the price...but buy once cry once, right?

Haha yeah, I'd recommend the i5 model...better long term investment! When it comes to how much you want to spend on the size of the SSD, that's for you to decide

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[JustPlainBill]

Note: I have not read the entire thread ---

So --- as a former computer wonk (unlike Al Gore, I really work on implementing the protocols/equipment that eventually became the internet) who went into medicine, I found computers to be a pain in the a$$ rather than helpful.

The top 3 or 4 people in my class printed off the powerpoints 12 to side and took them wherever they went and pretty much memorized them -- they also took notes all over them, quizzed each other over them, etc.

All of the schools want to say each student has/uses a computer so they can sound more forward thinking/progressive -- BS -- most of the Ph.D's use Apples and are resistant to change ---

Unless you can resist dorkin' around on the internet, stay out of the computer game.....

 

[WalSlave]

I have an iPad Air 2 and it's definitely a solid tablet; I'd say it's one of the best products Apple has on the market. I'll also preface this with saying that I'm not an Apple fan girl. I've had issues with a MacBook Air and the newer iPhones and honestly I think Apple products are just sucking lately, but the iPad Air 2 is perfect. I use notability and an external keyboard to type notes onto PowerPoint slides and then sync all of them with Dropbox. Comparing the surface and iPad is kind of like apples and oranges for me. I already have a laptop I keep at home and wanted something light and reliable that I could take anywhere. You also really can't beat the battery life of the iPad. It will literally last 12+ hours if you aren't watching videos. I know this is debatable, but I also prefer the app selection.

HOWEVER using a stylus to write notes on the iPad Air 2 is next to impossible for me. All of the styluses suck and anything I write is barely legible, so I don't really write on any of my slides in notability, but I'm a fast typer so it's not a big deal for me and I'd probably type over writing either way. The iPad Pro, however, is a total game changer paired with the Apple Pencil. It literally feels like I'm writing on paper and I highly recommend it to anyone who really wants that capability in an iPad. The only reason I haven't taken the iPad Pro plunge is because I don't like to buy the first round of new products from Apple (I've had consistently bad experiences doing this). But anyway, these are my observations. When the time comes that I need a new laptop, I will probably consider the surface, but it's not something I need now.

 

[DrPatriot]

I picked up the Surface Pro 4 and I have an external monitor that I can hook up to dual screen at home. I was always a paper and pen notetaker in undergrad so I'm hoping this setup will work well for me in med school. 3 weeks until I start!

Sent from my A1-840FHD using SDN mobile

 

[dogemeow]

I ended up purchasing the Lenovo Yoga X1. It's a 14 inch laptop/tablet 2 in 1, weighs only 2.8 lbs (that's as much as my 11 inch chromebook). I picked this over SP4 because I have always loved Lenovo products, wanted a bigger screen, and my spouse vehemently hates his SP3 (he's in medicine as well). Another perk is the Yoga X1 has a stylus port that instantly charges my stylus, whereas w/ the SP4 the stylus kind of just hangs on the outside via a magnet. I know I'd end up losing it a lot, and from what I have read the battery life doesn't seem that great for the stylus and I don't want to have to buy AAAA batteries every month.


The timing of my post almost makes it seem like I'm antagonizing DrPatriot, but I promise I'm not. I literally just happened to buy it today, and I'm only comparing it to the SP4 because was so close to purchasing the SP4 based on its popularity and great price.

 

[superfrogpoke]

You can get a used sp3 for 450 ish. I'd recommend that. I have sp1 and sp3. The wacom pen freaks out around the edges.

Are you talking refurbished or like off of Craigslist?

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[Throwaway201536]

I ended up purchasing the Lenovo Yoga X1. It's a 14 inch laptop/tablet 2 in 1, weighs only 2.8 lbs (that's as much as my 11 inch chromebook). I picked this over SP4 because I have always loved Lenovo products, wanted a bigger screen, and my spouse vehemently hates his SP3 (he's in medicine as well). Another perk is the Yoga X1 has a stylus port that instantly charges my stylus, whereas w/ the SP4 the stylus kind of just hangs on the outside via a magnet. I know I'd end up losing it a lot, and from what I have read the battery life doesn't seem that great for the stylus and I don't want to have to buy AAAA batteries every month.


The timing of my post almost makes it seem like I'm antagonizing DrPatriot, but I promise I'm not. I literally just happened to buy it today, and I'm only comparing it to the SP4 because was so close to purchasing the SP4 based on its popularity and great price.

The battery life for SP4/SB stylus is about a year. Congrats on the purchase!

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[DrDreams]

Are you talking refurbished or like off of Craigslist?

Sent from my SM-G900V using SDN mobile

Ebay

 

[DrDreams]

I ended up purchasing the Lenovo Yoga X1. It's a 14 inch laptop/tablet 2 in 1, weighs only 2.8 lbs (that's as much as my 11 inch chromebook). I picked this over SP4 because I have always loved Lenovo products, wanted a bigger screen, and my spouse vehemently hates his SP3 (he's in medicine as well). Another perk is the Yoga X1 has a stylus port that instantly charges my stylus, whereas w/ the SP4 the stylus kind of just hangs on the outside via a magnet. I know I'd end up losing it a lot, and from what I have read the battery life doesn't seem that great for the stylus and I don't want to have to buy AAAA batteries every month.


The timing of my post almost makes it seem like I'm antagonizing DrPatriot, but I promise I'm not. I literally just happened to buy it today, and I'm only comparing it to the SP4 because was so close to purchasing the SP4 based on its popularity and great price.

It doesn't matter which you purchase to me. As long as it does what its supposed to do and is not finnicky.

 

[dogemeow]

The battery life for SP4/SB stylus is about a year. Congrats on the purchase!

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Lol the sarcasm, you know that that's not the only reason why I chose the Lenovo, right? Anyways I got mine for about $1100 (instead of the original $1500+) because of a fat work discount so I got a pretty amazing deal on it. Not sure why people have to hate because I didn't get what's most popular. I got to play with the SP4, SB, and Lenovo before I purchased it (also got to try the new HTC Vive while I was there!) and I just liked the feel of the Lenovo the best.

 

[Throwaway201536]

Lol the sarcasm, you know that that's not the only reason why I chose the Lenovo, right? Anyways I got mine for about $1100 (instead of the original $1500+) because of a fat work discount so I got a pretty amazing deal on it. Not sure why people have to hate because I didn't get what's most popular. I got to play with the SP4, SB, and Lenovo before I purchased it (also got to try the new HTC Vive while I was there!) and I just liked the feel of the Lenovo the best.

I'm honestly not hating, just didn't want anyone to think the battery for the stylus was awful because of your experience alone. There's nothing wrong with the Yoga dude. I don't even have a surface product right now, I'm rocking my old ativ book w/ a beefy rig at home (VR ready )

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[shadowlightfox]

Is pen and paper at lecture/whenever else really a bad idea? I like to take notes a lot, and I've written a lot during my college years, as it helps me focus. I don't see how it's that much different from using surface pro to write other than missing out on few extra conveniences Surface Pro provides.

 

[Throwaway201536]

Is pen and paper at lecture/whenever else really a bad idea? I like to take notes a lot, and I've written a lot during my college years, as it helps me focus. I don't see how it's that much different from using surface pro to write other than missing out on few extra conveniences Surface Pro provides.

I don't think pen/paper or using the surface only to take hand written notes is ideal; I think the ability to easily annotate your notes/slides/etc is what makes an SP/iPad (with stylus) really great tools for the purpose of school. OneNote is great, especially on a surface product, because you can load your class material into it, type up notes as you like (much quicker than writing via hand) and also have the ability to use the surface pen to make quick annotations, draw diagrams, etc. It's definitely something you should try before purchasing to see if these products are worth it for you.

Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk

 

[shadowlightfox]

I don't think pen/paper or using the surface only to take hand written notes is ideal; I think the ability to easily annotate your notes/slides/etc is what makes an SP/iPad (with stylus) really great tools for the purpose of school. OneNote is great, especially on a surface product, because you can load your class material into it, type up notes as you like (much quicker than writing via hand) and also have the ability to use the surface pen to make quick annotations, draw diagrams, etc. It's definitely something you should try before purchasing to see if these products are worth it for you.

Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk

Yeah, typing seems to be faster than handwriting, but I like handwriting, and I managed to get enough through this just fine.

I might be missing something or misunderstanding, but how is using a tablet/iPad and annotating your notes/slides,etc any different from just printing pages with slides and writing notes on them, aside from using up pages to print them?

If I can't afford to buy a surface pro, would just printing the slides and writing on them be an okay alternative is what I'm trying to ask.

 

[Throwaway201536]

Yeah, typing seems to be faster than handwriting, but I like handwriting, and I managed to get enough through this just fine.

I might be missing something or misunderstanding, but how is using a tablet/iPad and annotating your notes/slides,etc any different from just printing pages with slides and writing notes on them, aside from using up pages to print them?

If I can't afford to buy a surface pro, would just printing the slides and writing on them be an okay alternative is what I'm trying to ask.

Yes. It's a perfectly fine alternative, don't worry! However, don't forget the advantages of taking your notes in a digital ecosystem. You don't have to carry around a lot of paper/binders/notebooks or worry about losing them. I think that's one of if not the biggest advantage of annotating through a note taking program like OneNote. But definitely don't feel like you need a surface pro or similar device, you'll be fine without one. Just helps make things a little easier!

Edit: to answer your question, annotating on a tablet isn't any different than printing out the presentation and doing it that way. I was explaining something that's a little hard to convey if you haven't ever used OneNote or something similar

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[Dr Tony T. Chopper]

Gad I know the surface is excellent and everyone recommends it for first year but I'm not made out of money damn it.

 

[DrDreams]

Gad I know the surface is excellent and everyone recommends it for first year but I'm not made out of money damn it.

Seriously, get a used one if you decide too. I am not made of money either. I have 4 kids and a wife to support! Hence I bought a used one. Just check Amazon everyday.

 

[abn632]

Do some students still get away with paper and pen?

Yes, and it's not just older students. I've seen millennials who regularly take notes on printouts of the powerpoint slides. Some have audio recorders, too. If you're the type of person who prefers handwriting notes with a real pen and on real paper, I'd recommend getting a Livescribe pen. I used an older model of the Livescribe pen (I think it was the Echo) during undergrad. It records audio and syncs the audio to your handwriting. Later, when you're reviewing your notes, you can select the part of your notes that you want to review by simply tapping on that part with the Livescribe pen, and the audio plays from that point in the lecture.

Personally, though, I'd go with a SP3/4. Those things are amazing.

 

[ortnakas]

Is pen and paper at lecture/whenever else really a bad idea? I like to take notes a lot, and I've written a lot during my college years, as it helps me focus. I don't see how it's that much different from using surface pro to write other than missing out on few extra conveniences Surface Pro provides.

I'm in PBL, so it's a little bit different but I type notes when I'm reading textbooks or in our few lecture classes, but I do go back to pen and paper for my last pass through material before an exam.

 

[Fran0412]

Thank-you for this post! I'm an incoming MS1 so am trying to decide between an ipad pro and SP 4. My notes look very similar to yours and I'm worried about getting bogged down with all paper notes so this post was really helpful. What kind of printer are you using for this volume of pages with this mix of black and white print + color pics? A color laser? Thanks!

It really depends on the type of learner you are. I strongly learn better by writing. Additionally, i really like the fact that I can annotate images without having to get a finnicky stylus, or something i cannot rest my palm on. I have shared examples of how my notes are below. Furthermore, I like being able to take notes, have them backup to google drive, print them and compile them in a binder. If i ever missed something in a section, i simply grab all the stuff, move it down and add my additional note. Can't really do that on paper.

Finally, it is better because it is an ACTUAL PC, not a tablet etc. It has full capabilities of a laptop. I personally had a macbook pro, sold it, and got myself a SP3. I do not regret it at all. I love it, and would not trade it for a macbook. (just an FYI, I have had a macbook since 2006, so it is not a PC fanboy thing etc)

THe other reason I love my SP3 is that sometimes, lecturers make LAST moment changes, then if you print your slides, you have a an outdated slide, and stuff that is in there will not be on your printed sheet. With the SP3 I quickly download it and I am ready to take notes just as I would on paper. It is also noted that you retain information better by writing than by typing. Anyway, if you have any other questions let me know.

Here are examples of notes etc that I take:


here are notes after ppt

then printed stuff after notes



Hope that helps!

 

[DetectiveAlonzo]

All you need is a laptop (preferably macbook or what have you), solid Wi-fi, good headphones, a copy of First Aid, a copy of Pathoma, and you are set.

Get ready to pay a **** ton for medical education that will be provided primarily over the internet via podcasted lectures, youtube videos, and wikipedia.

'Merica.

 

[MrTaco92]

Do some students still get away with paper and pen?

I do but only for rote memorization type courses (ie: micro, some biochem). It's pretty time inefficient to do it for all courses (depending on how much note taking you do)