Medicine- should I get an ipad?

I've applied to med and gotten 3/4 offers with Glasgow uni being my top choice.I will be going in September, so I was wondering if its worthwhile getting an ipad for first year? And if yes which one? Would the ipad pro be better or the air ?

Reply 1

marsaria

If you’re going to get an iPad, and you don’t have a laptop, I’d recommend you also getting a keyboard for your iPad.

Reply 2

CyddyBean42

Original post

by Thoriym

I think it depends on your favourite way of taking notes. You're mostly going to be learning off of premade slides that will/should be available to you before hand. You will also be writing essays online for assignments so I recommend getting something that can do both laptop things and tablet things. So shop around, look at some articles about best uni tech and make your decision then. I personally have a samsung tablet with its keyboard and it is good, but I tend to use my laptop more often now (have so many tabs open to do other assignments).
Its up to you, but note taking tends to be faster typing and there will be a lot of content in med lectures/seminars.

Reply 3

yra.70

If you're getting an ipad just for notes, don't waste money on the pro. Get a refurbished air, as it can do pretty much everything the pro can, minus the massive price tag.

Reply 4

username6172830

As someone who's had an iPad since GCSEs yes absolutely, id recommend the pro over the air but check out the specs and prices and make ur own decision. TBH A refurbished MI 2021 iPad pro is the best since that's kind of where they peaked.

Reply 5

ErasistratusV

You need a tablet in my honest opinion. Ipad if you are an Apple person, maybe a Microsoft Surface if you are not. Note taking with a stylus on pre-made lecture slides you have downloaded ahead of the lecture is a breeze.

It's possible to type notes with a laptop but pretty clunky. Obviously they are also bigger and heavier.

You will need to type at times though I suspect so definitely consider getting the detachable keyboard for your Ipad, too.

A second standalone monitor you can leave in your room and plug in as and when you need it isn't a bad shout if you're like me and prefer having a lot of desktop real estate. Makes reading and working on an essay or watching a recorded lecture easier to do also.

I would advise against buying a whole lot of textbooks, they are expensive and you can probably borrow multiple copies from the library or else view them online anyway. A Littmann stethoscope is the way to go but you may or may not require it in first year, depends on your course structure. In the past I know people have managed to secure bulk order discounts on these things.

I wrote detailed notes on my So you're going to medical school thread.