Tell Us Your Favourite iPhone Apps!
They look so fashionable they must be great for the modern day medical student. Right?
We here at medicaleducator.co.uk are currently checking out he use of predominantly free iPhone apps on for medical students. So what we would like are three things. Why not email us at iphone@medicaleducator.co.uk if you have a point of view on any of our points below. We’re keen to supply our users with a free iphone guide once we know what’s worth checking out. So we have a few questions….
- Have you been refused access to any iPhone health resource because you are ‘only a student’ ? (something we’ve heard is getting more common- and is perhaps a little frustrating [we know you need the information most!]
- Any apps that are really worth their weight in gold to budding students out there?
- Anything you think is not worth the free download time?
- Any recommended top apps?
- Overall as medical students do you think an iPhone is worth the money in terms of the benefit it gives you?
We;’ll be covering a feature on a few of some of the apps that we like, and are currently using in our day to day practice. We’ll leave you with this…
I was using my iPhone to check a patients disease activity score (DAS) to check their eligibility for anti-TNF therapy- a biologic agent that is a powerful treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. I think the patient thought I was checking my text messages! It took a careful explanation to avoid an embarrassing incident.
A free subscription to the user who sends us in the most detailed answer to any/ all of the above. And if you can make us laugh heartily you might get one too. Check out our user guide coming soon too!
Following the purchase of my iPhone 3gs on the first week of release last year I was very excited about the potential learning resources accessible though this marvellous little device. Having struggled previously to cram the ‘pocket’ size books covering every eventuality into my now overflowing bag the thought of freeing myself from the scornful “that bag’s infection risk looks” was welcomed.
However, the use of my iPhone has not been without its difficulties. The use of a phone as an information resource is still a relatively new phenomenon compared to the US where PDAs took off and therefore for those clinicians still fearful of the text message, the presence of these devices may appear unprofessional. I have found that throughout the course of my final year the acceptance has increased. During my first few weeks on the wards I felt the need to either be very subtle about information seeking or blatantly obvious about what I was doing but as the population of iPhones has increased dramatically over the year these raised eyebrows have been replaced by consultants submerged in their own iPhone world.
The variability of the 3g signal, especially in the black holes of the hospital has left my iPhone redundant on a number of occasions, which has left me wishing I had kept my ‘cheese and onion’ in tow. Of course you can buy OHCM for the iPhone but at a hefty £25+ it’s overpriced. I find that I use the internet far more then any of the apps, especially the free ones. The presence of Google at my fingertips and the mobile adapted Wikipedia site has saved me at speed in the past, when 3g is good! One of the other fantastic powers of the iPhone is the ability to zoom in and out of images, allowing you to quickly rekindle that anatomy knowledge in variable detail, a resource that is otherwise far from pocketsize. This has proved especially useful when in theatre, having just realised I have walked into an anterior resection rather then the expected lap chole, the panic is reduced by a quick reminder of the vascular supply to the bowel. If the signal has failed you, then a quick burst on angry birds, doodle jump or one of the other obsessive games is enough to free your mind from thoughts of humiliating questions, at least until the surgeon walks in.
In a flurry of excitement I downloaded all the free medical apps many of which I have never found a use for, although I think that is through the ease of the internet on the iPhone rather then the fault of the app. I have a number of the calculators “drug infusion”, “heme calc”, “GCS” all of which I have not used. GCS is useful as a reminder but it is not worth downloading as this is something you really need at your fingertips so would not type into a calculator. As for “drug infusion” and “heme calc”, I have a trust issue with these apps in that it is not entirely clear if they are US or UK based and I feel I would just rather rely on pen, paper and a BNF.
“Muscles” and “bones” are anatomy apps which ask you to point to a specified body part as quickly as possible. It only requires you to be in roughly the right area and because its timed you rush through without gaining new knowledge from it. They are worthwhile if you have 10 minutes waiting to see the dentist but otherwise I wouldn’t bother.
“iAnatomy” based on cross sections of cadavers is a more useful revision resource if a little dry for learning from. Also has some CT scans to review.
“DiagnoSaurus” is an app for differential diagnoses. The lists are extensive with multiple ways to search from symptoms, to diseases and proves very useful as a rapid reminder to those lists on which medical students are always being tested. It gives no further information on the conditions and is just a list based but it does what it sets out to do.
“imurmur” is an app for distinguishing those ever difficult murmurs. I’d recommend it with a set of headphones as it improves the quality. Useful app with some quizzes to help you differentiate the lub-de-derrrss from the lub-dubs.
“instant ECG” and “ECG guide” are both around £3 and as good as each other. I would definitely recommend at least one of these as they cover all aspects of ECGs with examples, thorough explanations, and quizzes to the standard of any textbook. The only difference is “instant ECG” has smaller font and is white writing on black background whereas “ECG guide” is possibly slightly easier to read.
“Pastest” have a free app now which makes accessing your revision questions really easy and has the added bonus of downloading questions for when you have no internet access.
You tube is also very useful for accessing examination videos for free and works really well on the iPhone.
Overall I would highly recommend an iPhone as a medical student, it has saved me on many occasions both from questioning and the boredom suffered from the endless waiting around which many a medical student endures. The rapid access to the internet, which has not made it to much of the hospital student accommodation, is a much needed resource and what I would most recommend it for. The medical apps can be useful but some of them take quite a lot of negotiating which may cause you to appear quite distracted on that ward round. The access to resources is worth the subscription, and I would not be without it now given everything else the iPhone also offers such as GPS for getting to placement! Highly recommended for clinical years, although think would have been a distraction in the lectures early on!
T hats a pretty good summary, thanks for that morgen, pretty comprehensive to say the least.
I cant concentrate in neuroanatomy at the best of times, I think having my twitter out at the same time will make it even worse!!!
I have just done finals and found this app to be extraordinarily useful. Its a whole textbook indexed and was great on ward rounds and quickly getting facts. Loved it.
I have just done finals and found this app *** Pocketmednotes ** to be extraordinarily useful. Its a whole textbook indexed and was great on ward rounds and quickly getting facts. Loved it.