Letter from the Director of Educational
Technology
Dear New Students and Parents:
The medical school curriculum is
computerized to a large extent. All of our courses provide extensive
online resources, reading assignments may be from online textbooks, and
online quizzes and cases are commonplace. During your clinical training
you will learn to use extensive Web-based information resources, such
as MEDLINE, MD Consult, and Evidence Essentials+ to help you with
the diagnosis and management of clinical patients.
The Health Sciences Library provides
medical students, graduate students, and residents with a 70 station
computer lab, open 100 hours per week, equipped with the latest
multimedia technology and a broad selection of software. This state of
the art facility has wired and wireless network access in study carrels
and small group study rooms. We also provide computers and wireless
networking in all of our classrooms and student study spaces.
All students in the School of Medicine
at the University of Virginia are required to own a laptop computer
with a broadband Internet connection. Most of our incoming students
already have computers from their undergraduate years. If you plan on
using your present computer, make sure it meets the requirements
in the
Is my Current Computer Adequate? section below. If you purchased
your computer when you entered college you will probably need to
purchase a new model for medical school.
If you need to buy a new computer, we
recommend that you consider one of the configurations described
in
Recommended Laptops for Medical Students. We have also included a
list of the software that we recommend, use, and support. You'll get
the best help from our support staff if you use this software.
The cost of a laptop with a printer is
about $1200 - $2600. You should also budget
at least $100 per year for Internet access. Computer purchases and
Internet access fees can be included in your financial aid package. We
hope that the enclosed information is useful to you in making any
purchase decision.
Of course people need help in learning
to use computers, networks and electronic information resources
effectively. The University offers free classes in Introduction to
Windows, Introduction to the Macintosh, Word, Excel, E-mail, and other
subjects every semester. Consultants in the computing labs are also
available by telephone and E-mail to help answer specific
questions.
Sincerely,
John Jackson, M.Ed.
Director of Educational Technology
jjackson@virginia.edu
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Is My Current Computer Adequate?
Generally computers need to be replaced every three to four years. If
your computer is four years old now you should consider purchasing a
new laptop for medical school. The configuration below is a bare
minimum that would be usable for a year or two. If your system does not
meet these specifications you should consider a new laptop.
Bare Minimum Equipment: Intel Core Duo processor
2.2 GHz, 2 GB RAM, 250 GB hard drive, 1024x768 resolution or higher 15"
display, DVD/CD-ROM, 801.11g WiFi, Ethernet, ink jet printer, VGA jack
or adapter, 21" external monitor, 1 TB external drive, mouse.
What Computer Should I Buy?
Recommended Solutions for Medical Students
The computer industry rolls out new
models and features constantly. Choosing which computer and printer to
buy is complicated, but to make it easier, we’ve listed some
specifications and models at the end of this section for a "most
portable" and a "larger screen" configuration.
Either Windows-compatible or Apple
Macintosh computers are equally appropriate for use at the School of
Medicine. There are a few rare types of software that will not run on
the Macintosh, but we provide nearly all course resources on the Web,
which is platform neutral. Apple computers allow you to purchase and
install Windows if you choose.
We require the ownership of a laptop
computer, rather than a desktop. A laptop computer is a very handy for
taking notes in class, carrying to the library or taking to a
remote clerkship location, and it will be required that you bring a
laptop for many in-class exercises. Be sure that your laptop has a VGA
adapter, which many times is an optional accessory, for you will be
asked to plug in your laptop to large displays and projectors at times
to show your work. You will also need an 21" or larger external
display, and a 1 TB backup drive to support your study of
extensive online documents provided with our courses. Most people will
also benefit from adding a mouse to their laptop package.
Make sure any laptop you buy includes
an Ethernet jack, and 802.11 b/g/n wireless connectivity. Students
living in private housing can access all the University's network based
services such as E-mail, Web, and reference systems remotely. Medical
students find a high speed Cable Modem or DSL connection is a
necessity, in order for multimedia files to load quickly. A DSL or
Cable Modem connection will cost $25-$50 per month, but it can be used
at the same time by several roommates.
If you are buying a new computer, you
will probably want to purchase a printer to make your work easier.
Basic color inkjet printers are available for less than $100, and
sometimes are bundled with new laptops.
Recommended Hardware Configurations:
Windows PC: Dell Latitude E5520, Intel
Core i5 or i7; 4 GB RAM; 500 GB 7200 rpm hard drive; DVD+/-RW drive;
802.11 b/g/n wireless; 10/100/1000 Ethernet; 15.6" WXGA+ display,
webcam; Integrated Speakers; VGA adapter; Carrying Case; Windows 7
Professional, 5.5 lbs; Price range: $1500-$1800.
Macintosh: MacBook Pro: 15.4" widescreen display;
2.0 GHz Intel Quad Core i7; 4 GB RAM; 500 GB hard drive; FireWire 800,
Thunderbolt, and USB 2.0 ports, Slot-loading double-layer SuperDrive
(8x DVD+/-RW); AirPort Extreme (802.11b/g/n), and 10/100/1000 Ethernet;
VGA adapter; Mac OS X 10.6, Weight Weight: 5.6 lbs. Price range: from
$1800.
Windows XP, Vista, or 7?
If buying a new Windows computer, we suggest choosing Windows 7
Professional, 32 bit version, with 4 GB of RAM. We do not recommend
upgrading a computer from one Windows version to a later release, as
there are incompatibilities many times. If using an existing Windows
computer, XP or Vista is fine.
Required Accessories
Our students have found it essential to have a large screen display,
21" or larger, at home for study of online documents. Since our school
has committed to a paperless curriculum to the extent possible, most
readings and presentations are purely online. It is essential to back
up your computer in case of a failure or loss, so a 1 TB external drive
is required, as is a mouse for fast manipulation of documents.
What about a Mobile Device?
All medical students buy a mobile device while in medical school,
but it is not a requirement until the core clerkship year. Typically
students load their mobile unit with reference software that is helpful
while seeing patients in the clerkship and fourth years of medical
school. Many students also find them useful for their calendar, contact
management, to-do lists and note taking capabilities. We currently
recommend that clerkship students buy iPod Touches or iPhones, and our
learning management system is optimized so that content displays well
on these mobile devices. If you are going to buy an iPod soon anyway,
consider getting the Touch or an iPhone so you can load medical
applications as needed. For more information see
our mobile resource site or our
mobile device requirements page.
We have also been evaluating the iPad. Many students may find an
iPad useful, but it does not replace the functionality of a laptop.
While its light weight and long battery life make it a great e-book
reader and web surfer (except for no support for Flash), the touch
screen is not nearly as easy to use for typing as a standard
keyboard.
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Which software should I buy?
The following table highlights most of the standard, supported
software usable in the UVA Health System Library. Many times new
computers come packaged with all the software you will need. But if you
need to purchase software we'll be able to help you better if you
choose one of the packages below.
We require that all students install Symantec Antivirus, which is
available at no charge from UVA. Windows users should also install
Windows Defender to block spyware. Automatic updates for both products
should be turned on.
| Word Processing |
Microsoft Word |
| Spreadsheet |
Microsoft Excel |
| Presentation |
Microsoft PowerPoint |
| Database |
Microsoft Access (Win) Filemaker Pro (Mac) |
| Electronic Mail |
Thunderbird1 |
| Virus / Spyware Protection |
Symantec Endpoint Protection (Win)1,
Symantec Antivirus (Mac)1 |
| Web Browser |
Firefox1 |
| Document Reader |
Adobe Reader(Win)1, Apple
Preview(Mac)1 |
1Software is available free of charge to all
UVA students, faculty, and staff. ITC's Software Download site.
Do I have to buy Microsoft Office?
Faculty frequently distribute documents as Microsoft Word and
PowerPoint files, so you will need a way to open or view these files.
You can either purchase Microsoft Office for $15 at Cavalier Computers,
or use free alternatives to MS Office.
The best free option for Windows is OpenOffice, a open source free
Office suite alternative that works well. It includes a word processor,
spreadsheet, presentation package, database, and drawing package, and
it reads and writes Word and PowerPoint files with few problems.
NeoOffice for Mac is based on Open Office, and has been modified to
work well with Mac OS X. It offers a word processor, spreadsheet,
presentation package, database and drawing package, and reads and
writes Word and PowerPoint files with few problems.
These applications are not officially supported, so you should be
comfortable working with unique software should you like to avoid
purchasing MS Office. If you do buy Microsoft Office, be sure to
purchase it from Cavalier Computers for they offer it for only $15 to
students, much less that you can find elsewhere.
OpenOffice
NeoOffice
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Where should I buy computer hardware and
software?
There are many places to get good deals on computer equipment and
software including mail order, direct from the manufacturers, computer
"superstores," and local retail outlets. When checking prices, be sure
to contact Cavalier Computers, a division of the University of Virginia
Bookstore, which offers educational discounts that meet or beat many
prices available elsewhere. Cavalier Computers is located on the
University grounds and offers the added convenience of packages
designed specifically for medical students, plus local service. You can
contact Cavalier Computers at (800) 759-4667, option 2, or visit their
site at http://www.cavprogram.com to get
information on their packages and order on-line.
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