• Letter from the Director of Educational Technology
• Is my Current Computer Adequate?
• What Computer Should I Buy?
• What Software Should I Buy?
• Where Should I Buy Computer Hardware and Software?

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 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, and large monitors that can be connected to laptops. 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 $200 per year for shared 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 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, 13" display, DVD/CD-ROM, 801.11g WiFi, Ethernet, ink jet printer, VGA jack or adapter, 21" external monitor, 1 TB external drive, mouse. 

During orientation students will present their laptops to school of medicine IT staff for review. If equipment does not need the requirements, students will be directed to purchase a new laptop immediately. The specifications above are the minimums required to take web based exams within our curriculum and exams in the clerkships administered by the National Board of Medical Examiners.  

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. 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. Netbooks and Chromebooks do not meet our minimum requirements. 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:

Some students value portability and lighter weight, while others value the flexibility of a larger screen, so we have options for both below. Please note that at least a 13" display is required. These recommended packages are available from Cavalier Computers. 

Windows PC 15": Dell Latitude E6530, 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.

Windows PC 13": Dell Latitude E6330, 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; 13.3" WXGA+ display,  webcam; Integrated Speakers; VGA adapter; Carrying Case; Windows 7 Professional, 5.5 lbs; Price range: $1300-$1600.

Macintosh 15": MacBook Pro: 15.4" widescreen display; 2.3 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.

Macintosh 13": MacBook Pro: 13" widescreen display; 2.5 GHz Intel Quad Core i5; 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: 4.5 lbs. Price range: from $1200.

Windows 7 or 8?
If buying a new Windows computer, we suggest choosing Windows 7 Professional, 32 bit version, with 4 GB of RAM. Windows 8 is acceptable, but is more trouble prone than Windows 7. Some computer stores only carry laptops with Windows 8, but Cavalier Computers offers laptops with either. 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, you should have Windows 7. Windows XP is not adequate for entrance to medical school.

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. A large screen makes it much easier to have multiple documents open while studying. 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, as well as our patient logging app. 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 a new phone soon anyway, consider getting an iPhone so you can load our medical applications as needed. For more information see our mobile resource site or our mobile device requirements page.

We have also evaluated 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), creating and modifying documents is not optimal, and the screen is relatively small.

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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 Endpoint Protection, 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.

¹Software is available free of charge to all UVA students, faculty, and staff. ITS's Software Central 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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