Medical Students
Biomedical Engineering
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Third Year Medical Student Mobile Device Requirement
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updated 2/10/2012 If you will be purchasing a new mobile device we recommend the following models: Standard
The iPod Touch and iPhone use the same operating system and can run the same software. Both have WiFi built in, and have identical iPod capabilities for playing music, videos and podcasts. The iPhone is also a cell phone, and is now available on AT&T, Sprint and Verizon networks. It also includes a camera, microphone and speakers which are not included in the iPod Touch. The iPhone allows you to check mail and surf the web over a cell phone connection, as well as a WiFi connection. Both models work equally well for medical applications. Should I get the models with more memory? Both iPod Touch and iPhone models are available with more memory. Eight GB is fine for running medical applications. The only reason to consider the higher capacity models is if you want to store large amounts of music or video on your device. Where to Buy: iPod Touches are available at all Apple retail locations, including Cavalier Computers, Walmart and Best Buy. iPhones are available only through AT&T retail locations,Verizon, Walmart, Best Buy and Apple's online store. How much are iPhone calling plans? Please see AT&T's current iPhone plan information, Verizon's information and Sprint's information. Desktop/Laptop Connectivity A personal computer with Internet access is recommended to install mobile software and perform regular updates. See the Apple site for minimum operating system requirements. Other SmartPhones How about Blackberrys? While Blackberrys are reasonable phones, the medical software available for this platform lags behind the iPod Touch/iPhone and they are generally not as easy to use, and sales of this platform are rapidly dropping. We do not recommend Blackberrys at this time, and no support is offered by the school of medicine or ITC. How about Android based Smartphones, like the Droid? There is less medical software available for the Android operating system, and through extensive testing we have found the Android platform to not be as easy to use, as reliable, or as secure as the Apple iPhone. We do not recommend or support Android devices at this time. How about Palm Pre or Pixi Smartphones? We do not recommend or support the current generation of Palm smartphones. They are not compatible with legacy medical applications that were available on earlier models. There is very little medical software available for the Palm platform currently.
The number of applications for this platform and the functionality lags far behind the iPod Touch/iPhone. We do not recommend or support Windows Mobile devices. Mobile Medicine Portal & Available SoftwareStudents most frequently use mobile devices for quick access to reference materials and medical calculators. We have developed a portal specifically for use by mobile devices, Mobile Medicine, to give quick access to resources, software and instructions on how to set up your device. Bookmark it in your mobile device's web browser. The entire Student Source web site is optimized to display well on an iPhone, iPod touch, or Android devices. We also maintain a list of recommended mobile apps. Links to downloads for other recommended mobile software packages can be found at the Health Sciences Library's Mobile Resource page .
The Health Sciences Library offers walk-in assistance in setting up your mobile device for the UVa wireless network and UVa email. They also maintain a collection of online documentation answering common questions on these devices. For assistance, visit the Library's Service Desk, or contact them here via phone, IM, or text. Have questions about your current mobile device and the requirement? Contact John Jackson at jjackson@virginia.edu or 924-1528. |
