I have recently been asked by new PA students on Instagram what apps I use and find helpful in PA school so I thought I'd share it on the blog. I'd like to clarify that I am not getting any compensation by any company and these opinions are completely my own and are based on the experiences I've had with them.
Quizlet
My classmates and I have used quizlet all throughout didactic year. There are multiple ways to study and we find it really helpful to be able to go through a quick round of flashcards after studying to test our knowledge before a test or a quiz. I don't use Quizlet regularly but it's quite useful while you're sitting in a waiting room or going for a quick walk.
Complete anatomy
I talked about complete anatomy in an earlier post. It is the most helpful app I had during my first semester of PA School. However, it is now available not only on iPads but also on MacBooks! I loved having it on my iPad due to being able to manipulate everything with a touch of my finger rather than using a trackpad, but either way it would be really helpful! A more budget friendly anatomy app is Essential Anatomy. I haven't used it personally but a lot of my classmates found it just as helpful.
Medscape
In my opinion, this is the best free medical reference that is out there, even better than WebMd (gasp). All you have to do is make an account and you have all the information you need at your fingertips. A simple search for a disease state will pull up an overview, clinical presentation, the differential, workup, treatment, management, and medications. It also has procedures and pill identifier along with the latest news. Basically everything you need to know is in one place and its very convenient and resourceful.
Epocrates
I have already used epocrates to look up drugs, dosing, side effects, any black box warnings, etc. without even setting foot in a clinic. I can only imagine how helpful it's going to be in the future. This app is free but there is also a paid version that comes with more perks. So far I have only ventured into utilizing the free version but may switch over in the future if I feel the need to.
MedCalc
Literally the only calculator you will need in practice. It has every possible criteria, scoring system, or algorithm you need. It's free and all you need to do is register with them!
Murmur Pro, Lab Values +, PhysicalExam, Top 200 Drugs
One of my classmates recommended to buy all of these four as a package and it is really helpful to be able to have lab values on hand as a reference and to be able to listen to the different murmurs to distinguish them from each other. I honestly haven't used the other two as much because I have gotten so used to using Epocrates.
CV Risk Assist
This is helpful in determining the cardiovascular risk in a patient when determining their management. I think this will be more useful once someone is on rotations as opposed to the classroom, but we have still used it in our Pharmacology class to while doing case studies.
Microsoft Office
This goes without saying. Powerpoint and Word are my two most used apps since we get our lectures in a ppt and I make my study guides using word.
iCloud, OneDrive, Google Drive, etc.
Make sure you have all of your PA school documents backed up somewhere. This is so important in case your computer crashes or you lose it or whatever. It doesn't matter what kind of a back up system you use as long as you have one. I started out with OneDrive but have ended up with iCloud since I have all Apple devices and it's just a lot easier for me to keep them all synced.
iCal, Reminders, Spotify/Pandora
These are some common apps used by everyone across the board, regardless of the profession you're in. I use iCal to put in our class schedule for the entire semester once we get it. This way, I always know what class is next, what time it starts, and when our exams and quizzes are scheduled. Our schedule changes a little from week to week so there's no way we can memorize it. I also use reminders to make sure all my bills are paid on time, what errands I need to run, grocery list, etc. And then some music apps to get me through hours of studying (I usually have classical music in the background while I study because sitting in complete silence all day can drive you nuts sometimes).
Now there are a lot of other apps that some of you might use that are not listed here. These are just the few that I used and have had the chance to play with. If you have any others that you'd like to share, please feel free to leave a comment below so we can all try them out together! :)
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