Laptop for Medical School?

[Bumblegum]

Does anyone have any good recommendations and does it really matter at all? My laptop recently died on me so I was thinking of getting a MacBook Pro since everyone I know that has one it has lasted them years with no issue (however, the high price isn’t ideal).

Does anyone have any input on this?

[bearded frog]

Go with what works best for you and your budget. Most people will have mac laptops nowadays, so any required software etc will be compatible with either mac or windows. If you like handwriting I know some people have gotten the windows tablet/laptop combo things when they were familiar with windows. I know people that have been able to get by with ipads as long as they had a desktop computer at home for the occasional incompatible thing, but more and more school programs are also available for ios recognizing how popular ipads are.

If you can wait and you're interested in a macbook, it's rumoured that Apple will be announcing a new line of laptops at their yearly conference in two weeks, where you can either hold off for the new ones or pick up the current models when they get reduced to clear at best buy etc.

[bread]

I agree with the above! I got a MacBook Air as a high school graduation gift, and am still using it almost every day (8 years later & just finished medical school). Battery life is still amazing, speed is good, it’s still functioning great! Only thing is the storage has become quite full with repeated updates over the years. But I’d 100% get another MacBook when it dies; it’s worth the money in my opinion! I also love that it syncs up with my iPhone; super convenient. But go with what works for you! My classmates used all different types of laptops and tablets during med school

[shikimate]

I will advocate for the opposite, assuming class will be back in person and you'll have access to on campus facilities. Also assume you're paying out of your own cash lol. I'd get a second hand cheap one for not much $. You can use it and not care much for it, and if it breaks at the end of 4 years, you've already got what you need out of it. If you need to do fancy stuff you can always use the computers at school or the hospital. 

full disclaimer I am typing this from a second hand laptop I got for cheap from a electronics pawn shop lol. Works fine for the routine stuff I need and I don't store anything important on it; I put those on an external hard drive and/or cloud. I just don't like the idea of paying more for electronics that'll be outdated in a few years, personal choice. Also full disclaimer I own shares of Apple so if you decide to spend $$$ on their product as a shareholder I say thank you very much from the bottom of my heart!

Also tip: some schools you can scan/print for free at your hospital's library/call room/conference room, so if you can figure that out then might save you some $ if you like your notes on paper.

[lovemedicinesomuch]

7 hours ago, bread said:

I agree with the above! I got a MacBook Air as a high school graduation gift, and am still using it almost every day (8 years later & just finished medical school). Battery life is still amazing, speed is good, it’s still functioning great! Only thing is the storage has become quite full with repeated updates over the years. But I’d 100% get another MacBook when it dies; it’s worth the money in my opinion! I also love that it syncs up with my iPhone; super convenient. But go with what works for you! My classmates used all different types of laptops and tablets during med school

We have exactly the same story!! I love my MacBook Air, and would recommend it  and will buy it again if my computer stops working. 

[Elgar]

Don't feel pressure to buy Mac because everyone has that (if you really like it that's another matter). I currently have an ASUS laptop (touch screen, 2 in one, bought in 2015) that already lasted longer than the 2 previous Macbooks I owned altogether. In then end it really just depends on your preference.

In fact, the computer you own doesn't matter as much as your wi-fi connection these days