PDA (Skyscape) software advice

[Guest summervirus]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm going to be starting my third year at the end of August so I think I'm going to invest in a PDA. I was looking around the Skyscape site for software. I don't really know much about what's good and what's not; but, I hear my classmates talking about 5MCC and Tarascon's a lot. Can you guys give me some advice?

 

1. Are the5-Minute Clinical Consult 2004 and The Washington Manual similar products? If they are, does anyone recommend one over the other?

 

2. I've been told that Tarascon's is great because it also has Canadian trade names. I also noticed that Skyscape has similar products: A2zDrugs andDrDrugs. DrDrugs, I've read, has Canadian names too. Has anyone tried this? The reason I ask is because if I buy DrDrugs/A2zDrugs with either 5MCC or The Wash Mnl, I get a discount, whereas there is none with Tarascon's.

 

3. I've been reading the old posts and I noticed that "On Call" is a life-saving pocket book. I tried searching for a PDA-version of it with no luck. Does anyone know if it exists for the PDA?

 

4. Are there any other "vital" programs that I should consider but I missed?

 

Thanks all!

[Guest UWOMED2005]

I went with Tarascon, epocrates AND Lexidrugs. Tarascon and Lexidrugs are better for Canadian drug names, epocrates is quick in a pinch and good for renal dosing.

 

I'd go with 5 minute clinical consult. It's a better resource on PDA.

 

Washington Handbook though is great for Internal Med. Only thing better is the Pocket Companion to Medicine (can't remember the exact title.)

 

I have a copy of Interal Med Oncall, by Skyscape. It's not the real On Call - I bought the book as well which I find more useful.

 

Best free PDA med resource available (by far):

 

http://www.fppda.com

 

I just found it myself. In particular, C-spine, Pneumo calc, and PEPaths are great for algorithms and criteria you just can't be bothered to memorize.

[Guest summervirus]

Cool, thanks!

[Guest cradlecrotch]

Go on Ebay and search under "palm medical"...get more palm software than you'll know what to do with on one CD for like 20 bucks. PS copyright infringement is wrong...bad med student.

[Guest cheech10]

A good program is OCM (Outlines in Clinical Medicine). Not just for the wards but great as a quick reference. More like a mini-textbook on the go.

[Guest Ian Wong]

Floating back to the top...

 

Ian