Mac Recommendations for Med School

[Slydude]

I'm not sure this is the best place for this thread. Mods/admin, feel free to move this as you see fit.

I'm wondering if one of our members might have some helpful/experience/suggestions.

One of my nieces will finish her senior year at college this Spring with an eye toward med school. She is currently using a MacBook Pro that I recommended for her several years ago and she has decided it's time for a replacement. She'd like to continue with a Mac if possible. I have a couple of months to figure it out since she won't replace the current machine till Spring.

I've got to get this right though, I'd rather she continue to think I am a Mac genius. She has a wicked sense of humor and won't let me live it down if I get this wrong. I've asked her to check on whether there is specific software she might need to run.

My gut instinct says the current MacBook Air line would serve her well for some time to come. I'd suggest a Mini but I'm pretty sure she'd prefer to maintain the portability of a notebook.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

My guess is that at this point your niece could probably tell you which Mac that she needs better than you could guess. I'm sure that her school gives her some guidelines, and that she knows what she has needed with respect to portability, number of ports, etc.

A much more important topic... My wife is a physician. A pretty impressive one, actually, if you don't mind me saying so. She got her medical degree from Stanford, and she also has degrees from Harvard, Case Western, and U.C. Davis. She is always happy to chat with young women who are interested in pursuing a career in medicine. She has been very helpful in assisting some folks who asked for advice on how to get into medical school. If your niece is interested, I'm sure that we could arrange for the two of them to chat.

(On the other hand, it's been my experience that a lot of young folks don't understand the value of having someone in the profession to talk to and give them invaluable advice. I've just about given up on talking to any young people who have an eye towards law school. They don't listen.)

 

[IWT]

I doubt I can contribute much of any real use, being in the UK. What I can say is that the majority of Medical School students here use Apple products more or less exclusively.

And this continues into their post graduation professional careers where an even larger proportion use Apple products.

The iPhone is a fairly understandable choice. When it comes to computers, virtually all go for Laptop/Notebook machines; MacBooks very clearly the most purchased.

What I can contribute from my own experience is:

1. that screen size is really important
2. that storage space is more of value than "speed"
3. there are many medical apps and online sites available (usually free/discounted to medical students, but rather expensive for qualified Doctors) and storage space is king.

Apps that are used for interrogating radiological images are not only expensive but require a generous storage capacity; again storage > speed.

I expect this will be of limited usefulness for you Sly, but as guidelines, maybe a nod in the right direction?

Ian

 

[Slydude]

@Randy, I suggested that she speak to a few people who might be able to give her some specific guidance about this. She has also been fortunate to meet a physician who likes to encourage young people, particularly women, considering medicine as a career. Thank you for offering your wife's advice. I will pass that on to her later today, Don't be surprised if she doesn't take you up on the offer. Her dad has made sure she understands the value of taking advice from people with experience,

@ian, Thanks for the suggestions. Since she is practical and would like to keep the machine for as long as possible, the extra storage space is important (since the current models aren't user-upgradeable). I was leaning in the direction of suggesting that she pick up a decent monitor for those times she is not in class but needs to get work done.

I'll mention those apps/online resources available to students. That had not occurred to me.

 

[MacInWin]

Sly, I just bought my wife an MBA M2, the 15" size. The screen is really nice and large, considering it is a portable. If her school's applications run on the Mac, that could be a good solution.

 

[Slydude]

Sly, I just bought my wife an MBA M2, the 15" size. The screen is really nice and large, considering it is a portable. If her school's applications run on the Mac, that could be a good solution.

We were texting a bit yesterday afternoon and I'm learning in that direction in that direction, depending, of course, upon what answers she gets from the school. The current MacBook Air models will be lighter and perform better than the MB Pro she is using now.

IIRC, I got her current machine used a few years ago. She's going to send me the specs but I'm pretty sure her current Mac is one of the Intel MBPro models.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

...Her dad has made sure she understands the value of taking advice from people with experience...

It's much more than that. Getting into medical school, getting a good residency/internship, and getting a good job are all wildly enhanced by who you know and who puts in the good word for you.

My wife got one kid that she knew, who had been turned down by all the medical schools that he had applied to, into the medical school of his choice. She knew who to talk to and what to tell them.

If your niece doesn't do anything else, may I recommend that she read the book:

What Color Is Your Parachute
(the book is updated every year, but even an old used copy is worth reading)

 

[Slydude]

She has been staying connected with one or two doctors that she met a few years ago. She has also participated in a summer program set up for persons interested in med school. It was at Baylor University IIRC. Normally I would have heard from her by now but she has a volleyball l tournament this weekend and practice may have run a little long.

The volleyball scholarship has covered a lot of her undergrad expenses.

Thanks for the book recommendation. I have been racking my brain trying to remember the name of that book. She and I have also discussed joining a like-minded study group so they can help each other study/prepare for exams.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

Thanks for the book recommendation. I have been racking my brain trying to remember the name of that book.

My pleasure. I sure wish that I had heard about that book earlier in my life. My wife told me about What Color Is Your Parachute, and How To Win Friends and Influence People, but unfortunately only after I really didn't need them anymore.