Deejfenn Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Hello everyone, I was wondering who has had experience with tools/gadgets that have been a help while in PA school? I have heard of buying a book stand, or using dry erase boards to help schedule everything out. Does anyone else have a suggestion of a tool that helped/saved them while in PA school? Thanks, DJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaston Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Xbox 360? ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenmood Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Do what makes you comfortable. You'll probably drop most of the new stuff you start by halfway through your first quarter. You know how to study or you wouldn't have gotten into PA school. Starting a bunch of new study methods with new tools and "gadgets" is stressful, and it can hurt your test scores. My recommendation is to use what you already know works for you. If you like using your trusty planner to organize your day and your thoughts, keep using it. Transitioning to a dry erase board will eat up chunks of your time as you learn how to use your "efficient" new system, when you could be focusing your energy on memorizing cardiac anatomy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator True Anomaly Posted March 8, 2012 Moderator Share Posted March 8, 2012 I played with several different methods of trying to retain material, and just through a process of elimination settled on something that worked for most of school. I'd venture to say that the vast majority of people start with one method (either with materials and/or study groups or studying on their own), and end up with a completely different method of studying that's probably different than how they did their pre-req's/undergrad. So while I could say I ended up taking the PowerPoint slides from lecture and typing notes at the bottom of the screen and studying with other guys in my class and doing many questions for review, this might not work for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Steve Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Smaller cocktail glass for the evening beverage. I found using the Mason quart sized canning jars resulted in my pours being too much. Resulted in me drinking past my budget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted March 8, 2012 Administrator Share Posted March 8, 2012 I found a lot of value in whiteboarding things like coagulation pathways. "Writing it down" seems to work well for helping me retain things. Also, I really valued an iPod and medical podcasts for use on long car trips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paporzelt Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Smaller cocktail glass for the evening beverage. I found using the Mason quart sized canning jars resulted in my pours being too much. Resulted in me drinking past my budget. Funny - i blamed PA school for putting me over my drinking budget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paporzelt Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Seriously though - I was a minimialist with gadgety things. I took notes by hand. then transcripbed them (or rather organized them because i was so often scribbling a note in haste it was scattered all over the page), and saved all those notes. When I had a test on that material whether it was the next week or clinical year, all i had to do was look up my saved documents and printit all and carry it around, and i had all th study material i needed for a given test, and it fit in my purse, or i emailed it to myself so i could study off my iphone. The dry erase board is really only worth it if you plan on hosting study groups. My study group used the dry erase boards in the group study rooms at our library. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HLReed Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 One thing I really like to use is Accessmedicine.com. It's a site that my school, the main hospital and the VA hospital all subscribe to. It basically compiles a bunch of great textbooks (including Harrison's) and allows you to search them all simultaneously. They often update information weekly or daily so it will be more current than a paper textbook. There are also some good tools, images, etc on the site. I would try to find out if your school or hospital has a subscription. There is also a mobile version. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtg1111 Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 I believe the dry erase board was the most valuable asset I owned during didactic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtg1111 Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 I believe the dry erase board was the most valuable asset I owned during didactic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devildoc0311 Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Get a heavy duty laser printer (the ones that take toner, not ink) off Craigslist. Something like this: http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/834066/HP-LaserJet-P2035-Monochrome-Laser-Printer/ I picked one up off CL for $50 and use it to print all of my ppts and notes. These things can print like 15k pages off one toner cartridge which can be bought on ebay for $30! Oh and I almost forgot. Get a really good, BIG coffee mug haha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devildoc0311 Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Get a heavy duty laser printer (the ones that take toner, not ink) off Craigslist. Something like this: http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/834066/HP-LaserJet-P2035-Monochrome-Laser-Printer/ I picked one up off CL for $50 and use it to print all of my ppts and notes. These things can print like 15k pages off one toner cartridge which can be bought on ebay for $30! Oh and I almost forgot. Get a really good, BIG coffee mug haha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike mike Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 I start school in a few months and my superviser recommended I get an iphone (yeah, I don't have on yet) so I could download he epocrates app. I was checking it out and I must say it looks really cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike mike Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 I start school in a few months and my superviser recommended I get an iphone (yeah, I don't have on yet) so I could download he epocrates app. I was checking it out and I must say it looks really cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike mike Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Smaller cocktail glass for the evening beverage. I found using the Mason quart sized canning jars resulted in my pours being too much. Resulted in me drinking past my budget. I like this suggestion too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike mike Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Smaller cocktail glass for the evening beverage. I found using the Mason quart sized canning jars resulted in my pours being too much. Resulted in me drinking past my budget. I like this suggestion too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joelseff Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Medscape app is better and its free. Epocrates free is limited and not worth the upgrade imo. And im anti iphone...android for my phone and tab and ubuntu linux on my laptop Keep software open source! Lol Sorry always been a computer geek... Sent from my myTouch_4G_Slide using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joelseff Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Medscape app is better and its free. Epocrates free is limited and not worth the upgrade imo. And im anti iphone...android for my phone and tab and ubuntu linux on my laptop Keep software open source! Lol Sorry always been a computer geek... Sent from my myTouch_4G_Slide using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Steve Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 big fan of medscape here, roomie uses skyscape. I also tap into micromedex a fair bit. Not to mention the apps for lab values and such but I am finding that I am memorizing most of those with repeated exposure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Steve Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 big fan of medscape here, roomie uses skyscape. I also tap into micromedex a fair bit. Not to mention the apps for lab values and such but I am finding that I am memorizing most of those with repeated exposure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IdahoPA Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 I'm old school and like to use index cards for everything. When I have a lot of material to go through, I enlist my husband's help. The reason for this is three-fold: 1.) though he is generally easy-going, he is crazily merciless when it comes to the cards so I have to be right AKA I can't just skim through which helps me enormously 2.) related, he'll toss off questions since he doesn't actually know the subject and while he's asking for curiosity, it's also a great test of whether I can explain the subject 3.) it's a huge mental boost to have his support and though it's admittedly a lame way to get face time, it is face time. :) I plan to use this same method for PA school and have already told him we're gonna have boring-to-him nights. He's a champ. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IdahoPA Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 I'm old school and like to use index cards for everything. When I have a lot of material to go through, I enlist my husband's help. The reason for this is three-fold: 1.) though he is generally easy-going, he is crazily merciless when it comes to the cards so I have to be right AKA I can't just skim through which helps me enormously 2.) related, he'll toss off questions since he doesn't actually know the subject and while he's asking for curiosity, it's also a great test of whether I can explain the subject 3.) it's a huge mental boost to have his support and though it's admittedly a lame way to get face time, it is face time. :) I plan to use this same method for PA school and have already told him we're gonna have boring-to-him nights. He's a champ. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joelseff Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Thats awesome la.lewis. use what worked for u in the past PA school is just newer info so dont change study tools n style. Its also great to be able to spend time w/ spouse and kids during school. I had to move away from wife n kids and went home on wknds for pa school. Making up for it now...good luck with school Sent from my myTouch_4G_Slide using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joelseff Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Thats awesome la.lewis. use what worked for u in the past PA school is just newer info so dont change study tools n style. Its also great to be able to spend time w/ spouse and kids during school. I had to move away from wife n kids and went home on wknds for pa school. Making up for it now...good luck with school Sent from my myTouch_4G_Slide using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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