Should you get an iPad for medical school?

Alexa

07 Dec 2024 — 9 min read

This is a very frequently asked question, so I wanted to address it fully. Firstly, I don't think people need an iPad for medical school. However, an iPad can be a great study accessory, and the goal of this post is to explain why you might want to consider getting an iPad for medical school. I'll also talk about what iPad I have, and which one(s) I'd recommend. I included some of my favorite apps, so feel free to check those out all the way at the bottom, and let me know how you decide!

Best gadget in medical school?

If you only have the budget for a single device for medical school, I would recommend considering a laptop over an iPad. I previously wrote at length about my thoughts on this (that blog post is linked here), but in general, I don't think an iPad can fulfill all the functions that my laptop can. Pop over to the blog post to give it a read.

If you were to ask me what my #1 device/study tool in medical school is, it would definitely be my laptop. If you asked me what my best purchase gadget is, I would have to say my Paperwhite Kindle (which has made reading on-the-go so easy and accessible). But my iPad is an undeniable asset in my study arsenal, and if you already have a suitable laptop and are considering getting an accompanying device, continue reading.

How can you use an iPad for medical school classes?

In what way can an iPad enhance your studies in medical school?* There's so many ways, but I'll just list all the things I use my iPad for. Keep in mind that I am not 100% 'paperless' and continue to use notebooks, textbooks and paper, but my iPad is still a great tool.

*Whenever I mention iPad, I mean specifically those that work with the Apple Pencil. I think the iPad is only really worth it if you get an Apple Pencil-compatible one, so going forward, whenever I say 'iPad,' I mean the ones that support the Pencil!

Notetaking: for those classes that I took digital handwritten notes for, it was insanely convenient to have those with me everywhere I went - I could study between classes or when a teacher didn't show up. Additionally, most notetaking apps make it really easy to integrate photos, drawings and even audio recording straight into your notes, be they handwritten or typed. For my pathology classes, our professor drew on the board a lot, and it would have been impossible to type notes on my laptop and incorporate his illustrations smoothly; but Notabilty made this a no-brainer. I also used the audio recording feature (*make sure to ask for permission) and then the 'note replay' feature to go back and listen to those bits that I missed the first time around.
- Lectures: it was incredibly useful when professors uploaded the lectures ahead of time, and that way we could follow along in lecture, just annotating the margins instead of struggling to jot down his/her every word.
Annotating images: medicine is a very visual course, and there were a few classes in particular where an iPad came (or would have come) in handy. I used it religiously for:
- Snapping pictures of the board: instead of frantically scribbling down all the things a teacher wrote/projected onto the board (like a particularly great diagram) and zoning out of what he was actually saying, I could snap a quick picture and insert it into my notes. Massive time-and-sanity saver.
- Pathology (including histopathology), pathophysiology, immunology...: all of these courses are very visual and require arrow keys and flow charts and diagrams.
- Sketchy Medical: I annotated the images on my iPad and it made it so much easier to draw on the pictures. Check out my post on Sketchy (where I talk about why Sketchy Micro totally worth your time) and get a peep at my handwritten Sketchy notes.
- Radiology: only when the teacher was explaining what I'm supposed to be looking at did the radio images actually make sense. With my iPad, I could easily annotate the photo/screenshot we were discussing and make notes for myself for later use.
- Histology/anatomy: if I had had an iPad in first year of medical school, it would have been SO useful for histology; that's another one of those courses that is so visual and difficult to discern on your own.
20 textbooks for the weight of one: using my favorite PDF reader (Foxit Reader), I could access any and all of my PDFs on the go. Not only did it mean less back strain than in high school/college, it also allowed me to get work done in those awkward 1 hour 10 minute breaks that we often had.
Split screen: ability to watch videos on the side and take notes right on my iPad, wherever I was was very convenient. No more worrying about whether I had the taken the right notebook with me - it was all right there.
Saving on paper: I no longer felt the need to print everything out for myself - if it was one of those 'easy' classes whose notes I would never look at again, I no longer wasted the money on printing out their lecture slides; I could swipe through them on my iPad, take the exam, and be done with it.

So, as you can see, an iPad can be used in a variety of ways in classes, and that's from someone who hasn't even gone completely digital.

It's not all work and no play, though. An iPad is great for medical school classes, but it can also as a device for entertainment and hobbies. I use Procreate to try and learn how to draw, and I make my monthly wallpapers on my iPad. Here's an example of one of the wallpapers, and you can download them for free here. I make new ones each month!

I've also dabbled in digital journaling, which has it's own advantages (and disadvantages). The iPad makes bullet journaling digitally a pure joy!

Introducing my iPad

I get a lot of questions about which iPad I have so, so here goes. I linked my particular model in my Amazon Affiliate Storefront (here), but it's definitely not a 'new' one these days.

>> Gold iPad Pro 12.9" - 2nd generation | 64 GB

I bought it in the spring of 2018, from a seller on Craiglist. Risky, I know, but I've had no issues with it so far and I'm glad I was able to save the bit of money. In general, I buy my tech refurbished on Amazon or Best Buy, but I know the options are all different around the world.

>> Apple Pencil

A must, in my mind. I know there are other styluses that are reportedly very functional with the iPad, but I decided that after spending hundreds of dollars on the iPad itself, it would be silly to get a potentially subpar stylus to save $50. If you have a non-Apple Pencil stylus that works really well though, I'd love to hear about it!

>> My accessories

I got my case off Amazon - it's a simple tri-fold one and it gets the job done.
I use a sleeve for my Apple Pencil - when I first got the Pencil, I realized that it was causing wrist ache. The pencil is so narrow and smooth that my hand got fatigued from squeezing it so hard. I think the sleeve helped alleviate this and I rarely have wrist ache now.
Lamicall iPad stand: this is so much sturdier than I expected (it was a gift) and actually holds my laptop in portrait mode (see below to read about my portrait-mode grievances).
I also have a Bluetooth keyboard from Victsing but they're not selling that model anymore so I can't link it. I love the keyboard though, and I would recommend getting a keyboard if you intend to type at all (I rely on the tactile-typing method, so I don't like touchscreen keyboards at all).

So, presumably I've been able to talk you into getting an iPad. I apologize... but now that the decision has been made to get one, there are still a few things to think about.

What iPad size should you get?

This question is so important, and I think I made the wrong call. My iPad is the 12.9" (that's the diagonal measurement), and it's MASSIVE. I don't like it, and I wish I had stuck with the 10.5" (which I used to have).

I thought that the 12.9" would be nicer because I'd be able to nicely split-screen textbook+notepad while taking notes, and while that is true, the rest of the issues with the 12.9" make it not worthwhile.

Things I don't like about my iPad size:

It's massive. I can't grab it out of my bag on the metro because it's so bulky. Oh, and I get weird looks.
It's heavy. When deciding which to bring to school (iPad or Macbook), they weigh about the same, they're about the same size, and I can do tons more with my Macbook, so it's a no brainer. When I need my iPad for something but also my laptop, it becomes really quite heavy.
It's hard to hold. When laying it flat on my desk, it's awesome. But in nearly every other scenario, it's suboptimal: holding it in bed is awkward and uncomfortable, etc.
No portrait-mode cases: for my 10.5", I used to have this awesome 360-rotational case and I could stand it in both landscape and portrait-mode, and I really miss that.

I think the 10.5" is my ideal size; perfect for split-screening, but still portable and light. My friends have the 9.7", and for me that's too small, although my one friend loves hers. The 11" one is very new and I have no experience with it, but it seems like it would be much better than the 12.9".

My advice is to go to an Apple store and try out all the sizes. See how they feel in your hands, pop one in your backpack (and walk out...just kidding). But really, go there and get a proper feel for their width, height, weight, screen size, etc.

What storage size do you need?

I'm not sure what you'll need, but I'll talk a bit about what I have and hopefully that will help you decide. I was worried about not having enough space, but so far the 64GB has been more than enough. I haven't yet had issues where I couldn't download/store things because I was running out of space.

I use my iPad mostly for storing textbooks, some photos, and lots and lots of apps. Oh, and it seems I have a few videos as well, but one of these days I'll get around to deleting the multiple drafts of each of my Instagram videos (one of these days).

Here's an overview of my storage, and to see what apps I have that take up a ton of space, here's that too.

Final thoughts

I guess it comes down to a few key points when it comes to deciding if you should get an iPad for medical school. iPads have become much more affordable now, and you can snatch a little one for quite cheap.

Do you have a good, working laptop (or will the iPad be your only and primary device)?
Can you afford it? Will you buy new, refurbished, used?
Will you be able to get an Apple Pencil compatible one?
Will you use it well/enough to make it worthwhile?
Do you know which size feels most comfortable in your hands?

Bonus: my favorite apps

I hope that this was insightful, and your questions about my iPad were answered. For a quick bonus, here is a short list of my favorite iPad apps:

Procreate: for artwork (doodling, painting, everything) - not free, very worth it
Notability, GoodNotes, Noteshelf: all note-taking apps, and all really good in their own way (let me know if you'd like a comparison!)
InShot & CapCut: one of my favorite video editing tools (check out my list of best tools for content creators here)
Overcast: podcast app
ATracker: productivity/timer app
Foxit PDF Reader: the best PDF reader out there (in my mind)