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Top 10 Must-Have Apps for Medical Students

Getting through medical school may be one of the most challenging trials you’ll face in your lifetime. The good news? You don’t have to do it alone. We’re not even talking about the lifelong friends you’ll make along the way, but instead about the abundance of 21st-century tools at your disposal. Topping the list? Apps. Let’s count down 10 picks aimed at helping you make the most out of medical school.

Sep 6, 2023
  • Student Tips
Top 10 Must-Have Apps for Medical Students

Getting through medical school may be one of the most challenging trials you’ll face in your lifetime. The good news? You don’t have to do it alone. We’re not even talking about the lifelong friends you’ll make along the way, but instead about the abundance of 21st-century tools at your disposal. Topping the list? Apps. Let’s count down 10 picks aimed at helping you make the most out of medical school.

1. MedCalX

Medical students, residents and physicians keep their cell phones handy at all times, and not so they can keep up with texts from their friends. Why then? Because apps like MedCalX help them do their jobs better. This medical calculator puts access to complex medical formulas, scores, scales and classifications literally at your fingertips.

Available in five languages with more on the way, MedCalX can be customized with your favorite equations meaning you’ll be ready to go with the information you need when time-sensitive situations arise.

2. Prognosis

What do you get when you combine more than 600 specialist-vetted case scenarios across 30 specialties into one medical educational aid? The ability to test and hone your diagnostic abilities in a simulated real-world setting. Prognosis may look and even feel like a game, but it’s also an extremely efficient tool for learning from mistakes and developing decision-making skills.

There’s a reason why this app has been downloaded more than four million times since late 2015 alone, and is used by a breadth and depth of healthcare professionals, including medical students, doctors and nurses.

3. Micromedex

A trusted industry resource for more than 40 years and currently used by 3,500 hospitals in 80 countries, Micromedex offers evidence-based information aimed at helping doctors, pharmacists, and other members of the healthcare team make safe, informed care decisions.

Also an invaluable go-to for med students, the user-friendly Micromedex drug information app is a convenient single source of clinical information, thanks to a database consisting of more than 4,500 search terms, including generic and common trade names, indications, contraindications, adverse effects, and everything else doctors need to make safe, informed care decisions.

4. Eponyms

According to “Whonamedit,” a dictionary of medical eponyms, there are more than 8,000 medical eponyms named after the people (or places or things) associated with the identification of the disease. Needless to say, keeping track of these eponyms can be a chore. This free app lets users browse and search thousands of common medical eponyms -- perfect for medical students already struggling with managing an immense amount of information.

5. PEPID

Described by InternetMedicine.com as “the hidden gem of medical apps,” this mobile solution grants users access to all of the functionality for which web-based solutions provider PEPID has long been known but at the precise point of care.

What can you do with PEPID? Quickly and easily navigate clinical and drug content, take and share notes with classmates and colleagues, find critical drug interactions, and improve your DDx (differential diagnosis) capabilities -- all on-the-fly.

While PEPID is on the expensive side, most users agree that its usefulness far exceeds its cost.

6. Daily Rounds

Updated daily, this new kind of digital journal puts the latest clinical cases from med schools around the world in your back pocket. Daily Rounds’ case-based, problem-solving approach gives medical students a first-hand look at new, relevant and well-curated clinical scenarios for a unique and ongoing learning process.

7. Medscape

This highly-rated app has been downloaded more than 10 million times by the world’s healthcare professionals. Features include medical news; drug information and tools; clinical presentations, workups and treatment information; and even continuing medical education courses.

Don’t have access to the internet at the moment? Offline access means you can still take advantage of this popular app.

8. Epocrates

This leading medical reference app is trusted by healthcare providers to support decisions, save time, and delivers patient-focused care in an instant thanks to everything from drug interaction checks to in-depth, peer-reviewed disease content.

Considering that time is one of a med student’s most valuable assets, feedback from users indicating that Epocrates saves at least 20 minutes a day is reason enough to download this app.

9. Brainscape

Medical school students study. A lot. But what if there was a way you could easily increase your active recall and metacognition? There is, and it’s called spaced repetition. This app, which bills itself as “flashcards on steroids,” harnesses the power of this scientifically-proven retention technique to help students learn more easily and efficiently.

In addition to testing their knowledge with Brainscape’s “smart flashcards,” users can also benchmark their progress, share with others, and bookmark cards for review at a later time.

10. Human Anatomy Atlas

Whether you love anatomy, hate anatomy, or something in the middle, this anatomically accurate, 3D atlas of the male and female body just may be your new best friend.

Considered the “gold standard” of anatomy reference apps, the Human Anatomy Atlas comprises more than 10,000 3D structures (along with the ability to zoom, pan, and rotate from multiple viewpoints), as well as definitions, pronunciations, Latin terms, and explanations. Then, test your knowledge thanks to more than 1,000 quiz questions.

From juggling copious amounts of information to keeping up with the very best practices in patient care, today’s med students have a lot to learn. And while medical school may not be easy, these 10 apps not only make the experience more manageable, but can also help you become a better student and future physician in the process.

Joanna Hughes

Author

Joanna worked in higher education administration for many years at a leading research institution before becoming a full-time freelance writer. She lives in the beautiful White Mountains region of New Hampshire with her family.