iMedEd @ UCI School of Medicine

UCIrvine iMedEd iPad App Review

App Name: USMLE Step 2 Secrets, 3rd Edition

Price: $39.99

Brief Description:
This app is an electronic version of the popular book, USMLE Step 2 Secrets, that is used by medical students across the country in preparation for their exam. The app offers the full text of the book, by chapter as well as in “quiz/flashcard” format. It is fully searchable and also features bookmarks.

OVERALL
Pros:
This is an excellent app for someone who is on the go and wants to quickly review (e.g. a medical student with sporadic down time at the hospital). It offers ways to learn at your own pace by picking your own categories of interest to create quizzes, and even lets you email the quiz results to yourself so you can keep track of your progress. It is much more convenient than carrying around a book and does not require internet access for use. There are also images included with the chapters which helps for visual learners.

Cons:
The price point is too high. The book is currently on amazon for $10 less and offers the same content. The added convenience of having a portable app is nice, but there are not enough extra features to justify this price difference, especially since it is a literal conversion of the book to app, without special tailoring to make it app-friendly like rewording the quiz answers to make them more aligned with an easy-to-study “flashcard” format rather than a question/”long answer from a book format”.

Overall rating (Scale of 1-10, 10 is highest): 7
Recommend for medical students: Yes

Reviewer Name: Peggy Bui, MS4
University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine
Review Date: August 16, 2012

Read the complete review at: http://machealthcare.org/articles/35/usmle-step-2-secrets-3rd-editio

UCIrvine iMedEd iPad App Review

App Name: FIRST AID Q&A for the USMLE Step 2 CK

Price: $41.99

Brief Description:
Qbank to prepare for Step 2CK

OVERALL
Pros:
Great qbank for step 2CK. Should NOT replace UWorld, but is definitely a great addition. I had verbatum questions on a few of my shelfs throughout the year as well.

Cons:
none

Overall rating (Scale of 1-10, 10 is highest): 8
Recommend for medical students: Yes

Reviewer Name: Ryan Serrano, MS4
University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine
Review Date: July 25, 2012

Read the complete review at: http://machealthcare.org/articles/34/first-aid-q-a-for-the-usmle-step

UCIrvine iMedEd iPad App Review

App Name: The Merck Manual – Professional Edition

Price: $34.99

Brief Description:
The Merck Manual is a resource for medical professionals that provides clinical information on a multitude of diseases. It allows you to search by symptom, section, or keyword. The resource provides essential information on the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of numerous common and obscure conditions alike.

OVERALL
Pros:
The Merck Manual is a very good reference source for medical information. It is the medical reference app most similar to uptodate.com, and may even be a better information source. The information provided is both accurate and concise. I like that there are multiple ways to search for information including by symptoms, section, or index. I am easily able to find the information I need. When I have a patient with a particular condition, I am able to read the section in the Merck manual quickly, which helps me to formulate my notes and prepare for rounds efficiently.

Cons:
The app is not very visually appealing. It reads like a manual or website page. Many of the graphics (diagrams, tables, charts) require the use of links/pop-ups.

Overall rating (Scale of 1-10, 10 is highest): 9
Recommend for medical students: Yes

Reviewer Name: Aliyah Khan, MS4
University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine
Review Date: August 9, 2012

Read the complete review at: http://www.machealthcare.org/articles/33/the-merck-manual-professional