Medical iPhone Apps for Third Year Med Students

Here’s the list of medical iPhone apps I most used during third year. I’ve tried to list the most useful apps, skipping any that had one helpful screen and a bunch of garbage or bloat features. If you’re an Android user I also tried to note if there’s a GooglePlay version, but please add any alternatives in the comments. I did not include apps which I assume you started using during medical school, however they are listed at the end of the post as “basics”.

Free Medical iPhone Apps

Most free apps require that you setup an account to download or login, which is well worth it.

• AAFP apps require membership, but we highly recommend you try them out, especially AAFP By Topic – many are available on Android, too. AAFP is free for students!
• Medscape (Android) – great for quick reviews of medical issues
• CDC Vaccine Schedule (Android) – you will be looking at this a lot in pediatrics and FM well child checks
• AHRQ ePSS (Android)- want to know what preventive services fit your patient? Answer four yes/no questions and enter their age!

iPhone Apps that Cost

• qBanks – If you’ve paid for COMBANK you can get the TrueLearn app “free”, and if you’ve paid for Uworld there’s an app for that too. Note that UWorld is paranoid and wants access to your photos, so think twice if you have ever had an embarrassing photo stored on your phone.
• Sanford Antibiotic Guide – It’s pricey, costing $30 each year, but I used my tiny paperback exhaustively third year, and the app is a lot easier and faster. Plus, one less book to carry. Both iPhone and Android versions.

Price May Vary Apps

• Epocrates – Hands down best way to look up medications. Get dosages, frequent reasons for use, side effects and contraindications. The iPad version is very well layed out, and the iPhone version works fast and has easy navigation. Students can get free access just by creating an account and contacting customer support. Why? They know you’ll get hooked and pay for the real thing as a doctor.
• If your school provides access to DynaMed or UpToDate you can get in-depth information on basically everything. For UpToDate you have to login to a personal account, using your school access, every so often, and are limited to two devices per account; however, it is worth the pain in the neck to be able to get answers you can’t find in Medscape or Epocrates.

My Top Five iPhone Apps

• Medscape / Epocrates
• UpToDate
• AAFP by Topic
• Any qBank
• Sanford Guide

Miscellaneous Apps To Consider

Finally, here’s a list of various medical iPhone Apps I still have on my phone from various clerkships, and found useful enough to keep on my phone after the rotation ended. They’re free unless a price is listed, and with the exception of PressorDex are all pretty reasonably priced for what they provide.

• Improve your Differentials – Diagnosaurus ($4.99) (Android)
• General – Eye Chart Vision Screening App, ASCVD Risk Estimator (Android)
• EM, Urgent Care – EMRA’s Basics of EM ($2.99), ACEP’s Toxicology Antidote App (onAndroid)
• ICU, IM and EM – EMRA’s PressorDex  ($16.99), STAT NIH Stroke Scale
• Infectious Disease – CDC Antibiotic Guidelines (Android) and definitely get the Sanford Guide
• OB – PregWheel, Postpartum Hemorrhage (Android)
• Peds – BiliCalc ($1.99) (Android)
• Psych – Psych on Demand ($1.99)
• OMM – I have two apps, neither is impressive, which is why one is free and the other less than a dollar. OMM Guide and OMM Cards with Chapman’s Points ($0.99) – however, the ACOFP does have DO OMT ($5.99) (Android) and I really ought to buy that at some point, but only realized it existed after my OMM shelf.
• Might be Overkill – MD on Call ($6.99) (Android) has some useful info, but more aimed at interns on medicine; if you have an interest in IM consider it.
• Basics – Evernote (Android), Dropbox (Android), Notability ($5.99)

Are there any other medical iPhone apps you think are a must have for third year? Let us know in the comments!