Smartphones and tablet computers have radically altered the way that people get their information, and some of the biggest advantages are available to doctors and medical students. They need to learn and memorize an immense body of complicated information relating to the human body, and while the human mind is a remarkable machine, it’s prone to errors, and it’s imperative that those within the medical field have access to sound reference guides when the situation calls for it. The apps available on Apple’s app store can replace numerous tomes, and they give doctors the information they need with a few taps of an iPad screen.
Gray’s Anatomy for Students for iPad
No med student should be without a Gray’s Anatomy textbook, and the iPad version contains all of the information from the latest edition. Thousands upon thousands of pages are condensed into information on a computer screen; not only does it provide full color illustrations, it enables students to do what a plain paper textbook never could. They can add notations wherever they like, and every screen offers pinch and zoom functionality. It’s everything a student needs to successfully navigate his or her academic career.
Pocket Body
Pocket Body provides a complete 3D model of the human body that can be viewed from a variety of angles, and it includes search and quiz functions that make it easy to find specific information relating to each part of the human anatomy.
Visible Body
Visible Body is an app that may well replace traditional textbooks over time. Like Pocket Body, it provides an overview of each part of the human anatomy, but what makes it special is the ability to highlight specific parts of the body and to manipulate the model in ways that other apps don’t allow. The 3D model itself is like a textbook illustration come to life, and it’s one of the most informative and intuitive apps currently available for the iPad.
Essentials of Clinical Anatomy by Inkling
Yet another textbook has been successfully ported to the iPad, and like Gray’s Anatomy, it’s better for it. While it’s aimed at med students, professionals at all levels within the field of medicine can benefit for having it on hand. It combines various forms of audio and visual media with quizzes and other features to both enhance learning and to make it easy to find information that someone may have forgotten. It’s also available either as one piece of software or smaller apps that each contain a chapter of the larger book.
The NOVA Series Collection
NOVA offers apps covering all of the specific systems within the human body. All of the apps are easy to use, and they provide a comprehensive overview of whatever they cover. Each app also provides detailed 3D models that can be manipulated or searched as desired, and no med student or healthcare professional should be caught without a NOVA app.
In Closing
Devices like the iPad have only begun to revolutionize the medical field. The software that’s currently available is far superior to analog textbooks or encyclopedias, and it’s only going to get better as time goes on.
Natalie Grey is a full-time writer for higher ed blogs and journals nationwide. Several schools offer degrees in the health field, including University of Southern California and Berkeley University.