By: Amand Tasripin
Pacific University College of Optometry Class of 2014
View part 1 of this article by clicking here
There are quite a few smartphone apps I have used quite frequently, and they may help you out in optometry school. I personally use an iPhone, however, these apps, or similar apps are also available for Android and Blackberry smartphones. Most are free, one or two are less than $10.00
- Epocrates (free version Apple App Store) – great for Pharmacology. Very comprehensive ophthalmic drugs section.
- Wikipedia (free version Apple App Store) – great for general reference.
- Eye Handbook (free version Apple App Store) – really helpful for visual aid for Ocular Disease.
- Dictionary (free version Apple App Store) – helpful for some medical terms.
- Camscanner (free version Apple App Store) – lets you save smartphone photos as PDF files – great for whiteboard photos, but at a fraction of the file size.
- Unit Converter (free version Apple App Store) – really helpful for quick computations & conversions.
- Dragon Dictation (free version Apple App Store) – this one is still working the bugs out, and isn’t great for classes that use a lot of technical jargon, but it did okay for my practice management class. Could be useful.
- Flashcards – (about $3-$10 depending on version – Apple App Store) – I used this app all through Pharmacology and the quiz me feature was especially helpful.
- Pandora (free version Apple App Store) – Absolutely necessary when studying at the library.
- Web based flashcards: www.flashcardmachine.com – see above
- Cheap Gas (free version Apple App Store) – locates the most inexpensive fuel options based on your GPS location. I used this one every week or two.
View part 1 of this article by clicking here
These recommendations are the culmination of trial and error (mostly error) experiments conducted over the course of a semester. I finally found the right mix and balance that works for me. I really hope that some, if not all of the suggestions I’ve made will help you out, whether you’re an incoming first year optometry student or a continuing student. I know that it seems like a lot to do, but trust me, a little bit of preparation and time invested will pay huge dividends leading up to finals week because you won’t waste time tracking things down that have gone missing.
Good luck studying and stay organized!!
-Amand
