Getting into medical school is one thing. But going through medical school is another task you have to prepare for. Of course, coping with your studies and classes all at once could be hectic.
That’s why you need a good laptop to assist you through medical school. After all, laptops are replacing notebooks these days—blame it on the technology, though!
We know you don’t want to waste your quality time, you don’t have enough, looking for the perfect laptop for your institution—and that’s where we come in.
Learn more about how to go about getting the best laptop that will see you through medical school. And we will be making a few recommendations.
Contents
Quick Summary
After checking a ton of laptops on the market, we came up with four that met our standards in compactness, ease of use, battery life, RAM, and power.
- The Apple MacBook Air 13” is perfect if you love to work on the go with a powerful laptop that allows you to deal with any tasks.
- If you’re particular about a laptop with remarkable battery life, the LG gram Laptop 15.6″ is your best bet.
- If you love a versatile laptop with a powerful configuration that you can use for research, taking notes, and doing homework, go for the Microsoft Surface Pro.
- Dell Inspiron 15 is a good option if you want a powerful laptop with a full HD display and adequate storage.
Who Should Get This
Medical school is an institution that prepares you for the noble profession. And since technology has come to stay, students must get gadgets like laptops that will keep them updated and help them treat and diagnose patients.
So, if you need to write reports or keep medical reports, a fantastic laptop for your medical tasks will come in handy. Plus, it eases the process of doing research, assignments, and taking notes. If you’re looking for really high-end laptops to run heavy-duty tasks, then you may be reading the wrong articles.
Best Laptops for Medical School Students: What to Consider
Here are the things you should consider before buying a laptop for medical school:
Ease of Use
Regardless of how powerful your laptop is, you have to ensure that it’s quite easy to use. What we mean here is that everything from its software, trackpad, and keyboard should be easy to use and comfortable as well.
Power
As a medical student, you may find yourself using Microsoft Office suite often. But, you may need more power to run essential software. We recommend at least an Intel Core i5 processor of 7th or 8th Gen. if you’re not a gamer, the graphics card may not be vital for you—but, you can settle for integrated graphics with Intel UHD or HD.
Battery Life
Battery life is an essential feature you have to consider since you’ll be working on the go most of the time. Good battery life allows you to perform different tasks without requiring recharging. You should consider at least 5 hours of battery life.
Storage Capacity
The storage capacity of a laptop is essential for any medical student because it dictates the amount of data that they can store on their device. So, when the capacity is more, they can store more files on their devices.
We recommend at least 500GB of storage—for students that store a lot of music, movies, several large files, and install large applications. There are two types of storage available: HDD and SSD. The kind you go for depends on what you want and can afford. But, SSDs are the best options on the market because they make your machine faster. The HDDs are cheaper compared to SSDs.
Memory
The RAM or memory of a laptop helps to determine the programs, applications, and software that can run at once. Thus, if your system can run so many apps and software at the same time smoothly, it translates to you doing a lot of work at the same time. For a medical student, we recommend at least 6GB of RAM.
Weight
As a medical student, you have to be ready at all times to shuffle between lecture rooms. It also means that you may need your laptop with you most of the time.
So, you have to consider the weight of a machine before you buy one—because you’ll find yourself taking notes, doing homework, or studying—from your dorm room, training ward, to the school library. In summary, you have to be comfortable throughout.
Best Laptops for Medical School Students: Our Picks
1. Apple MacBook Air 13”
By now, you should know that the synonym of Apple laptops is lightweight—so, you can work with it comfortably on the go. The MacBook Air 13, in particular, is redesigned—which improves what the laptop stands for. The model has new features like the latest-generation keyboard, Touch ID, and a better Retina display. It also comes with a complete iconic aluminum design made from 100% recycled aluminum.
The robust performance from its Intel Core i5, dual-core, 1.6GHz Turbo Boost processor, and up to 12 hours’ battery life will boost your experience in medical school—since it allows you to work anywhere for a long time on a single charge. The MacBook Air 13 has a RAM of 8GB that allows you to multitask with ease and a storage of 128GB SSD—which signifies speed all the way.
What We Like:
- It has a redesigned keyboard
- Solid performance
- Good battery life
- Upgraded light design
What We Don’t Like:
- Camera quality isn’t so fantastic
2. LG gram Laptop 15.6”
The LG Gram model is the perfect laptop for any student that values a good battery life. The model comes with some important updates that make its processor stand out. With this laptop, medical students can rely on its performance to handle their everyday tasks everywhere they go.
The machine has one of the latest Intel Core processors, two SSD drives (512 GB each), and a dual-channel DDR4 memory—so you can hardly run out of space. Plus, the Windows 10 OS helps the programs run smoothly. When you take a close look at the full HD IPS display of this machine, it’s almost impossible to take your eyes off.
The moment you think you’ve seen it all with this laptop, it takes you off balance with its durability and portability—that gives students the chance to take it anywhere as they enjoy their work. The manufacturers have made this model go through seven industry-standard tests—to prove its trustworthiness in durability and performance. Also, the machine has 16GB of RAM and a battery life of up to 18.5 hours.
What We Like:
- It has a fingerprint processor
- It’s Ultra-light
- Thunderbolt 3 connectivity
- Extended battery life
What We Don’t Like:
- The speakers are at the bottom of the device
3. Microsoft Surface Pro
The Microsoft Surface Pro is one model on this list that is a dream for a lot of medical students. Why? Well, because students can use the device in three different modes and it takes less than three seconds to revert it from a laptop position to a studio or tablet.
With this model, you work anywhere with ease, thanks to its lightweight. Sometimes, students find themselves trying to adapt to laptops. But, with Surface Pro, it adapts to you instead. The model has enough power to accommodate any tasks. And it features a next-generation component and configuration that offers you speed and power all the way.
If you love using the touchscreen—then it will be quite easy for you to take full advantage of the laptop in terms of working more efficiently and multi-tasking like never before. The model comes with a battery life of up to 13.5 hours and a storage of 128GB SSD.
What We Like:
- It’s very versatile
- Comes with a powerful performance
- Ultra-slim and lightweight design
- You can pair it with useful accessories
What We Don’t Like:
- The back of the laptop tends to get hot
4. Dell Inspiron 15
The Dell Inspiron is a beautiful model that uses an Intel Core i5 2.5GHz that can confidently handle all your tasks. The 15.6-inches laptop has a display resolution of 1920x1080pixels and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB GDDR5 GPU that may impress game heads.
The storage capacity of this machine is one to admire, considering that it comes with two SSD drives (256GB and 1TB)—so you can save as many files as you want. When it comes to ports, it gives you four options: USB, HDMI, Ethernet, and Audio. It weighs about 5.51lbs, which isn’t so lightweight compared to the other models on this list, but it’s quite affordable and has a remarkable performance.
What We Like:
- It has a good storage capacity
- Impressive performance
- A large number of ports
- It’s affordable
What We Don’t Like:
- The screen resolution isn’t so high
Tips on How to Ensure That Your Laptop Lasts Longer
- Ensure that your virus protection, OS, and apps are all up to date.
- Rid your device of any dirt, crumbs, dust, or coffee.
- If your laptop uses HDD, defragment it once a month with a disk optimization tool—to keep it performing at its best.
- Keep your device cool at all times to increase the life span of its components.
- After using your power cord, roll and shove them into a side pocket.
- Always transport your device in a padded case.
- If you need to use your laptop all day, leave it on to reduce wear and tear—instead of turning it off and on. But, if you need it occasionally, you can turn it off for a while.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to getting the best laptop for medical school, a lot of students get confused. You shouldn’t be as long as you know what you need in a laptop. No doubt, you can’t go wrong with any of the options on this list—as long as it offers everything you need and suits your style.
What are your thoughts about our buying guide? Was it helpful? Did we leave out your favorite model? We would love to know what you think in the comments section.