The 5 Best Laptops for Medical School Reviewed

Are you off to medical school soon and need a new laptop to take with you?

Thanks to the growing popularity of portable laptops and tablets, we now have more choice than ever before.

You only need to spend a few minutes searching online to appreciate just how many different options and packages are available.

If you’re looking for a fast and high-quality laptop to help you manage your studies but don’t know quite where to start, you’ve come to the right place.

If you’re a medical student or are soon to be starting your studies there are a few considerations you’ll want to think about based on the demanding requirements of your course.

Technology is now a big part of further education, and many courses feature modules that are delivered online or via educational software. But different course loads require different types of hardware – a medical student will have much different computing needs than say a law student laptop or a programming laptop. Even nursing student laptops will differ from machines best suited for those studying to be a doctor.

You may be required to produce, edit, and read detailed health reports, watch live tutorials or lectures, present research, or analyze statistical information.

Using a laptop will make these tasks accessible and should help you manage your workload in a convenient way. As you’ll be studying for a long time, it’s worth thinking about the best laptop for you carefully to help ensure your studies are hassle-free.

Having the best electronic tools will improve your overall learning experience and help you get the most out of your time in medical school.

We’ve studied all there is to know about laptops that will work well for medical students to bring you our comprehensive list of the 5 best laptops for medical school.

We’ve also compiled a useful buyer’s guide that details all the factors you should think about when making your choice, including all the essentials; weight, storage, display, and battery life.

Don’t forget to check out our frequently asked questions page for some further advice on what to look for in your search for the perfect laptop.

In a hurry to find the best laptop for medical school?

We would recommend our top pick the Apple MacBook Pro.

It’s fair to say this isn’t the most budget-friendly choice, but we feel that this laptop would be a solid investment for medical school.

Built to last and designed for speed, the Macbook Pro is packed with features that would make it an ideal choice for study. It’s super-easy to multitask and connect to other external devices, so it should help you manage your work efficiently.

The high-quality retina display features True Tone technology that is designed to be gentle on the eyes, and a backlit keyboard helps to ensure the typing experience is as smooth as possible for users.

Best Laptops for Medical School

1. Apple MacBook Pro (13-Inch, 8GB RAM)

Our top choice for medical students is the Apple MacBook Pro 13-Inch model.

Apple is a trusted technology brand that has gained a solid reputation in the tech community, and this is reflected in their astonishing track record for sales.

Over the years their products have gained a mass-following, and customers can be sure that the products are high-quality and well-constructed.

Although the MacBook Pro is an expensive choice, the model is built to last and would be an ideal choice for medical students who need a laptop they can rely on for the duration of their studies.

The Macbook Pro is available in two sizes, one with a 13-inch display and another with a 16-inch display. The Macbook Pro offers users a crystal clear retina display with True Tone technology, so it would work well for intensive studying as it is designed to be easy on the eyes.

The processing power is perhaps what makes the Macbook stand out from other laptops, and this model is designed for super-fast performance, advanced graphics, and fast storage, so you’ll be able to carry out your studies efficiently and won’t have to wait for ages for your device to power up and get started.

This model is packaged into a compact size that weighs just 1.4 kilos, making it perfect for taking to class and for use on the commute.

A backlit magic keyboard allows for an enjoyable typing experience and features a useful dedicated escape key which facilitates quick switching between modes and views, so it would be ideal for multi-tasking or carrying out research tasks.

The inverted ‘T’ arrow keys help you move through spreadsheets quickly and easily, which should help you manage your workload effectively. It’s also easy to connect external devices with a cable or adapter thanks to the powerful Thunderbolt 3 port.

2. Microsoft Surface Pro 7

Our next choice is the incredibly versatile Microsoft Surface Pro 7.

With this 2-in-1 model, users will have the option to work with either a laptop or tablet depending on what kind of project they are working on.

You can open the built-in kickstand and add the type cover on for the full laptop experience, or close the kickstand and fold the type cover back to use the device as a powerful, stand-alone Intel tablet, which would be a really handy feature for lectures or for doing some last-minute class preparation during your morning commute.

The Microsoft Surface Pro can run for up to 10.5 hours on a full battery, which means that is the perfect choice for study as it should last the whole day.

Charging is also super-fast, and the Surface Pro can go from empty to full very quickly as it can get to around 80% charge in just over an hour. The design itself is slim and ultra-light, starting at just 1.70 pounds in weight.

You can also purchase the Surface Pen separately, which works really well with the Surface Pro and could be used to highlight, annotate and edit any written work, research, or essays that are relevant to your studies.

The Surface Pro runs with Windows 10, which offers many useful features including a password-free Windows sign-in, which allows you to get started with your work quickly.

You’ll be able to store all your files, photos, and work safely and securely in the cloud thanks to the integrated OneDrive.

3. Apple Macbook Air (13-Inch)

Another favorite from the Apple store, the latest Apple Macbook Air would be a great choice for anyone going to medical school.

This is a hugely popular model that has numerous positive reviews online and boasts many of the same useful features that the Macbook Pro has, which is the more expensive option of the two models.

The Macbook Air boasts a tenth-generation Core i3 processor, which means it is very fast and efficient to work with. It is an incredibly thin and lightweight model, so would be very easy to pack and travel to and from university with.

The trackpad on the Macbook Air model is 20% larger to allow for more room for multi-touch gestures and the Magic Keyboard is designed to deliver a comfortable and quiet typing experience, so you won’t have any difficulties typing up longer essays and assignments with this one.

The sleek design is made from 100% recycled aluminum, so it’s ideal for the environmentally conscious customer.

The high-resolution retina display offers users sharp text clarity, and like the Macbook Pro, the Macbook Air also features True Tone technology, which automatically adjusts the white point of your display to match the color temperature of your environment.

This technology helps to make web pages and emails look as natural as the printed page, so it should work well for anyone who needs to look at the screen for long periods.

This model also offers touch ID, which is perfect for medical students who may be working with confidential or sensitive information as you can use your fingerprint to get access to locked documents, notes, and system settings.

4. ASUS Chromebook Flip C434 2-in-1 Laptop

The affordably priced ASUS Chromebook Flip C434 2-in-1 laptop definitely makes our top five.

This 14” touchscreen display laptop offers a useful 360-degree hinge that can be used to flip the touchscreen into three different positions; tent, stand, and tablet mode. The design is both slim and lightweight, so this is a very portable option.

The display offers full HD resolution, so text and images should appear sharp, crisp, and clear. The keyboard is backlit, which improves typing visibility and would be great for typing essays and reports.

The ASUS C434 is powered by the Intel Core m3-8100Y processor, which is designed for fast and smooth performance.

The high processing power means that you’ll be able to run several different applications and projects at the same time, so should work well for Medical students who may be working on multiple assignments at once.

This model runs on Chrome OS, which is an operating system that has been developed by Google. Chrome OS comes with built-in virus protection, which is always useful to have, and updates automatically so you won’t have to worry about remembering to schedule system updates.

For a limited time only, customers who purchase this model will also be entitled to a free 12-month period of 100GB Google Cloud storage. The ASUS C434 Chromebook is a very popular model, and you’ll find many positive reviews online, which is always good to know.

5. Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop (15.6 inches)

Our final option, the Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop, would be the best choice for anyone looking for a laptop for medical school on a budget.

The popular Acer Aspire 5 model offers excellent value for money and has everything you could need in a laptop. The 15.6 inch full HD IPS screen ensures that text and graphics are visually clear and sharp with true-to-life colors.

The model is kitted out with an AMD Ryzen 3 3200U processor and Windows 10 which enables a powerful performance and is designed to allow for quick and easy start-ups.

The backlit keyboard allows users to work comfortably in any environment. You’ll find a range of ports on this one include HDMI, USB 3.1, and USB 2.0, so you shouldn’t experience any issues around connectivity.

You can expect around 7.5 hours of battery life after charging, so it should take you through most of the day comfortably. The laptop is also Amazon Alexa enabled, so you can use Alexa to help schedule your day, plan your timers, alarms, and reminders, and create your to-do lists, which could be really helpful for a busy student.

The two built-in stereo speakers have been developed with the Acer True Harmony Technology, which helps to bring you deeper bass and more volume, so would be perfect for tuning in to live lectures or online video discussions.

The only downside on this model is that the battery life is a little lower than other models, so this would be something of a compromise.

Laptops for Medical School Buyers Guide

Display

Display is an important factor to consider when picking a laptop, and is arguably even more important for students who will need to spend long periods studying the laptop screen.

The screen should offer a high-resolution display with sharp and clear graphics. Look for a laptop with a screen resolution of at least 1920 x 1080 for the best results.

If you’re buying a 2-in-1 laptop, remember the screen also will need to be a touch-screen. Keep in mind that many touch-screen devices use a lot more power, so the battery will drain quicker when in use.

Many laptops are available with either a matt or gloss display. This choice largely depends on your own personal preferences. A matt display will often be better for color accuracy and can be easier to view in bright light.

This can help to reduce the possibility of eye strain if you’re working for longer time periods. A gloss display, on the other hand, produces vivid colors with a higher contrast, so is an ideal choice for watching films or gaming.

This kind of display often works better where there is less light or glare to contest with.

Multitasking

You’ll want to ensure that your chosen laptop will allow you to multitask comfortably and have several different applications running simultaneously.

A laptop that can offer users split screens, for example, could help you to manage different projects efficiently. A screen size of around 12 inches or above would be a good choice to accommodate this as anything smaller may cause eye-strain if used for longer periods.

Weight

The weight of your preferred laptop is also another important consideration. If you’re in medical school, chances are you’ll be required to attend placements in different locations.

This is why it would be a good idea to go for a laptop that is lightweight and portable to accommodate this.

You may already have a number of textbooks or folders that you’ll need to take to university each day, so you won’t want to have to carry a heavy laptop around on top of everything else.

Battery

If you can, try to select a laptop with a long battery life. This will enable you to work comfortably throughout the day (or at least, for the majority of) without having to worry about where the nearest socket is.

A laptop with around 10 hours of endurance, for example, should get you through a day of lectures or meetings. As you’re likely to need to use the laptop for long periods of study, choosing a laptop with a good battery life will be a much more practical and convenient option.

Connectivity

It’s always useful to have the option to plug other external devices into your laptop. Look for a laptop with a couple of ports so you can charge other devices or back up your files and documents.

Some laptops give users the option to screen share with other devices, which can be really useful if you’re working on multiple projects and need a bigger desktop workspace to keep track of everything.

Storage

You’ll want to choose a laptop that offers enough storage to manage and save all your research and assignments.

Many Apple products offer users additional iCloud storage for a small monthly fee, which can be helpful if you find you have reached the storage capacity limit.

If you can, try to go for a laptop with a storage of around 128 GB or over to ensure you’re able to save all your work successfully.

Programs

There are many programs that are helpful for med students. Watch this video to see a few programs that medical school students should have on their laptops:

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What makes a good laptop for medical students?

A. A good laptop for medical school should be lightweight and reliable.

Ideally, it should have a long battery life for convenience and a clear display to minimize the risk of eye strain. As you’re likely to spend considerable time working on your laptop, it’s best to think about factors such as storage, battery life, and weight.

You’ll need to pick a laptop with high processing power to allow you to work on different projects simultaneously and multitask efficiently.

As you’re likely to need to run educational software at some point in your studies, it’s really important to pick a laptop with enough processing power to accommodate different programs.

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