Another Essential App to Download if You Are a Resident

Number 2:  Epocrates

This application should be another app to download for your medical arsenal if you do not have this already.  Considering that 1 in 2 physicians use this application on a daily basis, statistically speaking, this should apply to a few of you out there.  If this is a new application for you, Epocrates is an all-encompassing application that is a little stronger than UpToDate in terms of medications and dosages.  A user will be able to find a multitude of drugs that are already in the database the system and can read about recommended dosages, potential interactions with other medications, and notable side effects that should be considered when prescribing the drug of choice.  This is a very useful thing for any resident as they learn new medications and memorize side effects more extensively than the key phrases often used on board exams that medical students can regurgitate with ease.  (Rifampin causes more than red-urine).  

Another benefit of this application is the extensive list of abbreviations that are used to identify the medications.  Even a pharmacology expert can run into trouble in a new hospital when he finds medications using different abbreviations or the nursing staff referring to medications in a different manner than what he is accustomed to.

For those who aren’t pharmacology experts, this is also helpful because also helps you identify proper preparations for medications and whether they must be administered P.O. or I.V.   This cannot only help on Step 3 preparation, but it also gives you some added confidence when you order an IV prep for the first time and you are unsure if you are managing too excessively.  

READ Epocrates App, an essential drug and medical reference app

I have used Epocrates on a few occasions during rounding and I do find that it is a useful alternative to UpToDate in some regards.  I find that at times, it can be difficult to find the information you are searching for in UpToDate because they often reference their material with sources or case studies.  This is a wonderful feature when you want to study the information more in depth in you are interested in the material but when you have 30 patients, patients' notes, discharges, and dealing with issues from the nursing staff, time is a luxury that you do not have.  Epocrates represents a more concise platform to find the answers you are looking for.  It is easy to navigate through and it has reliable information.  I prefer UpToDate just because of how often it is updated but Epocrates is superior in drugs and dosages so they compliment each other well.