By: PJ Lally M.D.

Purpose of App Review

The classic Step One board review book almost every medical student has used and abused is available as a medical app.

Ustatine, the development company that made this app, has teamed with McGraw Hill and created something I wish I could have used for my studies.

The design is straightforward and easy to navigate.

Topics are browsable first under chapter heading and then further broken down into sections just like the book itself. The major bonus is that each section is an easily digestible size.

Thus, the app avoids the common challenge of large, difficult to navigate chapters that is common among many other book to medical app conversions.

First aid 1

First aid 2

My favorite part of the app is the question bank of several hundred if this then that style flash cards. They are perfect to cram the common scenarios like worst headache of my life, into your study routine.

first aid 6 first aid 7

The multimedia is also easy and useful. There are pictures and graphs included in many chapter sections and there are multiple tools for marking up the text. These include notes, several different highlighting colors, and bookmarks. The variety of tools allows the student to mark and annotate as needed (e.g. red means look up later and yellow means review) and not be limited by having only one. The tools are also easily searched under a special tab dedicated to edited sections.

First aid 3

 

Healthcare providers that would benefit from the app

  • First and second year medical students

Price

  • $ 48.99

Likes

  • I love the small digestible chapters, the question bank, and the editing tools.

Dislikes

  • I wish you could sync your iPhone and iPad programs.
  • Right now, you effectively have two copies of the same text as highlights and markings are not transferred.

Conclusion

  • Great app.

Type of Device used to review app Version of App–iPhone 5 and iPad with retina display.

iTunes Link

Rating: 5 Stars
1. User Interface: 5 stars- easy navigation; love the Q&A flashcards
2. Multimedia usage: 4 stars- multiple editing tools; I’d love to see iPhone and iPad syncing capabilities
3. Price: 4 stars- slightly more than Amazon or Google book prices
4. Real world applicability: 5 stars- good functional medical app

Disclaimer:
This post does not establish, nor is it intended to establish, a patient physician relationship with anyone. It does not substitute for professional advice, and does not substitute for an in-person evaluation with your healthcare provider. It does not provide the definitive statement on the subject addressed. Before using these apps please consult with your own physician or healthcare provider.