The College of Medicine has adopted the following policy:
Starting with the class of 2001, all medical, physician's assistant, and interdisciplinary program (IDP) students are now required to have access to a computer where they live (see the complete University Policy Statement for more information). Students may purchase, share, lease, or borrow the hardware and software necessary to fulfill this requirement. To be acceptable, a student computer must be meet the following minimal standards:
The classroom/library building has a WiFi (802.11b) wireless network in all student and administrative areas (similar networks are available on the main campus and in certain clinical areas). For this reason, students should seriously consider the utility of owning a laptop or handheld computer. The COM and HSC staff are available to help students configure their computers, however, problems arising from incompatible hardware, software, viruses, etc. are the student's responsibility.
In addition, the College requires that each student have a Gatorlink computer account provided by the University. Students will use this account as an official email address and for dial-up access to the Internet. Students may have accounts with other Internet Service Providers, however, it is the student's responsibility to check their official email account for important messages from faculty and staff.
Many students choose to purchase a handheld computer or PDA. While these devices are recommended, they are currently not required for College of Medicine students. All of the above requirements and recommendations are subject to change.
The following guidelines are intended to help students choose software that maximizes efficiency while minimizing technical difficulty: