The primary reason for choosing palmtops, Mrs. Curtis says, is that medical students can integrate them into their traditional ways of working. You can use a palmtop whether you're sitting, standing, walking. It's very difficult to take notes on your laptop while you're moving down the hall talking to someone. Mrs. Curtis started a similar program at the University of Arizona's medical school four years ago. That program is still going strong, and now the schools of pharmacy and nursing are using models of the palmtops passed on from the medical school.
Most students say they find the devices extremely useful.
I use it for scheduling, for keeping track of phone numbers, data storage, as a calculator, and to look up stuff in data bases. Elissa Blum, a second-year student at Harvard, uses her palmtop for the same things. I use it a lot more than I thought I would. Others say they have problems with the devices. When I get some free time, I'll put my life on it.