Computer Requirements
2024-2025 Academic Computer Requirements
The Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine requires students to purchase laptop computers as a part of their general requirements including books, materials and other academic supplies. Students may have a classroom activity, lab assignment or exam where their laptop is required on campus. Students entering during the academic year 2024-2025 (class of 2028) must purchase a computer that complies with the following requirements:
Important:
Ohio University provides MS Office, so there is no need to purchase it separately.
Minimum laptop specifications
- Intel Core i5 or i7 processor
- ARM processors are not recommended as they are not compatible with our exam software
- Windows 11
- Due to heavy reliance on exam applications at the college, we have seen increasing compatibility issues with Mac OS X, iOS and Android platforms. Therefore, we do not recommend Mac, iOS or Android-based laptops and may only be able to provide a limited amount of technical support for these devices.
- Wireless-Wifi 4 or greater
- A minimum of 8GB of RAM is acceptable, but 16GB is recommended
- Minimum of 256 GB hard drive
- HDMI port, or USB-C to HDMI adapter (recommended)
- Webcam with mic (integrated or external)
- Battery with average runtime of 2-5 hours
Recommended
- A new laptop, or less than two years old
- Three-year warranty recommended (Consider the accidental damage coverage offered by many manufacturers)
- 14" display, or larger
- Discrete graphics is recommended
- Headphones or headset (similar to this model)
- Chrome web browser
- Padded backpack or carrying case
- At-home broadband Internet access
Additional academic software
OHIO's Office of Information Technology provides various software packages at little to no cost to students; a list of those can be found here. Office 365 is included, which provides 1TB of storage via OneDrive. Also, as a medical student you will be required to use Heritage College-specific applications. You can find links to these at the top of this page under "Information For," then "Students Years 1-4." Any additional software needed will be provided during orientation.
Purchasing options
The Heritage College strongly recommends the OIT-offered portable computers, due to local service availability and warranty coverage. These can be purchased at the Bobcat Depot, located on the ground floor of Baker University Center in Athens.
Questions to ask when purchasing a computer
We don’t recommend using a laptop that is three years old or older. The processor and memory requirements will likely not provide the power to efficiently run required learning applications. It is best to start out with a device that will carry you throughout you medical education.
Before purchasing a system, carefully consider all the factors in the long-term use of the device; do not just look at the purchase price. Most name-brand laptops are tested and reviewed for value.
- What is the warranty? You should purchase a system with at least a standard three-year warranty. Details of the warranty should include:
- Will it have to be sent to a service center?
- Who will send it back, and who pays shipping charges?
- What is the turnaround time for the repair?
- What version of Windows does it include? Does it meet the recommended requirements?
- Are the weight and size of the laptop appropriate for your needs?