PDA Tips & Tricks for Third-Year Medical Students

This guide is to provide Third-Year Medical Students answers to some commonly asked questions about their PDAs.

Where and when can I get general help with my PDA?

Palm has excellent support for its PDAs, organized by model names. See http://www.palm.com/us/support/.

The Palm Support Forums are also very helpful. To see if other users of your particular device had your question and what answer they received, go to http://forums.palm.com/pe/index.jsp.

Some of the Library staff have expertise in providing PDA support and can assist you Monday–Friday, 8 am – 4 pm. Please contact Ellen Ramsey at ellen@virginia.edu or 924-9962 to set up an appointment.

Can I load software to my PDA in the Library?

No, your PDA is designed to work in conjunction with your computer, where regular “HotSyncing” backs up its information and programs. Some software like Epocrates uses HotSyncing to deliver updates to your PDA, keeping you up to date with new information relating to drugs and pharmaceuticals.

Because the Library’s computers are in a public lab they cannot maintain the settings for your individual PDA to perform its updates. Therefore you cannot load software on a library computer—it must be done on your home computer or laptop.

Where can I get help with my PDA’s wireless?

All wireless devices, including PDAs, must be registered to work on campus and configured to use the “Wahoo” wireless network (not Cavalier). To register your PDA, go to https://netbadge.virginia.edu/. You will need the MAC address of your device, typically located on the back of your PDA. If not, consult your owner’s manual for instructions on how to find the MAC address. Your manual will also have instructions on how to add a wireless network to your device. When adding the network, indicate that the SSID = wahoo.

Where can I get help with InfoRetriever?

The most common problem with Essential Evidence Plus is that the instructions are fairly detailed and must be followed step-by-step for installation to be successful. We recommend our installation instructions.

Also see this page for the instructions on how to REGISTER InfoRetriever or it will stop working after 30 days!

Where can I get help with Epocrates?

Epocrates installation also requires several steps. We find that carefully following the installation instructions usually solves most problems. Epocrates has excellent troubleshooting help at http://www.epocrates.com/support/.