Computer Laptop Requirements

Requirements:

The College of Medicine requires all incoming students to have their own laptop computer.  Laptop computers are required for the following academic uses:

  • Accessing course materials via the Canvas LMS
  • Review of captured lectures (Echo 360)
  • Computer-based examinations using ExamSoft® and Canvas
  • Access to online journals, resources/reference materials
  • Faculty/peer communications via videoconferencing applications


Minimum Laptop Requirements:

The laptop may be either a Mac (MAC OS Catalina, Big Sur, and Monterey currently; server versions NOT supported) or Windows-based laptop (Windows 10 versions 20H2, 21H1, 21H2 or Windows 11 version 21H2), and must have the following minimum requirements:

  • Windows: Non-ARM based processor; Macs with Intel, the Apple M1 chips, and Apple Rosetta 2 are supported
  • 64-bit Operating System with a minimum 8 GB of RAM
  • A clear and reasonably sized screen with a minimum resolution of 1024x768 with scaling set to 100%.
  • Wireless networking capability
  • Internal storage of at least 500GB
  • Functioning mic/webcam (not required but recommended for video conference meetings, virtual office hours, etc.)
  • Administrator-level account permissions
  • For assessment, virtualized environments of any kind are NOT allowed

NOTE: Most software applications do not support alternate versions of Windows 10 (such as RT and Windows 10S). Please do not purchase any hardware with the Windows RT, Windows 10S or 11S operating system. Additionally, when Apple releases major updates to its Mac OS, we ask that students DO NOT immediately update until we are certain software applications used within the medical school are officially supported for the latest Mac OS.

Required Software:

  • Anti-virus software: third party products are NOT recommended. (Note: Windows 10 Defender is sufficient for PCs).
  • Microsoft Office 365 (Excel, PowerPoint, and Word): free download of both Mac and PC versions available at https://office365.uky.edu (once enrolled at UK)
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader: free download is available at www.adobe.com.
  • Web browser (e.g. Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, etc.)

 

Recommended Configurations:


Other Mobile Devices

The UK College of Medicine does not currently require the use of mobile devices (e.g. iPad, Android, etc.) running alternate (e.g. non-MAC or Windows) operating systems, and such devices do not meet the minimum specified requirements for laptop computing. However, to accommodate student interest, most resources (e.g. Echo 360 lecture capture) are accessible via these platforms. The University of Kentucky also provides mobile apps and email support for these devices.

 

Printers

Some students find it convenient to own a printer; however, this is not required. The College of Medicine provides public pay-for-print devices in several areas.  Student printing is provided by Ricoh, with locations and instructions listed on their website (http://www.uky.edu/studentprt/).

 

Financial Impact on Students

The Higher Education Act, as amended in 1998, recognizes computers as an educational expense. Therefore, students may request up to $3,000 for inclusion of a computer in their cost of attendance. This is a one-time increase during medical school; all adjustments will be for fall/spring. Starting in the 2023-2024 award year, students will only be able to request up to $2,000. Please contact the UK COM Office of Financial Aid for more details.

 

Questions or Assistance

Students are responsible for the ensuring the functionality of their laptops. For example, the UK College of Medicine offers instructions and assistance for connecting to the wireless network but does not provide software or hardware support for student-owned laptops beyond what is used for classes.

If you need help with deciding on a computer to purchase, we are happy to help you. Welcome to the University of Kentucky College of Medicine family!

Charles Woolum: 859-323-5408
Mikenzi Carter: 859-562-0490
Charles McCoy: 859-562-1283
Russ Willmann: 859-562-1490
Stephen Welch: 859-323-0009