Body
Issue/Question
Requesting information on a laptop for medical school
I will be attending USD's medical school in July and will need to purchase a computer
Will my laptop meet the requirements for the Sanford School of Medicine (SSOM)?
What are the computer system requirements for med school?
Environment
- Incoming med school student
- Med School Laptop
- Physician Assistant Laptop
Resolution
Minimum System Requirements for Med School Testing Platforms (updated 10/6/2025)
Note: The SSOM uses ExamSoft Examplify and National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) testing platforms. The requirements below incorporate the requirements of those two platforms.
All Laptops
- 1GHz processor or higher
- 4GB of usable RAM or higher
- 4GB or higher of available storage space
- Minimum screen resolution of 1280x768 with a 32-bit color setting and scaling set to 100%
- 13” screen or larger
- Both wired and wireless network connection capability
- Administrator-level account permissions
- English (United States) Language
- Virtual machines and applications are not allowed
- Only genuine versions of Windows or Mac Operating Systems are supported
- Current, or one previous version of Safari, Chrome, Firefox, or Edge
Windows Systems
- Non-ARM-based processor
- 64-bit version of Windows 11 (23H2 or 24H2)
- Windows 11 S mode is not compatible
- ASUS Laptops with touchpad/touchscreen are not allowed
- For support, a working USB port and account passwords, including BitLocker keys may be required
Mac Systems
- Intel or M series processor
- Mac OS v14, v15, or v16 (Sonoma, Sequoia, or Tahoe)
- Server version of Mac OS X is not supported
- For support, a working USB port and account passwords may be required
Note: Laptops may be available for purchase from USD. See Buying a Laptop from USD for Personal Use
Please contact the Service Desk for additional information