Hopefully you have recovered from last year’s iPhone introduction and you’re ready again for the onslaught of all things iPhone. This year—with the iPhone 3G—there are some major changes for doctors, meaning the introduction of  the “App Store.” Up until now you could not install any third-party programs on your iPhone (without hacking it, that is) and all programs were web-based.

Now Skyscape and UnBoundMedicine offer wonderful web-based applications, and soon, Skyscape tells me they will be rolling out applications via the App Store. Remember, you don’t need an iPhone to use the applications; for $10 you can upgrade your iTouch software and it will run all any non-phone-based apps. Those of you who already have an iPhone, a free upgrade is available online to get up to speed for use with the App store.

Here is a list of what is already available:

• Epocrates Software: A drug reference that includes dosage, interactions, retail pricing, and health plan coverage. This new, non-browser based software is available now and also includes pill photos and a pill identifier, free.
• Modality Learning: A medical reference tool for students offering titles like the Atlas of Human Anatomy and features such as flash cards and pop quizzes ($29.99). Titles include Medicine Recall, Netter’s in various flavors (see below), board review series (eg, pathology, microbiology , pharmacology), EKGs made easy, and many more.
• Netter’s Neuroscience Flash cards: 225 individual illustrations are taken directly from Netter’s atlas  of Human Neuroscience. The program makes use of the iPhones ability to navigate through images with the flick of a finger, pinch to zoom, and tap to test your knowledge. The program comes with additional clinical insight and perspective. You can also instantly look structures up on Google. ($39.99)
• Netter’s Anatomy: 300 images Anatomy was never this fun when I was in school (how old do I sound?) Following the same principles as the Neuroscience program, like having an anatomy Atlas in your pocket! $39.99
• MIMVista: Medical imaging software that lets doctors and patients view radiological images, such as MRI, CT and PET scans. Users can adjust zoom and angles and merge two different images together (Free).
• iPharmacy: A generic and name-brand drug database that lets you browse thousands of drug descriptions, dosage, symptoms, and side effects. (Free)
  
  For a good listing of iPhone Applications with reviews, you can go here.
  
  So will the advent of the App store give you the nudge to switch over to an iPhone? Let me know.