Last updated: May 1, 2026
As you prepare to begin the MD curriculum, it is important to have a personal laptop that meets our minimum system requirements and complies with the BYOD policy used across UNM Health & Health Sciences.
These requirements support your ability to access course materials, complete electronic assessments, use required academic applications, and protect sensitive data governed by HIPAA, FERPA, and institutional cybersecurity standards.
Note for PA students: Although this page is maintained for the MD Program, PA students who take MD Program courses or use shared applications such as Brightspace and ExamSoft should also review these requirements carefully.
Your laptop will be one of your primary academic tools. It needs to support current operating systems, BYOD/Intune enrollment, secure testing software, browser-based learning platforms, large image-based course materials, video conferencing, and your own personal applications and files.
Older or borderline devices may technically meet minimum requirements but still perform poorly once current operating systems, security tools, web applications, and personal software are running at the same time. For that reason, we strongly recommend choosing a responsive, well-supported laptop with enough memory, storage, and battery life to carry you through the early years of the program.
Our requirements align with the HSC BYOD policy, which uses Microsoft Intune mobile device management to help protect UNM Health and Health Sciences systems and sensitive data. BYOD enrollment allows students to use personal devices for academic work while helping confirm that those devices meet basic security standards, including supported operating system versions, device encryption, password/PIN protection, security updates, and antivirus protection where applicable.
Devices that fall out of compliance may lose access to HSC secure Wi-Fi, VPN, Microsoft 365 desktop apps, OneDrive, and other enterprise-managed resources until the issue is resolved.
While enrolling a personal device may feel intimidating, the goal is to reduce risk from lost, stolen, outdated, or compromised devices while still allowing students to use their own laptops for academic and clinical learning. If you have questions or concerns about the BYOD policy, we’re here to help.
| Specification | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
|
🧠 Processor |
Windows: Intel Core i5 12th Gen, AMD Ryzen 5 5000 Series, or equivalent. Mac: Apple M1. |
Windows: Intel Core i5/i7 13th Gen or later, AMD Ryzen 5/7 7000 Series or later, or equivalent. Mac: Apple M3 or later. |
|
💻 Operating System (OS) |
Windows 11 Pro or Education, version 24H2 or later; or macOS 14 Sonoma or later. |
Windows 11 Pro or Education, version 25H2 or later; or macOS 26 Tahoe. |
|
🧮 RAM |
8 GB |
16 GB or higher |
|
💾 Storage |
256 GB SSD |
512 GB SSD or larger |
|
🖥️ Screen Size & Resolution |
13-inch display; 1280×800 or higher |
13–16 inch display; 1920×1080 or higher |
|
🌐 Network |
Wi-Fi-enabled |
Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E, or Wi-Fi 7 |
|
🔋 Battery Life |
4+ hours |
8+ hours |
|
🔐 Security & Encryption |
Full-disk encryption is required for BYOD compliance. Windows devices must support BitLocker or equivalent full-disk encryption, and macOS devices must support FileVault. BYOD/Intune enrollment is required for MD students and may be required for access to HSC resources. |
|
|
🛡️ Extended Warranty |
Optional |
AppleCare+ for Macs or an extended manufacturer/vendor warranty for Windows laptops. |
|
👤 Administrative Rights |
An administrator-level account is required to run certain applications, such as Examplify, and perform periodic maintenance. |
|
|
🔑 Password Requirements |
Device must require a password or numeric PIN that meets current HSC BYOD compliance requirements, including at least 6 characters and no simple, repeated, or sequential patterns. |
Use a longer password or passphrase where possible, ideally 12+ characters, while avoiding simple, repeated, or sequential patterns. |
|
🧬 Antivirus |
For Windows devices, antivirus and antispyware protection must be installed, enabled, up to date, and recognized by Windows Security Center. The built-in Microsoft Defender antivirus is sufficient. macOS devices do not require third-party antivirus unless otherwise directed. |
|
|
🧭 Browser |
Latest versions of two popular browsers; one must be Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Automatic updates should be enabled. |
|
|
🧩 Additional Software |
Adobe Acrobat Reader is required. |
Adobe Acrobat Reader should be configured as the default PDF reader. |
|
🎥 Webcam and Microphone |
Integrated or external webcam and microphone. |
Integrated or external HD webcam and microphone. |
|
🔊 Speakers |
Integrated speakers or headphones. |
|
Your laptop should be reliable, responsive, and ready to support the daily demands of medical school. Older or underpowered laptops may appear to meet the minimum requirements, but they can become difficult to use reliably over time.
BYOD compliance requires devices to stay current with operating system updates, and those updates can place additional demands on aging hardware. When combined with Intune/mobile device management software, web-based learning platforms, large course materials, multi-gigabyte pathology images, and your own personal applications and files, a borderline device can quickly become slow, unstable, or frustrating to use.
Academic Multimedia Services (AMS) and the HSC IT Help Desk can assist with school-related technology needs, including account setup, access to required applications, BYOD/Intune enrollment, Examplify setup, and basic troubleshooting.
University IT teams cannot provide the same level of hardware, operating system, or repair support for personal devices that they provide for university-owned equipment.
If a personal laptop is very slow, unstable, crashing, overheating, infected with malware, or experiencing hardware problems, AMS may be able to help identify the issue and recommend next steps, but we may not be able to fully repair or resolve it.
For this reason, we strongly recommend purchasing AppleCare+ for Macs or an extended manufacturer/vendor warranty for Windows laptops. Warranty coverage can provide repair or replacement options if your laptop develops hardware or system-level problems during the program.
AMS maintains a limited number of loaner laptops for MD students. These may be available for short-term use while a personal laptop is being repaired.
The National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME), which provides some required MD Program exams, currently states that ASUS laptops with “touchpad/touchscreen” are not allowed for NBME exams. These devices may be incompatible with NBME testing software.
If you already own an ASUS laptop, you do not necessarily need to replace it solely for this reason. However, you should plan ahead, as you may need to use a loaner laptop for some NBME exams. AMS maintains a limited number of loaner laptops for MD students.
Tablets and smartphones are not replacements for a compliant laptop, but they may be useful for email, calendars, communication, note-taking, digital textbooks, annotation, and other academic tasks.
This section covers two common questions: whether tablets can be used for Examplify electronic assessments, and what tablets or smartphones need in order to enroll in BYOD/Intune for access to HSC resources.
Some tablets can be used for supported electronic assessments in Examplify, the testing software used for most quizzes and some exams. Minimum operating systems for using tablets with Examplify are:
BYOD enrollment is not required for every personal tablet or smartphone. However, it may be required if you want to use HSC-managed apps or connect to HSC secure Wi-Fi. Without enrollment, access may be limited. For example, you may need to access email through a browser instead of using the Outlook mobile app.
Minimum operating systems for enrolling tablets and smartphones in BYOD/Intune are:
Devices must also meet other HSC compliance requirements, including password/PIN protection, current security updates, encryption where applicable, screen-lock settings where applicable, and security checks that confirm the device has not been jailbroken, rooted, or otherwise modified to bypass required protections.
Laptop enrollment is required for MD students. For the best overall experience, we recommend making sure any device you plan to use regularly for school — laptop, tablet, or smartphone — meets current HSC requirements and is enrolled if needed.
We recognize that purchasing a new laptop can be challenging. The School of Medicine Financial Aid Office may be able to discuss loan adjustments or other resources to help address required technology costs.
If you have financial concerns, please contact them before making a purchase.
Students are not required to purchase a specific brand or model. Many Windows and Mac laptops will work well as long as they meet the requirements listed above.
We recommend avoiding unusually low-cost or heavily discounted laptops unless you have confirmed they meet the specifications above. Some budget models may have limited storage, weaker processors, lower-quality screens, shorter battery life, or Windows editions, such as Windows Home, that do not meet BYOD requirements.
If you are unsure whether a laptop is a good fit, AMS can review the specifications before you purchase.
Please plan to have a compliant laptop at least one month before New Student Orientation. This gives you time to complete required technology setup, resolve account or device issues, and avoid last-minute problems during orientation.
You will receive instructions from the Office of Medical Student Affairs or your program office on how to access the Tech Start Hub for UNM Medical Students. The Tech Start Hub provides step-by-step guidance for the setup tasks listed below.
Arriving without access to your email, required applications, or BYOD/Intune enrollment may delay your ability to participate fully in required activities.
Academic Multimedia Services (AMS) supports the technology used in the MD Program, including tools for courses, exams, academic activities, and student onboarding.
For MD students, AMS is often the best first stop for program-specific technology questions. HSC and main campus IT help desks support many university systems, but AMS understands how those systems connect to the MD curriculum and can help coordinate with other IT teams when needed.
If the requirements on this page seem confusing, or if you are unsure whether your laptop or other devices meet them, please contact us before purchasing new equipment or beginning setup.