Comparison

MD on Call vs Bates' Pocket Guide

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

MD on Call

This app provides quick, practical guidance for physicians, residents, and medical students to manage common on-call issues. It offers concise tips for acute assessment and management, helping users efficiently address patient problems without needing to consult lengthy textbooks.

Highlights
  • Quick assessment and management tips
  • Covers 26 frequent on-call situations
  • Management of common electrolyte abnormalities
  • ECG interpretation with examples
  • Guidance on writing medical orders
  • Searchable by acronyms and keywords
Features
Read full description

"fantastic for a review when rushing to a consult." -- Casey Park MD on Call is already trusted by thousands of physicians, residents and medical students around the world. We’ve been there; At 3 AM, you don’t feel like going through a textbook or a long UpToDate article; you just want to get things done. **************** REVIEWS "If you have ever needed a quick reference to learn on the fly or been stumped by a late night call while cross-covering and you are willing to spend a few dollars to avoid that feeling, you should consider this app." iMedicalApps.com “It has all those handy little things that drug guides and medical references just don’t capture concisely.” “I would pay at least double the cost for this handy little reference.” Dr Jessica Otte, drottematic blog **************** **************** AUDIENCE junior residents, interns and medical students INTRO In medical school, we learn a lot about diseases and the basis for their management. However, we are traditionally less exposed to apparently easy problems like pain, nausea or hypokalemia. Quite often, those issues are brought to the attention of the nursing staff in the evening. At that time, the treating team is away and you're on call, running all over the hospital. MD on Call gives you tips on how to QUICKLY assess and manage (acutely) common problems so you can go on assessing the next patient, or to your room to get some well deserved sleep. -- it is NOT meant to replace a textbook -- FEATURES MD on call is divided into 5 main sections: • Issues • 26 frequent on call situations (including management of some specific conditions) Abdominal Pain* Acute Coronary Syndrome* Agitation / Violence Anaphylaxis Bleeding Bradycardia* Chest Pain Constipation Death (Pronouncing) Decreased LOC Dysuria / UTI* Dyspnea Fever Febrile neutropenia Headache Hypertension Hypotension Insomnia Meningitis Nausea / Vomiting Pain Palliation Pneumonia Seizure Tachycardia Wound Dehiscence Wound Infection • Labs • Common electrolytes abnormalities (including management) Hypo Ca, K, Mg, Na, PO4, glycemia Hyper Ca, K, Na, glycemia • ECG • Normal and abnormal ECG values, now with examples • Misc • Suggestions on how to write orders for admission, "comfort measures only", "on call" notes, OR and procedure notes. Transfusions: general information and common reactions Misc: CSF values, opioid conversion... • Lines and Tubes • How to manage common problems, such as a blocked NG tube. • Search • Search using acronyms or keywords **************** Feedback is more than welcome : visit the website for more details **************** DISCLAIMER This publication (application) is to be used as a guide only. It is intended only for use by licensed medical practitioners and medical students. Every doctor (or prescriber) is responsible for their actions. This guide is not meant to replace clinical judgment. The authors of MD on call make no claims regarding the accuracy of the information contained herein. The authors of this application and its content shall not be liable for any injury and/or damage to persons or property arising from the use of this application. It is the responsible of the licensed prescriber to verify the indications, contraindications and dosage of the medication (and actions) they prescribe.

About

Bates' Pocket Guide

This app provides essential information for obtaining health histories and conducting physical exams. It features step-by-step techniques, updated images, and differential diagnoses for quick and accurate interpretation of findings. Ideal for students and professionals needing a fast reference.

Highlights
  • Over 130 detailed topics
  • Step-by-step instructions
  • Updated photographs and illustrations
  • Two-column layout
  • New Algorithms for symptom approaches
  • Differential diagnoses
  • Highlighting and note-taking
  • Advanced search
Features
Read full description

*Featuring the latest content from the latest edition* ABOUT THE BATES' GUIDE: The Bates’ Pocket Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking contains the critical information needed to obtain a meaningful health history, conduct a thorough physical exam, and interpret the findings quickly and accurately. Locate answers fast and review step-by-step techniques and possible findings using the distinctive two-column format with updated images. Bates’ Pocket Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking is the ideal quick-reference resource for today’s medical, PA, pharmacy, and nursing students. FEATURES: • Over 130 detailed topics with step-by-step instructions • Updated photographs, illustrations, and references reinforce key content based on the latest evidence-based information • Two-column layout optimized for smartphones and tablets • New Algorithms provide helpful starting approaches for patients with common presenting symptoms. • Differential diagnoses for common, normal, and abnormal findings • Highlight and take notes within any entry • Advanced Search helps find topics quickly • “Favorites” for bookmarking important entries Authors: Lynn S. Bickley MD, FACP, Peter G. Szilagyi MD, MPH, Richard M. Hoffman MD, MPH, FACP, Rainier P. Soriano MD Publisher: Wolters Kluwer | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Powered by: Unbound Medicine Unbound Privacy Policy: www.unboundmedicine.com/privacy Unbound Terms of Use: https://www.unboundmedicine.com/end_user_license_agreement

Screenshots

MD on Call4 screens
Bates' Pocket Guide4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Bates' Pocket Guide at Free against MD on Call's $9.99. Bates' Pocket Guide also leads on ratings volume (302 vs 1) and device support (4 vs 2). MD on Call's advantage is review sentiment (78% vs 41%) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Bates' Pocket Guide is free to download; MD on Call costs $9.99 up front. Bates' Pocket Guide sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. MD on Call asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

MD on Call holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bates' Pocket Guide has 302 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of MD on Call's written reviews are positive against 41% of Bates' Pocket Guide's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MD on Call ships an update every 4 months, Bates' Pocket Guide every 14 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
MD on Call versus Bates' Pocket Guide: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMD on CallBates' Pocket Guide
Price$9.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.8 (302 ratings)
Positive reviews78.1% of reviews — better40.9% of reviews
Number of ratings1302 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 14 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB10 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperMessil inc.Unbound Medicine, Inc.

Customer experience

MD on Call

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews64 reviews
Positive78.1%
Neutral10.9%
Negative10.9%

Bates' Pocket Guide

All ratings301 ratings
Positive94.4%
Neutral2.3%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews22 reviews
Positive40.9%
Neutral13.6%
Negative45.5%

User reviews

MD on Call

From 1 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Handy checklist for on-duty
  • 👍 Useful in ER
  • 👍 Great app design
  • 👍 Packed with useful info
  • 👍 Pragmatic content

Room to improve

  • 👎 Could cover more content
  • 👎 Needs update for iPhone X
  • 👎 Content and references outdated
  • 👎 Needs a refresh
  • 👎 More conditions could be added

Bates' Pocket Guide

From 302 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Reliable reference
  • 🖼️ Helpful pictures for diagnosis
  • 📚 Good for quick reference
  • 💡 Easy to understand and logical format
  • 🎯 Useful for clinicals and easy to maneuver

Room to improve

  • 💰 Overpriced app
  • 🔄 Outdated software
  • 🖱️ Not user-friendly navigation
  • 💸 Repeated payments required
  • ❌ Incorrect information/algorithms

Bugs and requests

MD on Call

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Incompatible with iPhone X
  • Incorrect advice regarding Metaclopramide
  • Incorrect TDF to morphine conversion data

Requested features

16 requests
  • Cover more content
  • Update for iPhone X compatibility
  • Revise content and references for up-to-date information
  • Add more conditions
  • Include common diseases and treatments
Show 11 more
  • Add an 'edit' function to modify and add vignettes
  • Add more clinical scenarios
  • Add medicine dose information
  • Add drug interaction information
  • Include more information with supporting references
  • More streamlined interface
  • Translate to German
  • Translate to French
  • Add more topics
  • Add more clinical high yields and topics
  • Add more futures needed while oncall

Bates' Pocket Guide

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • Sectional information is wrong
  • Topics do not correlate to information
  • Asterisk information is incorrect
  • App information needs updating and reviewing
  • Software is glitchy
Show 4 more
  • Hard to navigate between topics
  • Algorithm images are mismatched with titles
  • Doesn't take Bates account
  • Didn't work (iOS 7)

Requested features

5 requests
  • Update and review app information for accuracy
  • Improve content layout and navigation
  • Offer better preview options before purchase
  • Provide discounts for existing textbook/resource owners
  • Clarify product offerings to avoid buyer confusion

In-app purchases

None

MD on Call

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Bates' Pocket Guide

One-time1
  • Bates' Pocket Guide 9th ed.$69.99

Questions

Is MD on Call free?
MD on Call costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Bates' Pocket Guide free?
Bates' Pocket Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, MD on Call or Bates' Pocket Guide?
MD on Call is rated higher. MD on Call averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Bates' Pocket Guide averages 4.8 from 302 ratings.
Do MD on Call or Bates' Pocket Guide have ads?
Neither MD on Call nor Bates' Pocket Guide shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MD on Call or Bates' Pocket Guide?
MD on Call ships an update every 4 months, and Bates' Pocket Guide every 14 months. Most recently, MD on Call was updated on October 18, 2026 and Bates' Pocket Guide on October 21, 2026.

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