I'm a grad student returning to school after some time off and I while doing so I'm working in an industry that utilizes Ipads for daily patient tracking. What version of refurbished ipad would be best for me to utilize for studying that would also help me become quickly familiar with the device for employment purposes? I've had an iphone a few years but was previously Samsung loyal and not extremely apple-savvy. TIA!
Any iPad will let you familiarize with the system in the same way. If you want to take some notes, review pdfs, write some documents and browse the web any iPad Air or an iPad Pro with an M chip is more than enough, and if you find great deals they are definitely better then the base iPad.
Arguably, for your stated aim, your principal aim will be to choose an iPad that is capable of running the current version of iPadOS - this being iPadOS 26. In addition to the latest models of iPad being launched this week, you should consider any of these models:
The iPad Pro is the most advanced of available iPad models. By contrast, the base "iPad" is the budget end of the available models. Between these two extremes are the iPad Air models, offering high performance at a more affordable price than an iPad Pro. iPad mini is an entirely different proposition, offering a more portable smaller screen.
As for which model is best for your needs is subjective and can only be determined by you. You can directly compare iPad models and there specifications here:
https://www.apple.com/ipad/compare
Best refurbished iPad for study and work familiarization?
