|
 
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| SHORT COMMUNICATION |
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| Year : 2022 | Volume
: 15
| Issue : 1 | Page : 99-100 |
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Mobile and medical education: Points to ponder
Saurabh RamBihariLal Shrivastava1, Prateek Saurabh Shrivastava2
1 Medical Education Unit Coordinator and Member of the Institute Research Council, Department of Community Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth – Deemed to be University, Ammapettai, Nellikuppam, Chengalpet District, Tamil Nadu, India
2 Department of Community Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth – Deemed to be University, Ammapettai, Nellikuppam, Chengalpet District, Tamil Nadu, India
| Date of Submission | 28-Mar-2021 |
| Date of Decision | 12-Nov-2021 |
| Date of Acceptance | 01-Dec-2021 |
| Date of Web Publication | 24-Jan-2022 |
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Saurabh RamBihariLal Shrivastava
Shrivastava, Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (SBV) – Deemed to be University, Thiruporur - Guduvancherry Main Road, Ammapettai, Nellikuppam, Chengalpet District - 603 108,Tamil Nadu
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/kleuhsj.kleuhsj_39_21
The field of medicine is advancing with each day and therefore the process of producing a competent medical professional becomes a significant one. The findings of multiple studies have revealed that a significant proportion of medical students are using their phones for the purpose of acquisition of knowledge and information and that too whenever they need it. The mobile phones in the field of medical education can be broadly used in two ways, namely the use of internet and various application, and the use of those items that have been stored in phones for ready reference by the students. Furthermore, the use of the mobile phones has significantly increased during the ongoing pandemic and has helped the teachers and students to continue the process of learning and assessment during these difficult times. To conclude, mobile phones have attained an important status in the entire process of medical education delivery. It is up to all of us that we understand the ways in which we can use mobile technology in the best interest of the students and patient care. Keywords: Medical education, mobile technology, students
How to cite this article:
Shrivastava SR, Shrivastava PS. Mobile and medical education: Points to ponder. Indian J Health Sci Biomed Res 2022;15:99-100 |
| Background | |  |
The field of medicine is advancing with each day and therefore the process of producing a competent medical professional becomes a significant one.[1] It will not be wrong to put on record that a solitary approach of teaching-learning and assessment will not be adequate enough to prepare them in all the essential domains of learning.[1] In addition, we have to acknowledge the fact that all the medical students are adult learners and they do not learn only within the four walls of a lecture class, but at their own speed and when they realize the need. In continuation, it is further important to note that we are aiming for these medical students to become self-directed and lifelong learners and thus specific steps have to be taken during the training process itself to ensure the acquisition of these traits.[1],[2]
| Mobile Phones and Medical Students | | |
Mobile phones have become one of the commonest commodities in the lives of people from all walks of life, and the same can be said even in the case of medical professionals, including students.[1],[2],[3] Gone are the days, wherein the use of mobile phones was restricted only till calling, now the mobile phones are looked upon as the source of information (viz., access to any information on the fingertips). It is even true that the use of smartphones has significantly increased among the medical students for various reasons, and this becomes an opportunity for the curriculum planners and medical teachers to utilize the same for the benefit of the students, our future health care providers.[2],[3],[4] The findings of multiple studies have revealed that a significant proportion of medical students are using their phones for the purpose of acquisition of knowledge and information and that too whenever they need it.[5],[6]
| Mobile Phones and Medical Education | | |
The mobile phones in the field of medical education can be broadly used in two ways, namely the use of the internet and various application, and the use of those items that have been stored in phones for ready reference by the students.[3],[4],[7],[8],[9] The easy availability and accessibility of internet have really made the lives of medical students very simplified and they can come to know the answers of most of the factual problems in fraction of seconds.[1],[4] At the same time, the internet also helps the medical students to develop the problem-solving, critical thinking, clinical reasoning, related skills based on the different case vignettes. Furthermore, there are multiple applications available that works both with or without internet and provide students with the most updated information in a simplified manner.[1],[4],[5]
Mobile phones are also being used to store the files (viz., Textbooks in PDF formats, Important articles, Reference materials, images clicked pertaining to the notes made in the class or self-study, slides, spotters, bones, etc.) and gradually it has become a frequent practice.[7],[8] In fact, prior to the examinations, many students find it convenient to read from the mobile phones directly and it minimizes the load on students to carry different books.[7],[9] The same thing stands true even for practical examinations and the students find it extremely feasible and practical to go through the various spotters or samples to prepare them well in a short time. In fact, the best part of this entire process is that the students can learn together as well as share the information with each other using different mobile applications and thereby augment team-based learning.[7],[8],[9] Furthermore, the use of the mobile phones has significantly increased during the ongoing pandemic and has helped the teachers and students to continue the process of learning and assessment during these difficult times.[10] In fact, many of the medical students have been able to attend their online sessions through mobile phone-based applications and the entire process of learning has been streamlined with the help of mobile technology.[10],[11] However, despite the presence of all these merits, we have to not ignore the challenges that come along with the use of mobile phones, and the best approach will be to adopt a balanced approach so that the learning can be facilitated without causing unnecessary harms to the students.
| Conclusion | | |
Mobile phones have attained an important status in the entire process of medical education delivery. It is up to all of us that we understand the ways in which we can use mobile technology in the best interest of the students and patient care.
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
| References | | |
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| 10. | Alsoufi A, Alsuyihili A, Msherghi A, Elhadi A, Atiyah H, Ashini A, et al. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical education: Medical students' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding electronic learning. PLoS One 2020;15:e0242905. |
| 11. | Al-Balas M, Al-Balas HI, Jaber HM, Obeidat K, Al-Balas H, Aborajooh EA, et al. Distance learning in clinical medical education amid COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan: Current situation, challenges, and perspectives. BMC Med Educ 2020;20:341. |
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