Computer literacy among medical, nursing, dental and veterinary undergraduates

Universities need to ensure that clinical undergraduates are educated in the use of computers in medical, nursing, dental and veterinary practice. We surveyed 875 students at Glasgow University to determine their computer literacy and attitudes to the use of computers. One in five students had not used a computer during the last year and 16% thought themselves to be a complete novice with computers. Medical students were more likely to have used a computer recently compared to dental and nursing students. For one in four students, the idea of working with a computer makes them anxious. Seventy per cent of students wanted more use of computers in the curriculum and 30% applied to attend an optional computing course in the summer. Although a third of students had not used a computer at school, the proportion had increased a little in recent years. At Glasgow University, changes need to be made to the undergraduate curriculum to teach students the use of computers in clinical practice. With a few exceptions, there is no reason to believe that this does not apply to other British universities.