Resource format preferences across the medical curriculum.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Information Science
• Library Science

Background:

• Understanding user preferences is crucial for academic health sciences libraries.
• Medical education involves a progression from foundational learning to clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify preferred formats (print vs. electronic) for articles and book chapters among medical students and residents.
• To track changes in format preferences throughout the medical curriculum.
• To inform collection development decisions for academic health sciences libraries.

Main Methods:

• A paper survey was administered to first-year medical students, third-year medical students, and incoming residents.
• The survey included multiple-choice and optional short-answer questions.
• Quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed using Microsoft Excel.

Main Results:

• Print format was preferred for journal articles and book chapters, especially those longer than ten pages.
• A growing demand for electronic resources was observed as students advanced through medical education and into residency.
• Incoming residents were more likely to choose electronic formats for critical patient care information shared with colleagues.

Conclusions:

• A strong preference for print resources persists throughout the medical curriculum.
• Residents demonstrate a higher preference for electronic materials compared to earlier-stage medical students.
• Academic health sciences libraries need to balance print and electronic collections based on evolving user needs.