How much do preclinical medical students utilize the internet to study physiology?

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Physiology Learning
• Digital Health Literacy

Background:

• Medical students increasingly use social media for learning.
• Prevalence of social media for physiology education is not well-defined.

Purpose of the Study:

• Assess social media use for physiology learning among first-year medical students.
• Determine prevalence, benefits, platforms, and reasons for use.

Main Methods:

• Survey of 139 first-year medical students (direct and graduate entry).
• Assessed social media interaction frequency, platform preference, and information sourcing habits.

Main Results:

• 71% use social media >12 times/week; 98% use internet for physiology info.
• YouTube is the primary learning source for 76% of students.
• Only 31% fact-check online physiology information.

Conclusions:

• Preclinical medical students extensively use social media for physiology studies.
• Lack of oversight and critical appraisal of online information pose risks.
• Concerns exist regarding the utility of social media in physiology education.