Educational Podcast Impact on Student Study Habits and Exam Performance

Emerging technologies, trainees' proficiency with digital resources, and the COVID-19 pandemic have increased the role of mobile and asynchronous learning methods in medical education. Educational podcasts have gained popularity in both formal curricula and independent learning, but their impact on educational outcomes has not been well studied.

We conducted a prospective cohort study of third-year medical students during pediatrics clerkship. An educational podcast series titled "Peds Soup" was introduced to students as a voluntary study resource. We surveyed students at the end of the rotation to assess study habits and perceptions of the podcast. We compared survey responses from podcast users and nonusers, and used standardized pediatrics subject examination scores to measure knowledge differences between groups.

Eighty-three students participated in the study. Peds Soup listeners (n=43) reported spending significantly more time studying during clerkship (M=16.5, SD=9.0 vs M=12.4, SD=9.2 hours/week, P=.009) than nonlisteners. Users expressed positive views toward the podcast's impact on introducing, reinforcing, and helping apply knowledge, and endorsed that Peds Soup made it easier to find time to study. Examination scores did not differ between the two groups.

The podcast demonstrated a reaction-level impact, with users reporting positive attitudes toward the podcast's impact and spending more time studying during pediatrics clerkship. Podcasts have strong potential as a supplement to existing curricula, where they can fill a need for interested learners. Future research should focus on the relationship between time spent and knowledge gain or utilize alternative measures of knowledge.