'Scrub up': assessing how a gynaecology podcast can enhance the learning of medical students, a mixed-methods study

Podcasts are widely used by medical students to keep up to date with knowledge, revise and prepare for examinations and medical placements. They are valued for their ease of access, asynchronous accessibility and relatable tone. In obstetrics and gynaecology, tools such as podcasts that enable flexible learning around demanding and changeable workloads are highly valuable, however research to understand how student learners utilise podcasts and their efficacy in this context is limited.

This was a sequential exploratory mixed methods study with two phases. Phase one was a descriptive qualitative study using focus group discussions and semi-structured questions to explore student attitudes and preferences in relation to podcasts. Phase two of the study utilised data from phase one to develop an educational podcast with a gynaecological focus. Subsequently, students listened to the podcast and then completed an evaluation questionnaire that assessed their perceptions of the podcast design, content and effectiveness as a learning tool. The data were triangulated to draw conclusions about the overall utility of podcast as a learning tool for medical students in gynaecology.

Focus group data from 14 participants revealed five main themes relating to podcast usage and learning preferences. These were (1) 'personal and relatable' (2) 'reflects real world clinical practice' (3) 'use alongside conventional study' (4) 'structured and focused content' and (5) 'targets what I need to know'. These themes informed the creation of a gynaecology podcast targeting student learning preferences. The podcast was made available to 201 students and utilised by 68. 92.7% of 55 respondents found the podcast effective or very effective at improving their knowledge in gynaecology topic areas. The majority (76.3%) of students felt podcasts should be included within the university medical program in the future.

Our respondents regarded podcasts as an important learning platform that is highly accessible and engaging. Utilisation of key components of podcasts may assist content producers to create high yielding learning opportunities for students. Podcasts offer an alternative to conventional educational delivery that can offer students flexibility and engaging content that may be tailored to suit the specific learning needs of medical students.