Health Professional Students Prefer Study Advice from Institutionally Affiliated Sources Over Internet...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Allied Health Professions
• Anatomy Education

Background:

• Students seek study advice from diverse sources, including social media
• med-fluencers
• but credibility varies.
• Assessing credibility is crucial for effective learning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore allied health students' perceptions of credibility in study advice sources.
• To identify factors influencing credibility judgments.

Main Methods:

• Doctoral-level gross anatomy students viewed study advice videos from a "med-fluencer," external professor, home professor, and near-peer.
• Students completed the Measure of Ethos/Credibility (MEC) pre- and post-exam.
• Focus groups explored qualitative insights.

Main Results:

• Home and external professors received the highest MEC scores, followed by near-peers, then med-fluencers.
• Despite lower expertise, near-peers were preferred for recent, relevant course advice.
• Med-fluencers lacked credibility due to perceived distance from the course.

Conclusions:

• Professors are perceived as most credible, but near-peers offer preferred, relatable advice.
• Recent experience in a specific course significantly impacts perceived credibility.
• Social media "med-fluencers" may not be perceived as credible sources for specialized anatomy study advice.