Use of Electronic Resources for Psychiatry Clerkship Learning: A Medical Student Survey.

OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of this study is to examine medical students' use patterns, preferences, and perceptions of electronic educational resources available for psychiatry clerkship learning.

METHODS: Eligible participants included medical students who had completed the psychiatry clerkship during a 24-month period. An internet-based questionnaire was used to collect information regarding the outcomes described above.

RESULTS: A total of 68 medical students responded to the survey. Most respondents reported high utilization of electronic resources on an array of devices for psychiatry clerkship learning and indicated a preference for electronic over print resources. The most commonly endorsed barriers to the use of electronic resources were that the source contained irrelevant and non-specific content, access was associated with a financial cost, and faculty guidance on recommended resources was insufficient. Respondents indicated a wish for more psychiatry-specific electronic learning resources.

CONCLUSION: The authors' results suggest that a demand exists for high-quality electronic and portable learning tools that are relevant to medical student education in psychiatry. Psychiatry educators are usefully positioned to be involved in the development of such resources.