Abstract

The future of medicine depends on technological innovation and the willingness of future generations of physicians to adapt to novel technologies. For this reason, the use of mobile devices in medical education has become increasingly common in the past few years, paralleling the surge in technology that has enhanced access to information. The goal of mobile technology use in medical education is to facilitate learning and organization, as well as allow quick access to information at the point of care. At the University of Central Florida College of Medicine (UCF COM), iPads and iPod touches were generously donated for this purpose to the first and second year medical students. Our students have reported using these devices in a variety of contexts, ranging from accessing lecture notes “on the go” to looking up drug interactions when discussing treatment plans with patients. The goal of this study was to determine the extent of student utilization of mobile devices in their medical education and their perceptions of mobile technology in medicine.