Technology is a way of life for today’s medical students with the majority choosing clinical references on their iPhone device over teachers and peers to answer questions. The fifth annual Future Physicians of America survey conducted by Epocrates (http://www.epocrates.com/company/?CID=PRFPA10) revealed that medical students not only believe in the value of electronic health records (EHRs), but expect availability when they practice medicine.
More than 700 medical students, a third of whom dreamed of becoming a doctor since childhood, shared their opinions about a range of topics impacting the medical profession. Among the survey findings: medical students prefer the latest smartphone devices. Apple mobile devices such as the iPhone and iPod touch have soared in popularity.
Seventy percent of students currently use one of the Apple devices. That’s a 37% increase of 2009 respondents. Blackberry and Android devices have the second and third highest adoption, respectively.
The Future Physicians of America survey is the largest survey of medical students using Epocrates software, approximately 80% of whom will be practicing physicians in less than two years.