Though some medical residency programs have begun requiring the use of PDAs, many students still are learning how and when to use the mobile hardware, contends Lauren Oshman, M.D., national president of the American Medical Student Association. Oshman spoke with Mobile Health Data during the Reston, Va.-based association's 54th Annual Convention, held last week in Kansas City, Mo.
"We've had I.T. programs at our convention for the past two years. Since PDAs have become so important to medical education, we are stepping forward to help educate students on how to use them," she said. "There's been a recent increase in hand-held medical software for students and a burgeoning number of devices being thrown their way."
Hand-helds are a great way for medical students to get information at the point of care, Oshman says. However, there are some hurdles to increased PDA use, she contends.
For example, some tech-savvy students who already have been using PDAs have been discouraged by some teachers, who perceive using PDAs for reference as a sign of weakness, Oshman says. Other instructors simply prefer students to learn directly from medical textbooks.
Another hurdle many medical students face with mobile medicine is cost. Hand-held hardware and software often is too pricey for many budget-conscious medical students, Oshman argues. While some medical schools are requiring the use of PDAs, they often also require students to foot the bill. Consequently, AMSA is working with various mobile hardware and software vendors to enable students to receive such technologies for free or at a significantly reduced rate.
Additionally, just like many established physicians, some medical students also are shying away from mobile technology, Oshman contends.
"There are just as many medical students that are tech-savvy as there are technophobic," she says. "And it's difficult for those students that aren't tech-savvy to maximize what they can really do on PDAs."
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