IT culture in medical education

A survey of the Information Technology (IT) skills and attitudes of 180 preclinical students at two UK medical schools are reported. Medical School A had little in the way of an 'IT culture', while School B runs a short course in informatics in the first year, and regularly employs IT and CAL applications in teaching and learning. School A students were less likely to consider their skills to be 'adequate' for their educational needs. Students at School B rated IT skills as of greater importance for both their current and future needs as undergraduates, but over 87% of both groups considered IT competency as 'essential' or 'important' for their future in medical practice. These, and other findings, are discussed in relation to the impact of 'IT culture', including training in informatics within the undergraduate medical curriculum.