Use of Computer among Medical Students: A Cross Sectional Study

Background: Computer is a part of our daily life. In Medical Science it has become an essential product in every hospital. Starting from open heart surgeries to X rays to various clinical tests all are carried out by the help of computer. They communicate with each other by email, live chatting and they also use to take full advantage of technology. They also use the computer and internet nearly as much for social communication as they do for their educational purposes.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from January to August 2010 at NMC, Birgunj, Nepal. The subjects of this survey were Undergraduate medical students.Results: Most of the students were in the age group of 21- 23yrs and 19 – 20 yrs. Males were more in number (62%) compared with females. Among Ist yr students computer as a Source of information got priority but in IInd year students Source of information Preparing notes and reading Research articles were more important. Amusement and Preparing notes and reading Research articles were important factor for IIIrd & IVth Year students.Conclusion: The use of the laptop and personal computers along with internet connectivity is increasing. This is becoming a part of medical education in different parts of the globe. In this study on medical students we observed an association between the year of study and the purpose of computer and internet use. Computer assisted teaching learning activities should be encouraged for the improvement of medical science for the new generations.