PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Medical students increased their investment in information and educational resources by 14% in 2018, with approximately 60% of those dollars going toward board review and preparatory support, according to a survey of American Medical Student Association (AMSA) members. The survey, conducted in coordination with Wolters Kluwer, Health, also found that more than half of medical students rank online question banks such as those in the company’s AI-powered Firecracker® solution among their top three tools for course study.
The AMSA survey examined trends in medical students’ purchase behavior, use, and preference for learning resources. It specifically examined spending on print/digital textbooks and clinical references, board review/prep resources, subscriptions to online clinical reference sites, print and electronic journals, and mobile apps.
U.S. medical students reported spending an average of $749 on medical information/education resources, up from $658 in 2017. International students spent $964 in 2018, up from $890. The majority of that went toward board review/prep resources, with U.S. med student spending increasing 28% over a five-year period, from an average $356 in 2013 to $454 in 2018. Other key findings include:
- 67% of U.S. med students rated online question banks among their top three study tools, up from one-third in 2013.
- Nearly 60% of students accessed mobile learning resources and/or apps for websites with non-reviewed content (58% in both U.S. and international), while more than half accessed flashcards (U.S.: 58%/international: 50%), and board exam questions (U.S.: 55%/international: 53%).
“Today’s medical students rely heavily on digital resources to help prepare them for one of the most important exams of their careers, so it’s imperative that these offerings make good on their promise of helping to increase scores,” said Greg Samios, President and CEO, Health Learning, Research and Practice, Wolters Kluwer. “By using artificial intelligence and adaptive learning technology, Firecracker does just that, with studies demonstrating conclusively that Firecracker users score higher on exams.”
A recent efficacy study to determine if Firecracker helps increase board performance found that users’ scores were an average of 3% higher than non-users on the United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE) Step 1, achieving an average score of 234 compared to 227. Other notable results include:
- Firecracker users taking the USMLE exam for the first time earned a higher-than-average score of 229.
- Firecracker users overall were more likely to score more than 250 than non-users (25% vs. 8%).
- Firecracker earned a Net Promoter Score of +42, indicating strong customer loyalty and a high degree of customer willingness to recommend the solution to friends and colleagues.
“That strong sense of loyalty and satisfaction among Firecracker users was earned by keeping promises over the long-term,” said Samios. “In fact, these latest findings validate previous studies that also showed higher USMLE Step 1 scores among Firecracker users.”
Firecracker, part of Lippincott, is powered by AI, with an adaptive algorithm that delivers personalized learning and remediation to build and increase retention of content and preparedness for PA or medical school finals and certification exams. For more information, visit http://firecracker.lww.com/students.html.
About Wolters Kluwer
Wolters Kluwer (WKL) is a global leader in professional information, software solutions, and services for the clinicians, nurses, accountants, lawyers, and tax, finance, audit, risk, compliance, and regulatory sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with advanced technology and services.
Wolters Kluwer reported 2018 annual revenues of €4.3 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 18,600 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands.
Wolters Kluwer provides trusted clinical technology and evidence-based solutions that engage clinicians, patients, researchers and students with advanced clinical decision support, learning and research and clinical intelligence. For more information about our solutions, visit http://healthclarity.wolterskluwer.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @WKHealth.
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