title: A survey on internet usage and online learning behaviour among medical undergraduates.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the magnitude and pattern of internet usage by undergraduate medical students to retrieve medical information.
  
  
  METHODS
  A pretested questionnaire-based survey was conducted among undergraduate medical students who were willing to participate. The institute ethics committee approved the study. The responses of students to the questionnaire were analysed using VassarStats online statistical programme. Categorical variables were expressed as proportions. To determine the significance of the difference between proportions, the χ2test or Fisher's exact test was used. Log-linear analysis was performed for significance of association among interacting variables. A p value <0.05 was considered significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 115 undergraduate medical students participated in the survey. The response was 100% and involved mainly IX and VIII semester students. Internet usage was found to be 97.4%. Of the students interviewed, 35.7% were frequent internet users and 57.4% used their mobile phones to access the internet. The majority (60.9%) had their own portable 3G internet connection. Monthly expenditure for the majority (82.6%) was less than 1000 Indian Rupees per month. The most popular medical site accessed by students was Medscape, followed by Wikipedia and WebMD. Of the students studied, 8% had attended one or more online continuing medical education programmes. On log-linear analysis, a linear relationship was found for medical time and social time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An encouraging trend is seen in the use of the internet by medical students to access medical information, but this has not translated into improved online learning behaviour.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute, Pilliayarkuppam, Puducherry, India.
authors.forename: Soma
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Venkatesh
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute, Pilliayarkuppam, Puducherry, India.
authors.forename: Venkatesh
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chandrasekaran
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute, Pilliayarkuppam, Puducherry, India.
authors.forename: Gunasekaran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dhandapany
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute, Pilliayarkuppam, Puducherry, India.
authors.forename: Soundararajan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Palanisamy
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute, Pilliayarkuppam, Puducherry, India.
authors.forename: Srinivasan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sadagopan
mesh_terms: D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: EDUCATION & TRAINING (see Medical Education & Training)