Working in Partnership With Medical Students to Embed Digital Skills Development into the Curriculum

Being digitally connected and usage of social media is an integral part of students lives. Every tweet, post, like or tag produces a digital footprint that continuously moulds their digital identity. Many medical students will have started their digital footprint before they have even begun their University experience but do students understand the consequences that any ill-considered posts may have on their future employability? The GMC publish guidelines for social media use and misuse, but how do our students actually feel about the advice or apply the guidance that is provided to them? Do they have the digital skill set required to use their digital identity to enhance and promote their professional identity? Methods: The undergraduate medical schools invited all students to participate in a needs analysis survey to identify key areas for digital skills development. Based on the outcomes of this survey they worked in partnership with twenty three medical students focusing on potential challenges, solutions, and opportunities for curriculum enhancement and to embed digital skills training in the curriculum. Results/Discussion: The needs analysis survey identified that social media is an integral part of student life which supports students transition to University life, however students struggled with the development of a ‘professional digital identity’ and issues of “grey” areas of digital professionalism. The survey also highlighted managing digital distractions and caring for their digital well-being and areas that the students identified could be developed further in the curriculum. Conclusion: This poster will present further details of the needs analysis survey from the perspective of the medical student cohort. We will outline the resources developed to encourage student reflection on both their personal and professional development as they transition through their degree programme increasing individual awareness of digital well-being and how students might balance usage of their always-connected devices