APPLICATION OF MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PROCESS OF TEACHING FUTURE PHYSICIANS AT THE UNIVERSITIES OF THE USA

Abstract

The development as well as the global and local spread of mobile devices, mainly smart phones and tablets, have led to the emergence of a new direction of electronic learning in the field of higher medical education, namely mobile learning. This phenomenon causes continuous research, study and application of mobile technologies for learning purposes by medical students and academics. In order to make mobile learning effective, higher medical institutions have to take proper measures. The academic staff should create required learning tools and methodological support, provide proper material and technical conditions for the efficient and safe usage of mobile technologies. The researchers should study the experience of developed countries in this direction. A profound analysis of foreign scientific evidence has shown that the USA ranks a leading position in this branch of innovation. This country has a long history of implementing mobile technologies into the undergraduate university training aimed at improving clinical thinking and communication skills of future physicians. Thus, our paper highlights: the conditions of implementation of electronic mobile technologies in the US higher medical education; current state of their application at medical schools and colleges of the USA; the requirements and risks of new technologies application in university training of future physicians; potentials of social media and gaming technologies as the professional training tools at US higher medical institutions. Priceless experience of the USA should be taken into account while designing new curricula and modernizing an academic process at undergraduate level in Ukraine. The preliminary conditions for this process primarily include the use of mobile applications, social media tools and “smart games” for learning. The electronic mobile technologies involving the tactics of a serious learning game are promising and can aid evolution of m-learning in the Ukrainian higher medical education institutions. However, electronic mobile technologies, including the above listed tools applied in the academic process could be beneficial only in case of their gradual, methodologically correct, grounded and controlled implementation and usage involving proper on-line behavior – digital professionalism.