The Extent of Computer Literacy among Medical Students at Cairo University and their Attitudes towards its Use in Medical Education

Developments in information and communication technology occur at an astonishing rate. The need for medical students to be computer literate is no longer an issue for debate. Objective: to assess computer literacy and skills among medical students and explore their attitude towards computer and internet usage in the educational process. Methods: cross sectional descriptive study was conducted at medical collage of Cairo University included 450 students from 1 st , 3 rd , and 5 th grades (150 from each). Data was collected using anonymous self administrated questionnaire covering the following: Computer availability, skills, Web navigation, Attitude toward use of computer and internet in medical education. Results: of the sample, 81.3 % had access to computer at homes, and 82.1% used the computer as one of their daily norms. Literacy was found among 94.9% of them. Internet usage; 60% of the entire sample used it in the last 2 weeks but for non- medical educational purposes. Majority showed a positive attitude toward the application of computer and internet in medical education. Conclusion: although computer ownership is widely distributed among medical students in faculty of medicine-Cairo University with high level of self-rated competency, medical students are not fully utilizing the web as a source for medical education.