Utilizing the tool of Facebook to supplement the delivery of medical education

Abstract

Medical students of the current generation have different learning needs, which are quite different from those in earlier periods. The purpose of the review is to explore the utility of Facebook (Meta Platforms, Inc., Menlo Park, California, USA) in the delivery of medical education and identify the pros and cons of the same. An extensive search of all materials related to the topic was carried out on the PubMed and Google Scholar search engines, and a total of 56 articles were selected based on their suitability with the current review objectives. Keywords used in the search include Facebook, Social Media, and Medical Education in the title alone only (namely, Facebook [ti] AND medical education [ti]; Facebook [ti] AND education [ti]; Facebook [ti] AND medical student [ti]; Social media [ti] AND medical education [ti]; Facebook [ti]; social networking [ti]). Facebook has been acknowledged as an effective and useful medium to promote teaching-learning among both undergraduate and postgraduate medical students. Furthermore, the platform has been utilized for promoting discussion on the topic, administration of formative assessments, and supplementing conventional teaching. As every option has pros and cons, Facebook also has its own limitations and it becomes quite imperative that these challenges should be addressed to enhance the overall acceptance and better integration with the existing curriculum. To conclude, the utility of the Facebook application is not limited only to social interactions but has significant potential in the delivery of medical education. Considering the popularity of Facebook among medical students, it is of utmost importance that the overall potential of the app is optimized to expedite the learning process. The following core competencies are addressed in this article: Medical knowledge, Patient care.