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Abstract
Background: There is an increasing provision of online continuing medical education (CME) and some learners are high users of this approach.
Aims: To understand why some learners choose to make high use of online CME.
Methods: An online self-completed questionnaire sent to users who had completed 30 British Medical Journal BMJ Learning modules.
Results: High users who are younger and more recently qualified appear to have a deeper approach to learning. Their choice of online CME also appears to be unrelated to workload and personal pressures. However, there are also high users, who are both younger and older doctors, who have a superficial approach to learning and this appears to be related to workload and personal pressures.
Conclusion: Young doctors appear to make high use of online CME, possibly because of their previous educational experiences. Doctors, both young and old, who have a more superficial approach to learning, appear to choose online CME because of increased work and life pressures. Further research is recommended.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
John Sandars
JOHN SANDARS is a Senior Lecturer in Community-Based Education, Medical Education Unit, Leeds Institute of Medical Education (LIME), The University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
Kieran Walsh
KIERAN WALSH is an Editor of BMJ Learning, BMA House, London, UK.
Matthew Homer
MATTHEW HOMER is a Statistical Consultant in the Medical Education Unit, Leeds Institute of Medical Education (LIME) at the University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.