Experiences of undergraduate medical students in the use of smartphones, iPads, and ablets for learning during their preclinical and clinical years of training

The use of mobile devices has become increasingly common among medical students. While quantitative systematic reviews and meta-analyses show that these tools enhance knowledge acquisition and clinical skills development, qualitative syntheses explaining how and why mobile devices support students’ learning across preclinical and clinical education are limited. This study addresses this gap by synthesising qualitative evidence on undergraduate medical students’ experiences using mobile devices for educational purposes. A qualitative systematic literature review was conducted, including 30 qualitative and mixed-methods studies published between 2012 and 2022. Thematic synthesis was used to identify key themes, which were interpreted using relevant educational theories and technology acceptance models. Findings show that although students reported substantial pedagogical benefits, they also encountered certain challenges, particularly in clinical settings. In response, they adopted various mitigation strategies. The analysis yielded six descriptive themes: device usability, perceived benefits, challenges encountered, mitigation strategies, and external and personal factors influencing mobile device use. These descriptive themes are integrated into three analytical themes: (1) enablers of and barriers to device adoption, (2) the relationship between device usability and perceived educational benefits, and (3) challenges and strategies adopted to address them. This study makes three contributions. First, it proposes two conceptual models: one illustrating students’ mobile learning journeys and the other extending existing technology acceptance models with medical education-specific factors. Second, it introduces a structured, theory-informed qualitative evidence synthesis approach. Third, it deepens our understanding of how and why mobile devices enhance students’ learning, thus addressing existing research gaps. These findings have practical implications. Clear institutional policies legitimising mobile device use in academic and clinical settings, combined with awareness-raising among educators and patients about the educational benefits of these tools, can help to mitigate these challenges, especially in clinical environments. Future research should investigate mobile device use in workplace settings and explore the long-term effects of mobile learning on professional development.