Behavioral Characteristics of Medical Students in Virtual Space

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Author(s)

Andrey Reshetnikov 1,* Nadezhda Priyazhnaya 1 Valeria Kholoptseva 1 Nadezhda Vyatkina 1 Margarita Gevandova 2 Guriya Agalarova 2

1. Department of Sociology of Medicine, Health Care Economics and Medical Insurance, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia

2. Department of Biology, Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education ―Stavropol State Medical University‖ of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Stavropol, Russia

* Corresponding author.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2026.05.12

Received: 27 Feb. 2025 / Revised: 16 May 2025 / Accepted: 9 Jul. 2025 / Published: 8 Oct. 2026

Index Terms

Medical Students, Education, Virtual Space, Social Media, Online Training, Narrative Interview.

Abstract

The article presents the results of a 2023 study carried out at the Institute of Social Sciences with the aim of assessing the behavioral characteristics, habitual communication practices and personal adaptation experience of medical students in the virtual space. The study was conducted using the method of narrative interviews, in which 50 students in their 4th–6th years of study at Sechenov University took part. The study showed that the structure of online activity of medical students reflects a shift in their interests towards educational content, queries and topics related to professional and personal self-development. What the youth audience has in common is the consumption of entertainment content in their free time. The obtained data can be used in the formation of an appropriate educational system for medical students in the virtual space. This certainly expands their ability to receive up-to-date information through social networks.

Cite This Paper

Andrey Reshetnikov, Nadezhda Priyazhnaya, Valeria Kholoptseva, Nadezhda Vyatkina, Margarita Gevandova, Guriya Agalarova, "Behavioral Characteristics of Medical Students in Virtual Space", International Journal of Modern Education and Computer Science(IJMECS), Vol.18, No.5, pp. 213-224, 2026. DOI:10.5815/ijmecs.2026.05.12

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