Listen and Learn: The Benefits of Using Podcasts in Healthcare Education

Podcasts have become increasingly popular in the classroom in recent years, and for good reason. They offer a convenient way to learn new information while keeping the listener engaged. In education, the benefits of using podcasts are numerous. Here are just a few of the many benefits of using podcasts in education:

Flexible and Convenient

One of the biggest advantages of podcasts is that they can be accessed anytime and anywhere. Students can listen on their own schedule, whether they’re commuting to school, exercising, or relaxing at home. This flexibility allows students to fit learning into their busy lives, making it more convenient and accessible.

Cost-Effective

Compared to traditional textbooks and other learning materials, podcasts can be a cost-effective way to deliver educational content. Not only are podcasts usually free to listen to, but they also don’t become obsolete and need to be replaced as quickly. The world of healthcare changes so rapidly that a lot of the information in a textbook can be out-of-date by the time it hits the shelves. Podcasts, on the other hand, are much quicker and easier to produce, so the information being presented is much more up to date.

Repeatable to Help the Information Stick

Most “aha” moments don’t come from the first encounter with new information. They’re much more likely to come on the second, third, or fourth time you’re exposed to it. Because podcasts can be listened to anywhere, at anytime, it makes repeated listening much more feasible than pouring over the same text multiple times until it sticks.

Pair With Visual Elements for Greater Impact

Audio-only podcasts can be paired with visual presentations to provide an even richer experience for the listeners. By adding images, videos, and other visual media to a recorded podcast, you can help to reinforce key points and create a more engaging and memorable experience for your students. You can even try adding interactive elements such as polls, quizzes, and surveys to keep your students engaged and create a more dynamic and interactive experience.

Our Favorite Podcasts

Podcasts offer a unique and valuable way to deliver educational content. They are flexible, engaging, cost-effective, and provide access to expertise that might otherwise be difficult to obtain. That being said, which ones should you assign to your students to listen to? While there are dozens of healthcare-related podcasts out there to choose from, here are a few of our favorites to get you started.

• The Sim Cafe: Sit down with Deb Tauber, a simulation expert and founder of Innovative SimSolutions, to explore the innovative ideas and current trends in healthcare simulation. With guests from across the globe, you'll hear stories, insights, and a passion for simulation in clinical education. Learn from pioneers, leaders, and entrepreneurs in the field of simulation, and discover how they are reimagining the use of simulation to improve healthcare outcomes.‍

• MCHD Paramedic Podcast: MCHD Paramedic is a great go-to for discussions on EMS best practices and clinical insights. This podcast was developed with the intent of providing easy-to-consume content for students and providers alike, so they keep each episode as brief and to the point as possible.
• Straight A Nursing Podcast: Nurse Mo will quickly become your students’ favorite study buddy! Each week, she covers different helpful tips, clinical wisdom, nursing inspiration, and exploration of key topics.
• Reel Emergency Vodcast: Our CMO and co-founder Dr. David Spiro joins Drs. Peter Antevy and Mark Piehl to discuss the latest data and best practices in emergency and critical care medicine, framed around a real patient video case. And, if you’re a Prodigy EMS member, you can earn an hour of CAPCE credit!
• The Audio PANCE and PANRE: When it comes to all things PANCE and PANRE prep, our friends over at Smarty PANCE have it down to a fine art. Each episode covers a distinct topic that directly aligns with one of the PANCE Blueprint content categories and includes 10 multiple choice PANCE and PANRE board review questions, making it an excellent study tool.
• Nursing Show: If you’re looking for educational discussions on clinical skills, this is the podcast for you! Each episode offers valuable insight on a wide variety of topics, with some very helpful tips on common procedures. While they’re no longer producing new episodes, Nursing Show still offers a library of over 400 episodes on Stitcher.
• Mayo Clinic Talks: This podcast covers a variety of educational topics relevant for family medicine, primary care, and general internal medicine, all in easy-to-consume, short episodes that tend to run about 20 minutes long. It’s a great resource for any healthcare student, especially those pursuing a nursing or PA degree. And they even offer free CMEs for some of their episodes!

• ReelDx Educator: Ok we might be a little biased on this one, but we think that Dr. Chris Behringer and our CEO Rob Humbracht share some tips that are essential for healthcare educators to hear. Learn how to make use of real patient video cases in a classroom setting to improve your students understanding of fundamental clinical skills in this vodcast!

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