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E‐learning strategies have become an essential part of biomedical education. However, why and how students select hardware tools and software formats during their education has not been sufficiently analyzed and documented. Yet, these aspects should be taken into account when designing or offering new e‐learning modalities to learners. Two medical school classes at a major US medical school were surveyed about their use of e‐learning resources during their first year of medical school or their preparation for their first licensing examination (USMLE® Step 1), respectively. Their responses were analyzed for patterns and significant changes. Students’ answers from both classes indicated that computers and computer tablets were considered the most important hardware devices to support students’ learning. During the first year, students often preferred resources that were tailored to the specific courses in their curriculum. In contrast, some preferences changed when students prepared for the USMLE® Step 1, with students shifting almost exclusively to a solitary learning mode using commercial e‐learning resources. Across all phases of medical school education queried, peer advice was the major determinant influencing e‐learning resource selection, with faculty only playing a minor role during the first year of medical school. Videos were the most popular e‐learning modality, and students cited efficient acquisition of knowledge and preparation for examinations as major reasons for e‐learning tool utilization. These data suggest that the selection of e‐learning resources is task‐oriented, with students choosing specific resources based on the challenges they are facing. These factors need to be considered when offering or developing e‐learning resources for medical and other students during different phases of their training.

Students who are naive to the history of challenges faced by medical school administration can successfully lead reform efforts where faculty and administrators have previously failed. This may be particularly important for efforts that are shared by Student Affairs and Curriculum offices, where conflicts between supporting students and holding them accountable for behaviours can arise. Having students act as agents of academic reform is empowering to students by engaging them as key stakeholders in their education, while adding value to the larger system of medical education in general. 1 This project involved a student-led initiative to redefine, reorganise and expand the professionalism standards and programme objectives at UUSOM. The faculty have responded by creating developmental milestone expectations matching the new objectives. The collaborative work continues on developing both curricular and noncurricular approaches to professional identity formation and longitudinal assessment of professional behaviours. More generally, this student-led process has helped the UUSOM overcome a decade of inertia regarding improved professionalism expectations and processes for supporting students, faculty and staff to develop our skills and values.