The COVID-19 outbreak has sown clinical and administrative chaos at academic health centers throughout the country. As COVID-19-related burdens on the health care system and medical schools piled up, questions from medical students far outweighed the capacity of medical school administrators to respond in an adequate or timely manner, leaving students feeling confused and without clear guidance. In this article, incoming and outgoing executive leaders of the University of Michigan Medical School Student Council and medical school deans outline the specific ways they were able to bridge the gap between medical students and administrators in a time of crisis. To illustrate the value of student government during uncertain times, the authors identify the most pressing problems faced by students at each phase of the curriculum—preclerkship, clerkship, and postclerkship—and explain how Student Council leadership partnered with administrators to find creative solutions to these problems and provide guidance to learners. They end by reflecting on the role of student government more broadly, identifying 3 guiding principles of student leadership and how these principles enable effective student representation.
Social distancing is an important public health recommendation that has been implemented to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Infections are rising among younger populations, but relatively little is known about youth social distancing behavior. Our qualitative study aims to examine youth engagement with social distancing and elucidate the reasons why guidelines are followed and broken. Members of the national MyVoice Text Message Cohort (aged 14–24) were surveyed from April 24 to April 30, 2020, through an open-ended text message poll. Responses were inductively coded and analyzed with descriptive statistics. Of the 944 youth who responded (response rate = 81.2%), 95% self-reported social distancing. However, 62% recalled instances of themselves or others breaking the guidelines and 19% expressed misconceptions about the rules. Notably, 14% of youth said they would encourage their friends to social distance by telling them it will accelerate a return to normal life. Feelings of social isolation were the most frequently cited (55%) negative impact of social distancing. Overall, responses from youth indicate significant variation in the interpretation of social distancing guidelines. Public health communications may need to address several critical misconceptions which impact the social distancing behaviors of youth. Further, safe methods for youth to interact with peers during periods of social distancing are necessary to prevent mental health impacts and to ensure adherence to social distancing guidelines.
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