Medical student training in the United Kingdom has undoubtedly been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Most notably, there have been disruptions to teaching, cancellation of exams and clinical electives and the abandonment of research projects. In response, medical education has been reshaped to facilitate the continuation of studies, such as the online deliverance of course material, digital examinations and implementing welfare and financial support systems. There has also been a surge in student volunteers, often playing critical roles in primary and secondary care to support National Health Service (NHS) staff working on the frontlines. This opinion piece will aim to address the effects of COVID-19 on medical students and their training, and further evaluate how well medical schools responded to the challenges presented by the pandemic. This should highlight aspects requiring improvement and will allow medical schools to be better prepared to tackle similar dilemmas in the future.
This article 1 provides crucial insights into the ways in which medical students undergoing clinical placement might pose a risk to patients. The authors have identified a key issue in the clinical teaching setting whereby medical students are unknowing carriers for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and therefore contributing to the potential spread of this deadly infection to vulnerable patients. Medical students often spend much time with patients as part of their training, involving extended periods of interaction and physical contact through clinical examinations. These provide ample opportunities for patients to become infected with MRSA and could lead to a prolonged hospital stay, a deterioration in their health or even prove fatal. 2 Understanding how and why these medical students come to acquire MRSA may aid in disease prevention and ensure the safety of hospitalized patients.It was found that the risk of being a MRSA carrier increased with the duration of clinical training. Fifth year medical students showed a much higher incidence of nasal and axillary
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