Family Medicine Residents’ Experience During Early Phases of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Residents have been thrust onto the front lines of the US medical response to COVID-19. This study aimed to quantify and describe the experiences of family medicine residents nationally during the early phases of the pandemic. Specific areas of interest included training received and the residents’ personal sense of safety. The purpose of this study was to look for differences among residents based on geographic location. Method: This May 2020 survey was conducted by the Council of Academic Family Medicine Educational Research Alliance (CERA) of a random sample of 5,000 resident members of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Results: The overall response rate for the survey was 5.66% (283/5,000). More than 40% of residents reported having felt in moderate to significant personal danger during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fewer than 20% had been tested for COVID-19 themselves. Among all respondents, 176 (65.7%) of the residents had provided direct patient care for COVID-19-positive patients. Most had been trained on personal protective equipment and the medical aspects of COVID-19, but 16.2% reported no training on how to care for COVID-19 patients. Minority residents, and residents in larger urban areas were less likely to receive timely training. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on family medicine residents’ medical education and their sense of safety. Regional variations in residents’ educational experiences during the pandemic exist. Training prior to COVID-19 exposure was not universal. In our sample, minority residents were less likely to receive timely training than White residents.

Australian general practice registrars’ experiences of training, well-being and support during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

“…This diversity has been acknowledged in recent international papers 32 45. Concerns and negative impacts are noted from decreased face-to-face consults, disrupted education and poorly coordinated communication processes, and stress and burnout regarding uncertainty, exhaustion, isolation and workload 26 32 45–47. Pleasingly, the positive impacts of collaboration and teamwork, recognising the value of the public health roles of doctors, and benefits of transition to online interaction are also echoed 32 42 45.…”

COVID-19 Exposure Risk, Burnout, and Shifts in Family Medicine Faculty’s Efforts: A National Survey

“…Although the sample was reasonably mapped to the distribution of geographies and demographics found within American family medicine, it is consistent with other response rates for physician surveys, 37,38 and reflects response rates of other 2020 CERA surveys. [39][40][41] The observational nature of this study did not establish causation. The survey asked respondents to reflect globally on effort shifts during the pandemic, but effort adaptations likely varied throughout the pandemic as national policies and this survey only examined one point in time, potentially introducing recall bias.…”

Impact of early waves of the COVID-19 pandemic on family medicine residency training

“…17 The effects of the pandemic on FMR included decreased clinical activity, an impaired sense of safety, increased stress at work, and increased administrative responsibilities. [18][19][20][21] To date, there is still little empirical evidence examining the impact of COVID-19 on family medicine trainees in Canada. An article by Chawla et al in 2020 reported that 70% of FMR at Western University in London, Ont, believed their training had been substantially affected by the pandemic.…”