Medical students and COVID-19: the need for pandemic preparedness

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted unprecedented global disruption. For medical schools, this has manifested as examination and curricular restructuring as well as significant changes to clinical attachments. With the available evidence suggesting that medical students’ mental health status is already poorer than that of the general population, with academic stress being a chief predictor, such changes are likely to have a significant effect on these students. In addition, there is an assumption that these students are an available resource in terms of volunteerism during a crisis. This conjecture should be questioned; however, as those engaging in such work without sufficient preparation are susceptible to moral trauma and adverse health outcomes. This, in conjunction with the likelihood of future pandemics, highlights the need for ‘pandemic preparedness’ to be embedded in the medical curriculum.

Stress and associated factors among French university students under the COVID-19 lockdown: The results of the PIMS-CoV 19 study

“…The novelty of the virus itself, the uncertainty of what would happen to people who contracted the disease and the question of when the disease would be entirely controlled may have induced stress among the students. The development of resilience may offer a feasible intervention, and the benefits of this preparation will likely extend beyond the pandemic, with strengthened resilience aiding in the transition from being a student to being an adult earning a living ( O'Byrne et al., 2020 ). As expected ( Ye et al., 2020 ), family members and friends were good resources from whom the students could seek help during the lockdown.…”

COVID-19 Reflections and Team-Based Entrustable Professional Activities for Bioevent Preparedness

“…The conundrum resides with the recruitment of less experienced healthcare workers (e.g., newly qualified students or healthcare workers moving from their specialism) to the workforce in response to the pandemic (Bielicki et al, 2020). Another concern that revolves around the newly graduated workforce is their lack of preparedness for these global disruptions and potential susceptibility to moral trauma and adverse health outcomes (O'Byrne, Gavin and McNicholas, 2020). The model of healthcare unleashed new teams, new workflow, new PPE protocols and scene safety, and new triage systems (Bielicki et al, 2020;Gallagher and Schleyer, 2020).However, the scene was coupled with a lot of ethical dilemmas associated with the prioritization of treatment and logistical challenges (availability and commissioning of ventilators and PPEs) to critically ill COVID-19 patients or the COVID-19 patients who arrive with no co-morbidities (Fritz et al, 2020).…”

Medical Education: Covid Journey

“…Work from home, self-isolation and online communication are difficult experiences and will become tougher in the near future. To overcome the lack of one to one physical interaction between medical students and patients 'blended learning' could be a relevant option in today's scenario (O'Byrne et al,;. Character building and self-reliance are important part of academic education too.…”