Medical students’ perceptions and motivations during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background There has been a rapid increase in the number of cases of COVID-19 in Latin America, Africa, Asia and many countries that have an insufficient number of physicians and other health care personnel, and the need for the inclusion of medical students on health teams is a very important issue. It has been recommended that medical students work as volunteers, undergo appropriate training, not undertake any activity beyond their level of competence, and receive continuous supervision and adequate personal protective equipment. However, the motivation of medical students must be evaluated to make volunteering a more evidence-based initiative. The aim of our study was to evaluate the motivation of medical students to be part of health teams to aid in the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods and findings We developed a questionnaire specifically to evaluate medical students’ perceptions about participating in the care of patients with suspected infection with coronavirus during the COVID-19 pandemic. The questionnaire had two parts: a) one part with questions on individual characteristics, year in medical school and geographic location of the medical school and b) a second part with twenty-eight statements assessed on a 5-point Likert scale (totally agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree and totally disagree). To develop the questionnaire, we performed consensus meetings with a group of faculty and medical students. The questionnaire was sent to student organizations of 257 medical schools in Brazil and answered by 10,433 students. We used multinomial logistic regression models to analyze the data. Statements associated with greater odds ratios for participation of medical students in the COVID-19 pandemic were related to a sense of purpose or duty (“It is the duty of the medical student to put himself or herself at the service of the population in the pandemic”), altruism (“I am willing to take risks by participating in practice in the context of the pandemic”), and perception of good performance and professional identity (“I will be a better health professional for having experienced the pandemic”). Males were more prone than females to believe that only interns should participate in the care of patients with COVID-19 (odds ratio 1.36 [coefficient interval 95%:1.24–1.49]) and that all students should participate (OR 1.68 [CI:1.4–1.91]). Conclusions Medical students are more motivated by a sense of purpose or duty, altruism, perception of good performance and values of professionalism than by their interest in learning. These results have implications for the development of volunteering programs and the design of health force policies in the present pandemic and in future health emergencies.

Value-Added Roles of Medical Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Assessment of Medical Students’ Perceptions and Willingness in Sri Lanka

“…A study conducted among medical students in Brazil revealed that the sense of purpose or duty, which reflects the moral values linked to the medical profession, was the most important factor that influenced medical students’ desire to work during the COVID-19 pandemic. 21 Similarly, in the present study, almost all medical students reported that they have a responsibility to contribute to the COVID-19 health sector response in Sri Lanka, which indirectly highlights their academic and moral obligation. Further, it is important to note that irrespective of the academic year, all medical students were of a similar opinion.…”

“…Furthermore, the self-perception of competence is reported as one of the leading factors influencing medical students’ motivation to engage in health-care activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. 21 This finding highlights that students can be better integrated into health-care teams by recognizing their meaningful contribution from the first year to the final year. Thus, medical education needs to identify value-added roles for medical students across different levels of academic training in order to combine learning with meaningful contributions to patient care and the health sector.…”

“…The importance of having opportunities to incorporate creativity in medical education is widely recognized. [21][22][23][24] Hence, the involvement of the creative and energetic younger health workforce could be a fruitful investment in this regard.…”

Factors Associated With the Intention to Participate in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Frontline Prevention Activities Among Nursing Students in Vietnam: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior

“…Existing literature on the intention of medical students to participate in COVID-19 prevention activities has investigated the correlation between other factors and intention to participate. A study on Chinese medical students cited pressure and the extent of support from family as correlating factors (7), while others found sense of purpose (25,26), desire to help (8,25), and to learn and gain professional experience (8,27) to be some of the most common reason for medical students to participate in frontline COVID-19 prevention activities. Knowing the possible influence of source of knowledge about COVID-19 on the intention of participation of nursing students implies that such intention can be encouraged by managing the content of information distributed through official (Ministry of Health) and community channels.…”

Virtual Reality: Medical Students' Thoughts & Perspectives on the Pandemic & Chaos: A Twin City Survey

“…Nishimura et al showed high levels of stress amongst Japanese medical students in response to shift to online teaching [23]. Tempski et al reported in their extensive survey on Brazilian medical students that they were highly motivated by their sense of duty and professionalism rather than keenness to learn, to participate in the pandemic [24].…”