Preparedness of Undergraduate Medical Students to Combat COVID-19: A Tertiary Care Experience on the Effectiveness and Efficiency of a Training Program and Future Prospects

Abstract

IntroductionDue to the nature of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, final year medical undergraduate students have had to be involved in patient management in different countries. The same was the case with India. This study was conducted with the objective to analyze the effectiveness and efficiency of preparedness training to combat COVID-19 in pre-final and final-year medical students at a tertiary care institute in North India. MethodsA pre-post study was conducted among final and pre-final year medical undergraduate students. Data was collected as pre-test and post-test multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and clinical vignettes. ResultsA total of 179 medical undergraduate students attended the training. Scores on general instructions, personal protective equipment (PPE) donning and doffing, hand hygiene, biomedical waste management, contact tracing, cleaning and disinfection, ECG, and COVID-19 management improved significantly after the training. Pre-test scores on ECG, simulation, COVID-19 management were 21.58±5.311, 17.05±4.501, and 23.84±4.067, respectively. Post-test scores on ECG, simulation, COVID-19 management were 28.01±6.826, 23.84±4.067, and 6.93±1.726, respectively. Pre-test and post-test scores were statistically significant (p=0.0001). DiscussionOur preparedness training program was effective in delivering the intended skills. The efficiency of the training program was demonstrated through simulation. We created a trained pool of medical undergraduate students to assist clinicians in COVID-19-related supportive care.

COVID-19 Awareness among Undergraduate Medical Students in Trinidad: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…The results indicated that medical students are only moderately prepared, previously encountered in a self-evaluation where 54.7% stated they were not prepared to be frontline workers treating COVID-19 patients (Table 3). This supported a finding in the literature review where the students were deemed unprepared due to possessing limited knowledge [2,5,12,13,16,19,20]. Additionally, most students utilized social media as their main source of information; 86.1% (Table 2) of the participants were found to use social media as a primary source of information as well, following previous studies [5,9,12,16].…”

“…In comparison, 11% felt unprepared after training [18]. Since values such as "altruism, service in time of crisis, and solidarity with the profession" are reinforced in volunteerism, medical students must be equipped with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for meaningful participation in the healthcare system during pandemics [18][19][20].…”

Medical School Curriculum Relating to Clinical Ethical Decision Making During a Pandemic: A Scoping Review

“…Disease management protocols were discussed in three studies and play a crucial role during pandemics, as they provide guidelines for identifying, treating, and managing outbreaks of infectious diseases, ensuring that patients receive appropriate care based on their clinical presentation. 20 , 22 , 24 Thus, medical school students must be informed about the principles underlying these protocols and how to personalize disease management protocols in pandemic settings.…”

Learning interventions and training methods in health emergencies: A scoping review

“…For knowledge evaluation, 101 studies [ 18 , 19 , 34 , 42 , 43 , 49 , 66 , 80 , 91 , 95 , 96 , 98 , 100 , 101 , 104 , 108 , 110 , 112 , 117 , 156 , 164 , 169 , 170 , 173 , 176 , 178 – 181 , 183 , 186 – 188 , 190 , 195 – 199 , 201 , 203 , 206 – 208 , 212 , 213 , 215 , 217 , 218 , 220 , 222 , 224 – 229 , 231 – 236 , 238 , 240 , 244 – 246 , 249 , 250 , 253 , …”