The perceived impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on medical student education and training – an international survey

Abstract

Background The Covid-19 pandemic led to significant changes and disruptions to medical education worldwide. We evaluated medical student perceived views on training, their experiences and changes to teaching methods during the pandemic. Methods An online survey of medical students was conducted in the Autumn of 2020. An international network of collaborators facilitated participant recruitment. Students were surveyed on their perceived overall impact of Covid-19 on their training and several exposure variables. Univariate analyses and adjusted multivariable analysis were performed to determine strengths in associations. Results A total of 1604 eligible participants from 45 countries took part in this survey and 56.3% (n = 860) of these were female. The median age was 21 (Inter Quartile Range:21–23). Nearly half (49.6%, n = 796) of medical students were in their clinical years. The majority (n = 1356, 84.5%) were residents of a low or middle income country. A total of 1305 (81.4%) participants reported that the Covid-19 pandemic had an overall negative impact on their training. On adjusted analysis, being 21 or younger, females, those reporting a decline in conventional lectures and ward based teaching were more likely to report an overall negative impact on their training (p ≤ 0.001). However, an increase in clinical responsibilities was associated with lower odds of participants reporting a negative impact on training (p < 0.001). The participant’s resident nation economy and stage of training were associated with some of the participant training experiences surveyed (p < 0.05). Conclusion An international cohort of medical students reported an overall significant negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on their undergraduate training. The efficacy of novel virtual methods of teaching to supplement traditional teaching methods warrants further research.

Learning or Memorization: Self-Directed Medical School Curriculum and the Dangers of Overemphasizing Student Selected Ancillary Resources

“…Much of the educational cementing that their counterparts had encountered had a physical connection with the knowledge that they had gained through reading, listening to lectures, answering practice questions, and having conversations with colleagues [16][17][18][19][20][21]. This direct patient connection to the knowledge gained from didactic learning and conversations with peers and faculty has been cited by many students as the key to both their learning and the excellence demonstrated in the patient rooms during the clinical years [16][17][18][19][20][21].…”

“…Due to the rapid transition to the virtual classroom, many instructors, students, and parents were forced to learn how to engage with the class materials online without much notice. Medical students continued their education throughout the pandemic either virtually or in a blended classroom with clinical instructions being significantly limited [16][17][18][19][20][21]. Many students subjectively reported that they felt as though their clinical knowledge and experience were greatly diminished as compared to their counterparts who were able to attend in-person lectures, have clinical experiences, and face-to-face conversations with staff, faculty, standardized patients, and real patients in low-stakes clinical settings such as student-run clinics [16][17][18][19][20][21].…”

“…Medical students continued their education throughout the pandemic either virtually or in a blended classroom with clinical instructions being significantly limited [16][17][18][19][20][21]. Many students subjectively reported that they felt as though their clinical knowledge and experience were greatly diminished as compared to their counterparts who were able to attend in-person lectures, have clinical experiences, and face-to-face conversations with staff, faculty, standardized patients, and real patients in low-stakes clinical settings such as student-run clinics [16][17][18][19][20][21]. Much of the educational cementing that their counterparts had encountered had a physical connection with the knowledge that they had gained through reading, listening to lectures, answering practice questions, and having conversations with colleagues [16][17][18][19][20][21].…”

“…Many students subjectively reported that they felt as though their clinical knowledge and experience were greatly diminished as compared to their counterparts who were able to attend in-person lectures, have clinical experiences, and face-to-face conversations with staff, faculty, standardized patients, and real patients in low-stakes clinical settings such as student-run clinics [16][17][18][19][20][21]. Much of the educational cementing that their counterparts had encountered had a physical connection with the knowledge that they had gained through reading, listening to lectures, answering practice questions, and having conversations with colleagues [16][17][18][19][20][21]. This direct patient connection to the knowledge gained from didactic learning and conversations with peers and faculty has been cited by many students as the key to both their learning and the excellence demonstrated in the patient rooms during the clinical years [16][17][18][19][20][21].…”

Mental Health and Wellbeing in Lithuanian Medical Students and Resident Doctors During COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Such mental health problems can lead to burnout, which in the COVID-19 pandemic have become more prevalent in both medical students and resident doctors ( 34 , 35 ). Most medical students perceive that the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on their medical training, with pre-clinical medical students reporting the most difficulties in their academic and social life ( 36 – 39 ). The prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression in medical students is significantly higher than in medical staff and community populations ( 40 ), making this population more vulnerable to the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic to their psychological wellbeing.…”