Unprecedented Training: Experience of Residents During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted both the clinical training and personal lives of our next generation of Emergency Medicine leaders: resident physicians. The challenges and successes experienced by residents during the pandemic will likely shape the future of the field. Literature Review Over a year from the start of the pandemic, studies are exploring how COVID-19 affected trainees, particularly in four areas: clinical training, didactic education, board certification, and physical and psychological health. While posing significant challenges for residents, the pressures of the pandemic also spurred accelerated innovation in graduate medical education that will likely have positive impacts for future learners. Insight from the Field Our team explores how residents experienced the crisis through two critical components of well-being and career longevity: burnout and adaptation. While residents’ perceived burnout increased throughout the pandemic, many EM residents exhibited high levels of adaptation, which enabled them to continue honing their clinical skills and providing high quality care for patients. Looking Forward The COVID-19 pandemic forced the next generation of Emergency Medicine leaders to innovate, adapt, and act resourcefully. While they are certainly weary from the experience, residents demonstrated that the future leaders of the specialty – and the prospects of the field itself – are bright.

Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on United States Emergency Medicine Education: A Council of Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine (CORD) Task Force Survey-Based Analysis

“…This unprecedented event demanded an educational and professional response at all levels. Effects were felt in undergraduate medical education (UME), the Match process, graduate medical education (GME), faculty development, and wellness [1][2][3][4]. The Council of Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine (CORD) COVID-19 Educational Impact Task Force was established in 2021 to examine these effects and the response of the EM educational community [5].…”

Centralization and democratization: Managing crisis communication in health care delivery

“…Effectively managing organizational communication was one of the most significant operational challenges faced by health care delivery organizations at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (Baugh et al, 2020; Sangal et al, 2021; Stark et al, 2022; Wu et al, 2020). On the frontlines of pandemic response, disrupted patient care processes alongside widespread staff and equipment shortages burdened health care workers with worsening anxiety and burnout (Hayirli et al, 2021; Rodriguez et al, 2020).…”