Assessing the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Medical Student Education

Abstract Background: The full impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic has yet to be seen, yet medical education has already been critically disrupted. As U.S. hospitals were forced to aggressively limit non-essential care to preserve personal protective equipment and minimize COVID-19 exposure, in-person education and hands-on training was nearly eliminated for students. The objective of this study was to immediately and comprehensively investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical student education. Medical students in the U.S. were invited to complete an online survey about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on their medical education experience. Students provided basic demographic information and answered questions about the impact of COVID-19 on their training/education, finances, and mental health. Results: Medical students reported nearly 18 fewer hours of patient care per week, an immediate switch to virtual learning (74%) along with grading changes (62%), and widespread cancellation of national exams. Additionally, 55% of fourth year students graduated early to provide direct clinical care. Students across years felt that changes from the pandemic would negatively affect their residency applications and that upcoming rotations would be impacted (p<0.001). Students reported that the pandemic had negatively affected their finances, increased their anxiety/stress, increased their feelings of burnout, and negatively impacted their work-life balance (p<0.001). Conclusion: Medical education has been critically impacted by COVID-19. Student perceptions and evaluation of experiences to date should be considered as educators prepare to ready students for academic and professional transitions in the context of continued COVID-19 disruptions and distanced learning.