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Reflection The New Challenges for Medical Students Post Pandemic: A Return to In-Person Training
The New Challenges for Medical Students Post Pandemic: A Return to In-Person Training
By Alison L. Spice on behalf of the SAEM Education Committee
The worldwide spread of COVID-19 forced educational institutions to implement and utilize different online platforms, in order to deliver enhanced virtual curriculum to medical students. During this time every household with a computer could tap into lectures and courses from any medical school in the world. Overnight, students became isolated, as learning from a distance became an everyday reality.
Now, after a two-year hiatus, medical students scramble to prepare for their in-person return. The COVID-19 pandemic had produced several metaanalysis studies highlighting how the pandemic impacted medical students. These studies explored the mental wellness as well as the factors that influenced the mental state of medical students. Overall, medical students had a higher prevalence of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and distress, concluding that the ongoing isolation and distant learning had a negative impact on the medical students’ mental wellness. How will this affect their return to in-person training? Regarding the challenges medical students faced upon their return to in-person training, Michael Valdivia, a fourth-year Michael Valdivia medical student at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Michael stated, “After spending a couple of years without social interactions, I felt I had to relearn how to build relationships, how to build rapport and how to become a team member. Just thinking about being face to face with colleagues, fellow classmates, professors and even preceptors was overwhelming.”
Michael had moved across the country to attend medical school, leaving him even more isolated in his studio apartment. He did not have any family close by and had limited online social interactions. Michael started medical school prior to the pandemic. He was fortunate to meet
all of his classmates in person. He had the opportunity to put a face to the names and organize study groups as well as support groups prior to lockdown. Not everyone was as fortunate. The pandemic lasted longer than anyone expected. This forced several students to begin their medical journeys online. Isolated and confined to their homes was a key component studies addressed when assessing the mental state of medical students. It is shocking how two years of isolation and limited social interactions can negatively impact a person’s successful return to in-person training. The pandemic restrictions from quarantining to mask wearing had played out across our country, communities, and over different forms of media.
If there is one thing that I have learned from Michael, myself, and others during this journey conquering medical school is that you are never alone. There is always someone else in medical school going through the exact same thing. The challenge is to ask for help, reach out, and open up enough to accept the support and guidance of others. As you navigate back to in-person learning harness this new challenge, overcome your fear, and reach out to a mentor, friend or family member.
For additional reading, see “How to help medical students keep tabs on their mental health.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alison L. Spice is a third-year medical student from Saint James School of Medicine. She is currently completing clinical rotations at South Texas Health System. As a Registered Practical Nurse during the pandemic, she continued to support her community by training and cultivating new nursing students at Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology. Whether she is studying for Step 1, tending to her three daughters, or working to mold the nurses of tomorrow she is never too busy for a new challenge. She hopes to one day match into emergency medicine.
