Repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on the well-being and training of medical clerks: a pan-Canadian survey
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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Open Access
Repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on the well-being and training of medical clerks: a pan-Canadian survey Myriam Abbas1,2*, Malek Dhane1,2* , Michèle Beniey1,2, Léamarie Meloche-Dumas1,2, Mohamed Eissa3, Natasha Guérard-Poirier1,2, Myriam El-Raheb1,2, Florence Lebel-Guay1,2, Adam Dubrowski4 and Erica Patocskai1,5
Abstract Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented and potentially stressful event that inserted itself into the 2019–2020 Canadian medical curriculum. However, its impact on stress and subsequent professional pathways is not well understood. This study aims to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental well-being, training, and career choices of Canadian medical clerks within the first three months of the pandemic. It also aims to assess their use of university support systems and their appreciation of potential solutions to common academic stressors. Methods: An electronic survey composed of four sections: demographics, stressors experienced during the pandemic, World Health Organization (WHO) well-being index, and stress management and resources was distributed to Canadian clerks. Results: Clerks from 10 of the 17 Canadian medical faculties participated in this study (n = 627). Forty-five percent of clerks reported higher levels of stress than usual; 22% reconsidered their residency choice; and 19% reconsidered medicine as a career. The factors that were most stressful among clerks were: the means of return to rotations; decreased opportunities to be productive in view of residency match; and taking the national licensing exam after the beginning of residency. The mean WHO well-being index was 14.8/25 ± 4.5, indicating a poor level of wellbeing among a considerable proportion of students. Clerks who reconsidered their residency choice or medicine as a career had lower mean WHO well-being indices. Most clerks agreed with the following suggested solutions: training sessions on the clinical management of COVID-19 cases; being allowed to submit fewer reference letters when applying to residency; and having protected time to study for their licensing exam during residency. Overall, clerks were less concerned with being infected during their rotations than with the impact of the pandemic on their future career and residency match. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic had a considerable impact on the medical curriculum and well-being of clerks. A number of student-identified solutions were proposed to reduce stress. The implementation of these solutions throughout the Canadian medical training system should be considered. Keywords: COVID-19, Medical education, Student well-being, Clerkship, Medical training
* Correspondence: [email protected]; [email protected] 1 Simulation and Medical Education Research Group, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada Full list of author information is available at the end of the article © The Author(s). 2020 Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Intern
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