I wanted to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on current medical students. It is quite evident that the rapid increase in the number of cases is creating a shortage of testing, PPE, and of course, healthcare workers. The people at the frontlines are risking their lives every day to treat patients, resulting in many falling ill and needing to go under quarantine.
This brings up the important question of what the role of future healthcare workers should be during a global pandemic. Should their safety be prioritized first? Do future doctors have an obligation to treat all patients even if they are put at risk? Should student involvement be restricted? These questions are difficult to answer as such a situation is unprecedented, but several countries in Europe have already turned to medical students to strengthen the frontlines.
It is encouraging and inspirational to see that most medical students understand their duty as rising doctors and are eager to do whatever they can to help the country. In fact, they don't want to be sidelined. In Italy, medical schools have simplified/canceled exams and increased the number of doctors being recruited. Medical students have the opportunity to be more than learners and put their extensive preparation into practice.
In the US, there are many changes taking place within the medical school curriculum to adapt to the situation. AAMC has announced a 2-week suspension of clinical rotation that began on March 17th. These rotations are the most critical and significant exposure that students have during their medical schooling, but currently, the safety of the students, hospital staff, and patients is a greater priority. There are plans to have students complete them during their fourth year before graduation.
Several medical schools, including NJMS, are allowing their students to graduate about a month early, but only if they have successfully completed everything needed for graduation. In other words, students are not graduating if they are not competent and prepared for what lies ahead.
This article gives more information into some of the complications of having medical students graduate in March instead of July as planned.
These newly graduated doctors are not working yet because schools have to get plans approved by the state and medical boards first, issue temporary licenses, and figure out what the best next steps are. Should students volunteer in hospitals connected to their medical schools or join their planned residency programs?
This is also a difficult transition for medical students as they figure out the logistics of their work: where to live, does their planned residency program help with the pandemic etc.
Although a pandemic is ideally not how these students wanted to jump into the work field, yet there is a sense of duty present to serve those in need.
Columbia has announced that students can start working at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital after April 15th. Their work does not put them in direct contact with COVID patients and is focused more on providing relief for other doctors.
- By: Raaga Rambhatla