Medical students’ perceptions of learning and working on the COVID-19 frontlines: ‘… a confirmation that I am in the right place professionally’
The COVID-19 pandemic caused complex and enduring challenges for healthcare providers and medical educators. The rapid changes to the medical education landscape forced universities across the world to pause traditional medical training. In Basel, Switzerland, however, medical students had the oppor...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Medical Education Online |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/10872981.2022.2082265 |
| _version_ | 1818213616147496960 |
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| author | Jennifer M. Klasen Zoe Schoenbaechler Bryce J. M. Bogie Andrea Meienberg Christian Nickel Roland Bingisser Kori LaDonna |
| author_facet | Jennifer M. Klasen Zoe Schoenbaechler Bryce J. M. Bogie Andrea Meienberg Christian Nickel Roland Bingisser Kori LaDonna |
| author_sort | Jennifer M. Klasen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The COVID-19 pandemic caused complex and enduring challenges for healthcare providers and medical educators. The rapid changes to the medical education landscape forced universities across the world to pause traditional medical training. In Basel, Switzerland, however, medical students had the opportunity to work on the COVID-19 frontlines. Our purpose was to understand how they perceived both learning and professional identity development in this novel context. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 21 medical students who worked in a COVID-19 testing facility at the University Hospital of Basel. Using constructivist grounded theory methodology, we collected and analyzed data iteratively using the constant comparative approach to develop codes and theoretical themes. Most participants perceived working on the pandemic frontlines as a positive learning experience, that was useful for improving their technical and communication skills. Participants particularly valued the comradery amongst all team members, perceiving that the hierarchy between faculty and students was less evident in comparison to their usual learning environments. Since medical students reported that their work on the pandemic frontlines positively affected their learning, the need to create more hands-on learning opportunities for medical students challenges curriculum developers. Medical students wish to feel like full-fledged care team members rather than observing sideliners. Performing simple clinical tasks and collaborative moments in a supportive learning environment may promote learning and professional development and should be encouraged in the post-pandemic era. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T06:07:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-88e52c8afdb74f0c877aa249c0024881 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1087-2981 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T06:07:07Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Medical Education Online |
| spelling | doaj.art-88e52c8afdb74f0c877aa249c00248812022-12-22T00:35:16ZengTaylor & Francis GroupMedical Education Online1087-29812022-12-0127110.1080/10872981.2022.2082265Medical students’ perceptions of learning and working on the COVID-19 frontlines: ‘… a confirmation that I am in the right place professionally’Jennifer M. Klasen0Zoe Schoenbaechler1Bryce J. M. Bogie2Andrea Meienberg3Christian Nickel4Roland Bingisser5Kori LaDonna6Clarunis, Department of Visceral Surgery, University Centre for Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, University Hospital Basel, Basel, SwitzerlandMedical University of Basel, Basel, SwitzerlandMD/PhD Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, CanadaUniversity Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland, BaselEmergency Department, University Hospital, University of Basel, Basel, SwitzerlandEmergency Department, University Hospital, University of Basel, Basel, SwitzerlandDepartment of Innovation in Medical Education and Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, CanadaThe COVID-19 pandemic caused complex and enduring challenges for healthcare providers and medical educators. The rapid changes to the medical education landscape forced universities across the world to pause traditional medical training. In Basel, Switzerland, however, medical students had the opportunity to work on the COVID-19 frontlines. Our purpose was to understand how they perceived both learning and professional identity development in this novel context. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 21 medical students who worked in a COVID-19 testing facility at the University Hospital of Basel. Using constructivist grounded theory methodology, we collected and analyzed data iteratively using the constant comparative approach to develop codes and theoretical themes. Most participants perceived working on the pandemic frontlines as a positive learning experience, that was useful for improving their technical and communication skills. Participants particularly valued the comradery amongst all team members, perceiving that the hierarchy between faculty and students was less evident in comparison to their usual learning environments. Since medical students reported that their work on the pandemic frontlines positively affected their learning, the need to create more hands-on learning opportunities for medical students challenges curriculum developers. Medical students wish to feel like full-fledged care team members rather than observing sideliners. Performing simple clinical tasks and collaborative moments in a supportive learning environment may promote learning and professional development and should be encouraged in the post-pandemic era.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/10872981.2022.2082265Medical studentsmedical educationprofessional identity formationCOVID-19 |
| spellingShingle | Jennifer M. Klasen Zoe Schoenbaechler Bryce J. M. Bogie Andrea Meienberg Christian Nickel Roland Bingisser Kori LaDonna Medical students’ perceptions of learning and working on the COVID-19 frontlines: ‘… a confirmation that I am in the right place professionally’ Medical Education Online Medical students medical education professional identity formation COVID-19 |
| title | Medical students’ perceptions of learning and working on the COVID-19 frontlines: ‘… a confirmation that I am in the right place professionally’ |
| title_full | Medical students’ perceptions of learning and working on the COVID-19 frontlines: ‘… a confirmation that I am in the right place professionally’ |
| title_fullStr | Medical students’ perceptions of learning and working on the COVID-19 frontlines: ‘… a confirmation that I am in the right place professionally’ |
| title_full_unstemmed | Medical students’ perceptions of learning and working on the COVID-19 frontlines: ‘… a confirmation that I am in the right place professionally’ |
| title_short | Medical students’ perceptions of learning and working on the COVID-19 frontlines: ‘… a confirmation that I am in the right place professionally’ |
| title_sort | medical students perceptions of learning and working on the covid 19 frontlines a confirmation that i am in the right place professionally |
| topic | Medical students medical education professional identity formation COVID-19 |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/10872981.2022.2082265 |
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