Medical students’ perceptions and coping strategies during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: studies, clinical implication, and professional identity
Abstract Background The unfolding of the COVID-19 pandemic during spring 2020 has disrupted medical education worldwide. The University of Geneva decided to shift on-site classwork to online learning; many exams were transformed from summative to formative evaluations and most clinical activities we...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2021-12-01
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| Series: | BMC Medical Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-021-03053-4 |
| _version_ | 1818352491446665216 |
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| author | Wurth Sophie Sader Julia Cerutti Bernard Broers Barbara Bajwa M. Nadia Carballo Sebastian Escher Monica Galetto-Lacour Annick Grosgurin Olivier Lavallard Vanessa Savoldelli Georges Serratrice Jacques Nendaz Mathieu Audétat-Voirol Marie-Claude |
| author_facet | Wurth Sophie Sader Julia Cerutti Bernard Broers Barbara Bajwa M. Nadia Carballo Sebastian Escher Monica Galetto-Lacour Annick Grosgurin Olivier Lavallard Vanessa Savoldelli Georges Serratrice Jacques Nendaz Mathieu Audétat-Voirol Marie-Claude |
| author_sort | Wurth Sophie |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The unfolding of the COVID-19 pandemic during spring 2020 has disrupted medical education worldwide. The University of Geneva decided to shift on-site classwork to online learning; many exams were transformed from summative to formative evaluations and most clinical activities were suspended. We aimed to investigate the perceived impact of those adaptations by the students at the Faculty of Medicine. Methods We sent an online self-administered survey to medical students from years 2 to 6 of the University of Geneva, three months after the beginning of the pandemic. The survey explored students’ main activities during the first three months of the pandemic, the impact of the crisis on their personal life, on their training and on their professional identity, the level of stress they experienced and which coping strategies they developed. The survey consisted of open-ended and closed questions and was administered in French. Results A total of 58.8% of students responded (n = 467) and were homogeneously distributed across gender. At the time of the survey, two thirds of the participants were involved in COVID-19-related activities; 72.5% voluntarily participated, mainly fueled by a desire to help and feel useful. Many participants (58.8%) reported a feeling of isolation encountered since the start of the pandemic. Main coping strategies reported were physical activity and increased telecommunications with their loved ones. Most students described a negative impact of the imposed restrictions on their training, reporting decreased motivation and concentration in an unusual or distraction-prone study environment at home and missing interactions with peers and teachers. Students recruited to help at the hospital in the context of increasing staff needs reported a positive impact due to the enriched clinical exposure. Perceived stress levels were manageable across the surveyed population. If changed, the crisis had a largely positive impact on students’ professional identity; most highlighted the importance of the health care profession for society and confirmed their career choice. Conclusion Through this comprehensive picture, our study describes the perceived impact of the pandemic on University of Geneva medical students, their training and their professional identity three months after the start of the pandemic. These results allowed us to gain valuable insight that reinforced the relevance of assessing the evolution of the situation in the long run and the importance of developing institutional support tools for medical students throughout their studies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T18:54:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d16335b4570540538ee702a48a3d4274 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6920 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T18:54:29Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Medical Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-d16335b4570540538ee702a48a3d42742022-12-21T23:34:50ZengBMCBMC Medical Education1472-69202021-12-0121111110.1186/s12909-021-03053-4Medical students’ perceptions and coping strategies during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: studies, clinical implication, and professional identityWurth Sophie0Sader Julia1Cerutti Bernard2Broers Barbara3Bajwa M. Nadia4Carballo Sebastian5Escher Monica6Galetto-Lacour Annick7Grosgurin Olivier8Lavallard Vanessa9Savoldelli Georges10Serratrice Jacques11Nendaz Mathieu12Audétat-Voirol Marie-Claude13Unit of Development and Research in Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of GenevaUnit of Development and Research in Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of GenevaUnit of Development and Research in Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of GenevaUnit of Development and Research in Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of GenevaUnit of Development and Research in Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of GenevaDivision of General Internal Medicine, Geneva University HospitalsUnit of Development and Research in Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of GenevaDepartment of General Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital, Geneva University HospitalsDivision of General Internal Medicine, Geneva University HospitalsFaculty of Medicine, University of GenevaUnit of Development and Research in Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of GenevaDivision of General Internal Medicine, Geneva University HospitalsUnit of Development and Research in Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of GenevaUnit of Development and Research in Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of GenevaAbstract Background The unfolding of the COVID-19 pandemic during spring 2020 has disrupted medical education worldwide. The University of Geneva decided to shift on-site classwork to online learning; many exams were transformed from summative to formative evaluations and most clinical activities were suspended. We aimed to investigate the perceived impact of those adaptations by the students at the Faculty of Medicine. Methods We sent an online self-administered survey to medical students from years 2 to 6 of the University of Geneva, three months after the beginning of the pandemic. The survey explored students’ main activities during the first three months of the pandemic, the impact of the crisis on their personal life, on their training and on their professional identity, the level of stress they experienced and which coping strategies they developed. The survey consisted of open-ended and closed questions and was administered in French. Results A total of 58.8% of students responded (n = 467) and were homogeneously distributed across gender. At the time of the survey, two thirds of the participants were involved in COVID-19-related activities; 72.5% voluntarily participated, mainly fueled by a desire to help and feel useful. Many participants (58.8%) reported a feeling of isolation encountered since the start of the pandemic. Main coping strategies reported were physical activity and increased telecommunications with their loved ones. Most students described a negative impact of the imposed restrictions on their training, reporting decreased motivation and concentration in an unusual or distraction-prone study environment at home and missing interactions with peers and teachers. Students recruited to help at the hospital in the context of increasing staff needs reported a positive impact due to the enriched clinical exposure. Perceived stress levels were manageable across the surveyed population. If changed, the crisis had a largely positive impact on students’ professional identity; most highlighted the importance of the health care profession for society and confirmed their career choice. Conclusion Through this comprehensive picture, our study describes the perceived impact of the pandemic on University of Geneva medical students, their training and their professional identity three months after the start of the pandemic. These results allowed us to gain valuable insight that reinforced the relevance of assessing the evolution of the situation in the long run and the importance of developing institutional support tools for medical students throughout their studies.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-021-03053-4Medical studentsCOVID-19Online learningPerceived stressCoping strategiesHealth care professional identity |
| spellingShingle | Wurth Sophie Sader Julia Cerutti Bernard Broers Barbara Bajwa M. Nadia Carballo Sebastian Escher Monica Galetto-Lacour Annick Grosgurin Olivier Lavallard Vanessa Savoldelli Georges Serratrice Jacques Nendaz Mathieu Audétat-Voirol Marie-Claude Medical students’ perceptions and coping strategies during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: studies, clinical implication, and professional identity BMC Medical Education Medical students COVID-19 Online learning Perceived stress Coping strategies Health care professional identity |
| title | Medical students’ perceptions and coping strategies during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: studies, clinical implication, and professional identity |
| title_full | Medical students’ perceptions and coping strategies during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: studies, clinical implication, and professional identity |
| title_fullStr | Medical students’ perceptions and coping strategies during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: studies, clinical implication, and professional identity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Medical students’ perceptions and coping strategies during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: studies, clinical implication, and professional identity |
| title_short | Medical students’ perceptions and coping strategies during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: studies, clinical implication, and professional identity |
| title_sort | medical students perceptions and coping strategies during the first wave of the covid 19 pandemic studies clinical implication and professional identity |
| topic | Medical students COVID-19 Online learning Perceived stress Coping strategies Health care professional identity |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-021-03053-4 |
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