Abstract
BackgroundIt remains unclear to what extent the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the normal progression of biomedical and medical science graduate programs and if there was a lasting impact on the quality and quantity of supervision of PhD-students. To date, multiple editorials and commentaries indicate the severity of the disruption without providing sufficient evidence with quantifiable data.MethodsAn online survey was submitted to the administrative offices of biomedical and medical PhD-programs at eight major universities in Sweden to gauge the impact of the pandemic on the students. It consisted of multiple-choice and open-ended questions where students could provide examples of positive and/or negative supervision strategies. Open answered questions were coded as either examples of positive or negative support.ResultsPhD students were divided into two groups: those with improved or unchanged supervision during the pandemic (group 1, n = 185), versus those whose supervision worsened (group 2, n = 69). Group 1 received more help from supervisors and more frequent supervision via both online and alternative platforms (email/messages and telephone). There was no significant difference in educational-stage, gender or caretaking responsibilities between the groups.ConclusionsIt is important for the scientific community to learn how to provide the best possible supervision for PhD students during the pandemic. Our data suggests that more frequent supervision, and using a diverse array of meeting platforms is helpful. In addition, it is important for the students to feel that they have their supervisor’s emotional support. Several students also expressed that they would benefit from an extension of their PhD programs due to delays caused by the pandemic.
Highlights
It remains unclear to what extent the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the normal progression of biomedical and medical science graduate programs and if there was a lasting impact on the quality and quantity of supervision of PhD-students
Our analyses provide suggestions for specific pedagogical approaches for the supervision of doctoral students that are tailored to help them finish their studies and successfully complete their PhD program during this difficult time
We evaluated answers according to the educational stage of the PhD students, as students at an earlier career stage (2 years or less) might perceive pandemic-related restrictions differently compared to those at a later stage
Summary
It remains unclear to what extent the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the normal progression of biomedical and medical science graduate programs and if there was a lasting impact on the quality and quantity of supervision of PhD-students. The first case of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was reported in December 2019 and the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a pandemic on March 11, 2020 [1]. As recently highlighted in several commentaries and editorial articles, the COVID-19 pandemic poses challenges for PhD students and their supervisors [3,4,5,6,7,8]. Students enrolled in medical graduate programs often require access to the hospitals and/or human subjects to conduct their research. Navigating restricted physical access and remote work pose a significant burden on both PhD students and their supervisors
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