COVID-19 Implications on Clinical Clerkships and the Residency Application Process for Medical Students.

Allison Akers,Christian Blough,Maya S Iyer,Maya S Iyer

doi:10.7759/cureus.7800

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused significant disruption to undergraduate medical education (UME). Although the immediate scheduling challenges are being addressed, there has been less discourse regarding how this pandemic will impact medical students in their preparation for and application to residency programs. While some historical disasters and pandemics provide a loose precedent for UME response during COVID-19, the impact of the current pandemic has surpassed any other events. COVID-19 will likely impact UME in the suspension of clinical rotations, alterations in grading, suspension or elimination of away rotations, changes in medical licensing exams, and ramifications on mental health. This review assesses governing medical bodies’ recommendations regarding UME during the COVID-19 pandemic and how this may impact preparation for residency. In particular, residency programs will likely have to create new guidelines for assessing applicants during this unique cycle.

Highlights

BackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to widespread uncertainty and affected every corner of the globe
The Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) “strongly suggest[s] that medical students not be involved in any direct patient care activities” [4,5]
This integrative review discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the clerkship learning environment, medical licensing examinations, the mental health of medical students, and how these changes will affect the residency application process for medical students graduating in 2021

Summary

Introduction

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to widespread uncertainty and affected every corner of the globe. The AAMC “strongly suggest[s] that medical students not be involved in any direct patient care activities” [4,5] This integrative review discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the clerkship learning environment, medical licensing examinations, the mental health of medical students, and how these changes will affect the residency application process for medical students graduating in 2021. By limiting the suggested number of away rotations for those students who will not have experiences locally and flexibility in the number of specialty-specific letters of recommendation Both APGO and CREOG suggest postponing the OB/GYN application submission deadline and residency interviews to account for the pandemic’s impact on clinical experiences. Similar future generalized recommendations for UME governing medical will best assure uniformity and equitable opportunity for students applying to all specialties in the upcoming cycle

Conclusions

Disclosures