Impact of COVID-19 on Education of Undergraduate Medical Students in Iraq

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Medical students around the world, especially in Iraq, have expressed their displeasure with COVID-19. AIM: The study’s goal was to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the education of Iraqi medical students at the undergraduate level. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study included undergraduate students of College of Medicine, University of Baghdad from 1st grade to 6th grade in Iraq using a validated questionnaire from the period of November 18, 2021, till December 2, 2021. Full history was taken including age, gender, and students grade, in addition to Impact of COVID-19 survey questions. The students filled the survey shared on different medical student groups on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Facebook anonymously online. All students were assured of both confidentiality and anonymity, and participation was voluntary. A convenient consecutive sampling method was used with a total sample of 406 students from different grades was collected. A descriptive statistical analysis using SPSS v28 was done. RESULTS: Median (interquartile range) age of participants was 21 (20–23) years. Most of the participants were female 250 (61.6%). Of a total 406 participants, 362 (89.2%) reported a negative effect of COVID-19 on education of undergraduate medical students. Online medical sessions do not reflect that student knowledge was the most common cause of this negative impact (336 (82.76%), next was reduced study level 305 (75.12%), then more cheating in online sessions 299 (73.65%), less efficiency of professors 281 (69.21%), reduced future healthcare 262 (64.53%), less comfortable online sessions 226 (55.67%), less relation between participants and their colleagues 188 (46.31%), and finally less study time 156 (38.42%). CONCLUSION: COVID-19 has a significant negative impact on education of undergraduate medical students in Iraq.