Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on academic activities, clinical training, and occupational expectations of postgraduate students of prosthodontic departments in Kerala –A cross-sectional study

Abstract

The first Covid case in India was reported in Kerala. Kerala’s attempt to contain Covid 19 in the initial period was praised nationally and internationally. This study is a humble attempt to study the impacts of the pandemic outbreak on academic activities, clinical training, and occupational expectations of prosthodontics postgraduate students in Kerala during the period of October 2020 to December 2020. A set of 20 close-ended questions were formulated. The questionnaire was circulated online using google forms among the postgraduate students pursuing prosthodontics in dental colleges in Kerala. Prosthodontic Postgraduate students of dental colleges in Kerala who were willing to participate in the study and gave informed consent were included in the study. Even though Prosthodontic postgraduate students appeared comfortable with technology adaptations for a didactic curriculum, internet connectivity issues were a major hindrance to the smooth conduction of online academic activities. The dental fraternity played a crucial role in the early detection of positive cases and was instrumental in flattening the covid curve in Kerala. The pandemic and the consequent movement restrictions affected the research activities and thesis preparation of postgraduate students. A sufficient supply of good quality PPE kits, rapid antigen screening kits in the department itself, and strict adherence to prudent sterilization and infection control measures were considered crucial in ensuring occupational safety and good patient care in prosthodontic departments during the pandemic waves. The unprecedented pandemic was a learning curve for all the stakeholders in the dental stream. Necessary measures should be taken by the authorities to equip dental colleges so that pandemics should not affect the dental education scenario in the future.