Abstract
Background and Objective:In 2020, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, medical students were placed in a learning environment that exposed them to unsafe clinical settings. In this study, using a phenomenological approach, we analyze the experiences of fourth-year students in the Daegu area of South Korea, a region that experienced a high concentration of COVID-19 infections.Methods:The essays of 80 students from four medical schools who agreed to participate in the study were utilized in the final data analysis. The data were analyzed using the proposed phenomenological analysis.Results:Forty-seven condensed meaning units, twelve subthemes, and three essential themes were identified. The main theme includes the following: 1) confusion and stress due to sudden changes in the learning situation 2) learned the medical professionalism of physicians 3) reflection and internal change regarding what it means to be a physician.Conclusions:The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on students who participated in clinical clerkships. This study can provide baseline data for planning educational strategies and establishing a support system for students in response to the changes that they may experience in the event of the reoccurrence of a novel infectious disease in the future.
Highlights
The world faced an unprecedented pandemic in 2020 with the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
Medical students in South Korea must undergo at least 52 clinical trainings, according to the Korean Institute of Medical Education and Evaluation; students began their clinical clerkships in April 2020 amid feelings of concern and anxiety
The subjects in this study consisted of a convenience sample of fourth-year medical students attending four medical schools in the Daegu area of South Korea, which had the highest distribution of confirmed COVID-19 cases nationwide at 63.7% as of April 30, 2020
Summary
The world faced an unprecedented pandemic in 2020 with the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Medical students in South Korea must undergo at least 52 clinical trainings, according to the Korean Institute of Medical Education and Evaluation; students began their clinical clerkships in April 2020 amid feelings of concern and anxiety. When such an epidemic occurs, the medical community’s primary concern is managing infectious diseases and improving the disease management systems.[1] Health care workers were at risk, with health care workers accounting for 15 to 18% of the total infected population, and in some cases up to 20%.2. This study can provide baseline data for planning educational strategies and establishing a support system for students in response to the changes that they may experience in the event of the reoccurrence of a novel infectious disease in the future
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