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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented and potentially stressful event that inserted itself into the 2019-2020 Canadian medical curriculum. However, its impact on stress and subsequent professional pathways is not well understood. This study aims to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental well-being, training, and career choices of Canadian medical clerks within the first three months of the pandemic. It also aims to assess their use of university support systems and their appreciation of potential solutions to common academic stressors.
Methods: An electronic survey composed of four sections: demographics, stressors experienced during the pandemic, World Health Organization (WHO) well-being index, and stress management and resources was distributed to Canadian clerks.
Results: Clerks from 10 of the 17 Canadian medical faculties participated in this study (n=627). Forty-five percent of clerks reported higher levels of stress than usual; 22% reconsidered their residency choice; and 19% reconsidered medicine as a career. The factors that were most stressful among clerks were: the means of return to rotations; decreased opportunities to be productive in view of residency match; and taking the national licensing exam after the beginning of residency. The mean WHO well-being index was 14.8/25 ± 4.5, indicating a poor level of well-being among a considerable proportion of students. Clerks who reconsidered their residency choice or medicine as a career had lower mean WHO well-being indices. Most clerks agreed with the following suggested solutions: training sessions on the clinical management of COVID-19 cases; being allowed to submit fewer reference letters when applying to residency; and having protected time to study for their licensing exam during residency. Overall, clerks were less concerned with being infected during their rotations than with the impact of the pandemic on their future career and residency match.
Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic had a considerable impact on the medical curriculum and well-being of clerks. A number of student-identified solutions were proposed to reduce stress. The implementation of these solutions throughout the Canadian medical training system should be considered.
Keywords
COVID-19, Medical Education, Student Well-being, Clerkship, Medical Training
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CURRENT STATUS: Published
View the published article at BMC Medical Education.
Version 2
Posted 25 Sep, 2020
No community comments so far
Editorial decision: Accept
On 07 Oct, 2020
Editor assigned
On 28 Sep, 2020
Editor invited
On 27 Sep, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 24 Sep, 2020
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Minor revision
On 11 Sep, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 10 Sep, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 07 Sep, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 21 Aug, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 18 Aug, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 18 Aug, 2020
First submitted
On 27 Jul, 2020
Editor assigned
On 27 Jul, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 26 Jul, 2020
Editor invited
On 26 Jul, 2020
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
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See the published version of this preprint at BMC Medical Education.
This is a preprint, a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Learn more about In Review
Research article
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
Peer Review Timeline
CURRENT STATUS: Published
View the published article at BMC Medical Education.
Version 2
Posted 25 Sep, 2020
No community comments so far
Editorial decision: Accept
On 07 Oct, 2020
Editor assigned
On 28 Sep, 2020
Editor invited
On 27 Sep, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 24 Sep, 2020
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Minor revision
On 11 Sep, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 10 Sep, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 07 Sep, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 21 Aug, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 18 Aug, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 18 Aug, 2020
First submitted
On 27 Jul, 2020
Editor assigned
On 27 Jul, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 26 Jul, 2020
Editor invited
On 26 Jul, 2020
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
View the published article at BMC Medical Education.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented and potentially stressful event that inserted itself into the 2019-2020 Canadian medical curriculum. However, its impact on stress and subsequent professional pathways is not well understood. This study aims to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental well-being, training, and career choices of Canadian medical clerks within the first three months of the pandemic. It also aims to assess their use of university support systems and their appreciation of potential solutions to common academic stressors.
Methods: An electronic survey composed of four sections: demographics, stressors experienced during the pandemic, World Health Organization (WHO) well-being index, and stress management and resources was distributed to Canadian clerks.
Results: Clerks from 10 of the 17 Canadian medical faculties participated in this study (n=627). Forty-five percent of clerks reported higher levels of stress than usual; 22% reconsidered their residency choice; and 19% reconsidered medicine as a career. The factors that were most stressful among clerks were: the means of return to rotations; decreased opportunities to be productive in view of residency match; and taking the national licensing exam after the beginning of residency. The mean WHO well-being index was 14.8/25 ± 4.5, indicating a poor level of well-being among a considerable proportion of students. Clerks who reconsidered their residency choice or medicine as a career had lower mean WHO well-being indices. Most clerks agreed with the following suggested solutions: training sessions on the clinical management of COVID-19 cases; being allowed to submit fewer reference letters when applying to residency; and having protected time to study for their licensing exam during residency. Overall, clerks were less concerned with being infected during their rotations than with the impact of the pandemic on their future career and residency match.
Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic had a considerable impact on the medical curriculum and well-being of clerks. A number of student-identified solutions were proposed to reduce stress. The implementation of these solutions throughout the Canadian medical training system should be considered.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
This is a list of supplementary files associated with this preprint. Click to download.
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