FEATURE
COVID-19 : A MEDICAL STUDENT ’ S YEAR OF REFLECTION AUTHOR Akhila Ankem , MS
In many ways , 2020 was an unprecedented year ; COVID-19 overwhelmed medical infrastructure and professionals alike . The role of essential and frontline workers became even more crucial during this public health crisis . Clinicians and health care professionals were called upon to navigate the uncertainties of the novel virus with limited resources and a workforce shortage . As COVID-19 first spread , PPE was often out of stock and rationed where available . Many physicians and medical personnel were overburdened with more patients than beds and equipment . In this maelstrom , debate ensued about the role of medical students . What was the priority : maintaining high quality in-person training for America ’ s future doctors , or saving scarce PPE for the fully licensed ? Also , medical students had to be supervised by teaching physicians who , if not inundated with COVID-19 cases , were themselves constantly processing emerging data . 1 Moreover , students , working closely among the infected , risked contracting and spreading the virus , raising more ethical and practical questions . 1 , 2 Without clear guidance , medical schools initially chartered their own paths for students , though the Association of American Medical Colleges ( AAMC ) responded with recommendations .
In March 2020 , the AAMC recommended that medical schools suspend in-person clerkships and restrict direct patient care except in the event of critical need . 1 , 2 Despite this guidance , some schools accelerated graduation and recruited students for hospital-based roles to address clinician shortage . 1 , 2 As a result of diverging reactions to the AAMC and Liaison Committee on Medical Education ( LCME ) recommendations , medical students across the country faced a calamity . In-person learning all but ceased , and educational institutions struggled to transition to a virtual model . 3 That said , medical students are selected for their resilience , perseverance and versatility . Therefore , preclinical students quickly adapted to online learning , while students on rotation remotely completed the remainder of their clerkships .
Even though medical schools and students complied with the hastily issued AAMC guidelines , disagreement arose between the AAMC and medical students . 1 , 2 The latter , most of whom were sent home from their rotation sites , felt determined they could assist COVID-19 patients and their attending physicians in the midst of the global crisis . There are clear ways medical students contribute in the clinical setting : augmenting lightly staffed clinics , calling patients , interviewing patients , expediting care and providing patient education on COVID-19 . 1 But the AAMC ’ s guidance threw into question the role of medical students . Were they students who could
22 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE