Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic presented the world with a sudden need for additional medical professionals. Senior medical students were identified as potential workers and many worldwide graduated early to serve as Junior Physicians in hospitals. The authors sought to identify factors that informed the decision to work, describe experiences in this capacity, and elucidate benefits for trainees. Methods The investigators conducted a mixed-methods observational cohort study of early medical graduates eligible to work as Junior Physicians at two New York medical centers in April/May 2020 during an initial surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations. Graduates were surveyed, and a sample of Junior Physicians participated in a focus group. Survey responses of those who worked were compared to those who did not. Focus group responses were transcribed, coded, and thematically analyzed. Results Fifty-nine graduates completed the study methods and 39 worked as Junior Physicians. Primary reasons for working included duty to help (39 [100%]), financial incentive (32 [82%]), desire to learn about pandemic response (25 [64%]), and educational incentive (24 [62%]). All had direct contact with COVID-19 patients, believed working was beneficial to their medical training, and were glad they worked. None contracted a symptomatic infection while working. Compared with non-Junior Physicians, Junior Physicians reported increased comfort levels in completing medical intern-level actions like transitions of care functions, such as writing transfer notes (P < 0.01), writing discharge orders (P = 0.01), and providing verbal sign out (P = 0.05), and they reported more comfort in managing COVID-19 patients. Sixteen themes emerged from the focus group and were placed into four categories: development of skills, patient care, safety, and wellness. Conclusions Senior medical students chose to work as Junior Physicians for both personal and educational reasons. Experiences were beneficial to trainees and can inform future innovations in medical education.

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OBJECTIVES: Hospitalization generates increased psychological discomfort for children and their caregivers. This anxiety can affect the patient-caretaker response to the health care team and the course of treatment. We aim to evaluate the impacts of a magic therapy program, organized and facilitated by medical students, on alleviating pediatric inpatient and caregiver anxiety. METHODS: Patients aged 5 to 16 years admitted to an inpatient pediatric unit and their caregivers were eligible for inclusion. Patient-caregiver pairs were randomly assigned to a magic therapy intervention group or a control group. Anxiety was measured before and after the intervention by using validated self-report tools. The Facial Image Scale and Venham Picture Test were used to measure anxiety for young patients, the short State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Facial Image Scale were used for older patients, and the short State-Trait Inventory was used for caregivers. A subset of the intervention group was reevaluated at 1 hour posttherapy. Health professionals were also surveyed regarding their opinions of the program. RESULTS: One hundred patients and 90 caregivers were enrolled. The patient magic group’s standardized anxiety was reduced by 25% (n = 47; P &lt; .001) posttherapy. The caregiver magic group’s anxiety was reduced by 24% (n = 34; P &lt; .001). Data suggest that anxiety reductions lasted through at least 1 hour posttherapy. Physicians (n = 9), nurses (n = 8), and pediatric residents (n = 20) supported program continuance, reported favorable impressions, and suggested patient, caregiver, and staff benefits. CONCLUSIONS: Integration of a magic therapy program into pediatric inpatient care was feasible and successful in decreasing patient and caretaker anxiety. Health care professionals support the program’s continuance.