Analysis of Obligatory Involvement of Medical Students in Pandemic Response in the Czech Republic: Competencies, Experiences, and Legal Implications

Abstract

Objectives: Medical students in the Czech Republic were mandated by the law to take part in the COVID-19 pandemic response in order to expand healthcare capacity. Our study aimed to analyze student’s competencies defined in the legislation and compare them with competencies assigned to them in clinical settings during their deployment.Methods: Online survey with statistical analysis of collected data.Results: The survey was completed by 997 respondents. A major convergence between the system of credentials defined in the legal framework and the competencies that students performed were identified.Conclusion: Medical students represented a valuable resource for addressing shortages of qualified healthcare staff in critical situation. However, the system of competencies and credentials must be aligned with the educational framework to clearly define acquisition of competencies during the course of medical studies and the legal framework regulating students’ deployment must ensure consistency of actual and formal competencies in order to guarantee high standards of care and safety of the patients.

Hospital-Level COVID-19 Preparedness and Crisis Management in Czechia

“…The induction of rotated employees into new area of work was mainly “Entirely informal” or “Informal with assigned supervisor” ( Table 2 ). Medical students were involved in healthcare provision in higher extent [ 14 ] than before the pandemic in 85.7% of university hospitals, 81.2% of regional city hospitals, 54.3% of district city hospitals and 28.6% of specialized centres ( p = 0.025). Students of other healthcare professions (nurses, physiotherapists, nutritionists…) were involved in healthcare provision more than before the pandemic in 60% of hospitals ( n = 39).…”

“…In Czechia, hospitals facing staff shortages adopted strategy of rotating staff from less critical departments to those that were critically understaffed, as recommended by the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [ 26 ]. Additionally, some hospitals involved medical and nursing students in healthcare provision during the pandemic [ 14 ]. These measures were more prominent in hospitals with a broader spectrum of provided care, such as university and regional city hospitals.…”