Changes in the provision of undergraduate ENT clinical placements across the UK in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic

Abstract

Objective This study aimed to report the changes made to ENT placements across the UK in response to the pandemic and their impact on student experience. Methods A questionnaire eliciting how ENT placements were provided before and after coronavirus disease 2019 was disseminated amongst Student and Foundation Doctors in Otolaryngology representatives. Results Thirty-eight respondents from 27 medical schools across the UK completed the survey (response rate of 90 per cent). Twenty-nine of the 38 respondents (76 per cent) reported a change in ENT placements in response to the pandemic. Six of the 38 students (16 per cent) remained satisfied with their ENT placements, as compared to 12 students prior to the pandemic (32 per cent). Conclusion There is considerable variability in how medical schools responded to the pandemic. Most medical schools placed students into smaller groups, with less direct contact in the hospital. These changes resulted in lower student satisfaction. The increased emphasis on e-learning underscores the need for high quality e-learning materials to promote learning throughout the pandemic and in the future.

Impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on student supervision and education in health care settings: A state‐wide survey of health care workers

“…Studies of experiences of postqualification health care workers who provide clinical supervision to students on placements (also known as clinical supervisors, clinical educators or preceptors) are lacking given the difficulties in accessing this population for research purposes during the thick of the unprecedented pandemic situation. Health care organisations rightly prioritised patient care and preservation of personal protective equipment (PPE) over clinical education of students at the initial onset of the pandemic, which necessitated cancelling or varying student placements across professions 12,14,15 . It is important to investigate and learn from health care worker experiences related to the provision of student placements not only to provide this cohort with the necessary support into the postpandemic period but also to inform future pandemic plans related to clinical education.…”

“…Health care organisations rightly prioritised patient care and preservation of personal protective equipment (PPE) over clinical education of students at the initial onset of the pandemic, which necessitated cancelling or varying student placements across professions. 12,14,15 It is important to investigate and learn from health care worker experiences related to the provision of student placements not only to provide this cohort with the necessary support into the postpandemic period but also to inform future Conclusions: This study has highlighted the perceived impact of the pandemic on supervisors' mental health, and on the mental health, learning and work readiness of students. This study provides evidence of the pandemic impacts on student clinical placements from a supervisor point of view.…”