Impact of the Early Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Medical Student Well-Being: a Multisite Survey

Alkureishi, Maria L.; Jaishankar, D.; Dave, Shivam; Tatineni, Swetha; Zhu, Mengqi; Chretien, Katherine C.; Woodruff, James N.; Pincavage, Amber T.; Lee, Wei Wei

doi:10.1007/s11606-022-07497-2

Cited by 24 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…They started to appreciate what they had in their lives and looked positively to the pandemic as it gave them the opportunity to think and reflect. These results are consistent with the findings of studies done with undergraduate students from other parts of the world (Alghamdi, 2021;Elsharkawy & Abdelaziz, 2021;Hamza, Ewing, Heath, & Goldstein, 2021;Mekonen Workneh, Ali, & Muluneh, 2021;Wang et al, 2021), which clearly demonstrates the consequences on the health and the wellbeing of medical students who were subjected such a forced lockdown (Abdul-Email et al, 2022;Alkureishi et al, 2022;Mosleh et al, 2022;Sekulic et al, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…, 2021), which clearly demonstrates the consequences on the health and the wellbeing of medical students who were subjected such a forced lockdown (Abdul-E-mail et al. , 2022; Alkureishi et al. , 2022; Mosleh et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…, 2020). Studies on students in the health fields from the Arab Gulf region (Abdul-E-mail, Alarbash-E-mail, Albati-E-mail, Alkhelaiwi-E-mail, & Alkhalifa-E-mail, 2022; Mosleh, Shudifat, Dalky, Almalik, & Alnajar, 2022) as well as from western countries (Alkureishi et al. , 2022; Sekulic et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The lived experience of medical students during COVID-19 pandemic: the impact on lifestyle and mental wellbeing

Alzayani

Al‐Roomi

Ahmed

2022

AGJSR

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PurposeThe paper intends to explore the lived experiences of medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on their lifestyles and mental wellbeing.Design/methodology/approachFourteen medical students from the College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Bahrain, were enrolled, and their narratives were obtained. Data were analyzed and conducted using Colaizzi’s phenomenological descriptive method of enquiry.FindingsThe analysis identified two themes, along with nine subthemes, that were generated. The first theme focused on mental and social experiences, while the second focused on lifestyle changes. During the pandemic, students had time to reflect on themselves and started to think positively about their lives, although they felt fearful, uncertain, stressed and anxious due to preventive control measures that were mandated, including social distancing and lockdowns. Participants’ lifestyles changed generally negatively, as they adapted to the preventive measures, rendering them physically inactive and exposing them to unhealthy food and disturbed sleep.Originality/valueThe findings provide an insight into the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lifestyle and mental wellbeing of medical students. Educational institutes need to offer their students both short as well as long-term health, social and mental support to overcome the impact of the pandemic on their lives.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The lived experience of medical students during COVID-19 pandemic: the impact on lifestyle and mental wellbeing

Alzayani

Al‐Roomi

Ahmed

2022

AGJSR

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“…In student affairs, UIM students' baseline sense of isolation and loneliness (already higher than that among White students before the pandemic) was exacerbated by virtual learning during the pandemic. 17 Additionally, reduced family financial resources for many first generation students with low income and UIM students has often translated into reduced access to study resources compared with more affluent students. 17 Medical schools should invest in greater financial and personal support for UIM students to mitigate the personal and structural burdens they face, given the pandemic-driven threats to their academic achievement and well-being.…”

Section: Tending To the Medical Education Continuummentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19 Has Exacerbated Inequities That Hamper Physician Workforce Diversification

et al. 2022

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In 2021, the number of matriculating Black and Hispanic medical students in the US was the highest it has ever been. 1 Several contributing factors may explain this shift. Very visible health and health care inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic may have encouraged medical schools to actively recruit students underrepresented in medicine (UIM), including American Indian, Black, and Hispanic students. 2 These same circumstances may have encouraged UIM students to pursue careers in medicine. Additionally, the de-emphasis of standardized testing in the medical education pathway may have made medicine more appealing to groups traditionally disadvantaged by standardized testing. 3 Regardless of the reasons, this demographic shift in matriculating students is a welcome one, given evidence that racial concordance between patient and physician is associated with improved patient outcomes, 4,5 studies have shown that UIM trainees are more likely to establish practice in underserved areas, 6,7 and according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), more than two-thirds of increases in physician demand over the next 15 years will be driven by racially and ethnically minoritized populations, such as American Indian, Black, and Hispanic patients. 8 However, in their qualitative study of the experiences of premedical students during the COVID-19 pandemic at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Weiss et al 9 raise important concerns regarding ongoing threats to pathways programming. Prehealth advisors at these institutions perceived 3 types of COVID-19-related difficulties faced by HBCU students that could negatively influence students' academic progress: balancing academic responsibilities with family needs associated with the pandemic; distraction, disruption, and isolation in the virtual learning environment; and the uncertain and evolving requirements of the medical school application process. Weiss et al 9 point out that these difficulties have disproportionately affected HBCU students due to racial disparities in COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality in the Black community 10 and exacerbation of what students have perceived to be a prepandemic lack of mentorship opportunities, institutional support, and shadowing opportunities at HBCUs. 11 As an individual investigation, the study by Weiss et al 9 is significant because HCBUs produce 25% of all Black graduates earning degrees in science, technology, engineering, and medicine. 12 In addition, their study joins other important studies contributing to an evolving understanding of the role of COVID-19 in the pathways continuum and the growing need for workforce diversity efforts. This understanding has grown more robust over the last year and now warrants action.First, the pandemic has exacerbated health and health care disparities. Nationwide, Asian, Black, and Hispanic patients have experienced all-cause excess mortality that is as much as 4-fold that experienced by White patients. 13 Furthermore, changes in life expectancy have been s...

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“…Medical student volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic report positive outcomes including increased perception of teamwork, communication, and empathy [ 21 ]. Medical students experienced common shared obstacles, including tension between personal safety and professional duty (38%), and were often concerned about COVID’s impacts on society (44%) [ 34 ]. Prosocial motivation may be a component of student volunteering; student volunteers may be more engaged with their local communities than students who do not volunteer [ 35 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Motivation to Impact: Medical Student Volunteerism in the COVID 19 Pandemic

et al. 2022

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Objective Volunteerism represents an important mechanism to promote resilience, empathy, and general well-being in medical students, a group that stands to benefit. Medical students report feelings of fatigue, burnout, exhaustion, and stress that correlates with poor academic performance, and significant decline in empathy over the 3 rd year of both MD and DO programs. Volunteer motivations have been shown to mediate participant well-being. The relationship between medical student volunteer motivations and specific outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic has not been addressed. Methods We characterized features of medical student volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, including volunteering motivation using the Volunteer Functions Inventory, the types of activities in which they participated, and the physical, psychosocial, and emotional outcomes they experienced following volunteering. Results Altruistic and humanitarian values–centric motivation predicts positive volunteering outcomes including increased resilience, ability to deal with disappointment and loss, and ability to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. Values-centric motivation also increases volunteer empathy independent of educational stage. Values-centric participants were more likely to select volunteering activities with patient contact, which promotes student empathy and resilience. Conversely, career-centric motivation does not predict positive outcomes. These students are more likely to engage in research-oriented activities. Conclusions The efficacy of integrating volunteerism into medical school curricula may be limited by professional pressure that manifests as career-oriented motivation. We propose that practical integration should promote altruistic and humanitarian values–centric participant orientation to the volunteering process, which is associated with enhanced recruitment, preservation of empathy, and additional positive volunteering outcomes of interest.

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Impact of the Early Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Medical Student Well-Being: a Multisite Survey

Cited by 24 publications

References 53 publications

The lived experience of medical students during COVID-19 pandemic: the impact on lifestyle and mental wellbeing

The lived experience of medical students during COVID-19 pandemic: the impact on lifestyle and mental wellbeing

COVID-19 Has Exacerbated Inequities That Hamper Physician Workforce Diversification

Motivation to Impact: Medical Student Volunteerism in the COVID 19 Pandemic

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