Investigation of the Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Medical Students’ Occupational Identity

Abstract

Phenomenon: The COVID-19 pandemic has created great challenges for the mental health and professional identity formation of medical students in the clinic. We hope to identify the factors involved in clinical medical students' mental health and professional identity formation in the COVID-19 pandemic. Approach: We conducted a survey of professional master degree of clinical medicine students, who were enrolled in standardized residency training. The survey specifically focused on anxiety related to the COVID-19 pandemic and prevention, control, training and management measures in clinical work as well as medical students' professional identity formation during the pandemic. Findings: The pandemic had a negative impact on students' mental health. Appropriate prevention, control, training and management measures for the COVID-19 pandemic in clinical work could improve medical students' professional identity formation. The medical staff involved in anti-pandemic efforts were positive role models for medical students' professional identity formation in medical education. Insights: During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is very important to give support to students, especially those involved in clinical work, for their mental health. In addition, we should take appropriate measures for medical students' safety and to improve their professional identity formation. The medical staff involved in anti-pandemic efforts would be good role models for medical students and would contribute greatly to the formation of medical students' altruism and professional identity in medical education.