Preparing Medical Students for the Final Examinations During the COVID-19 Crisis: A Bumpy Ride to the Finishing Line

Perceived Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Psychiatric Training Among Final-Year Medical Undergraduates in Sri Lanka: an Online Survey of Students from Eight Universities

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess the perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on undergraduate psychiatry training in Sri Lanka and to explore several potentially associated factors.

METHODS

An online survey was distributed among students from eight medical schools who recently faced their final exam. Their perceptions on the impact of the pandemic on the psychiatry training and exam performance were rated on a 10-point scale. Resilience was assessed using a two-item scale.

RESULTS

A total of 644 students responded (69.5% female, mean age=27.5 years). Among them, 164 (25.5%) reported being quarantined; 25 (4%) reported becoming infected with COVID-19; and 170 (28.6%) reported ward closure for over a week during the clerkship. Greater impact was reported for patient availability (mean=7.08), mental status assessments (mean=6.3), developing rapport (mean=6.2), and diagnostic skills (mean=5.9), whereas the impact on peer-learning (mean=5.5) and self-study (mean=3.6) was relatively lower. Impact on clinical components of the final exam (mean=6) was rated higher than on theory components (mean=4.5). The majority (70.3%) reported that COVID-19-related stress affected their exam preparations. Higher resilience predicted lower perceived impact on all aspects of training/exam performance. Female gender and ward closure predicted greater impact on diagnostic skills, overall training, and clinical exam performance, whereas being quarantined predicted greater impact on peer-learning and self-study.

CONCLUSION

The pandemic has significantly affected the undergraduate psychiatry training in Sri Lanka, particularly its clinical components. Increasing clinical exposure to patients, managing students' stress, and building their resilience should be key concerns for medical educators during the pandemic.

Evaluation of Online Near-Peer Teaching for Penultimate-Year Objective Structured Clinical Examinations in the COVID-19 Era: Longitudinal Study

BACKGROUND

The benefits of near-peer learning are well established in several aspects of undergraduate medical education including preparing students for Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs). The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a paradigm shift to predominantly online teaching.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of an exclusively online near-peer OSCE teaching program in a time of significant face-to-face and senior-led teaching shortage.

METHODS

A teaching program was delivered to penultimate-year students by final-year students at Manchester Medical School. Program development involved compiling a list of salient topics and seeking senior faculty approval. Teachers and students were recruited on Facebook. In total, 22 sessions and 42 talks were attended by 72 students and taught by 13 teachers over a 3-month period. Data collection involved anonymous weekly questionnaires and 2 separate anonymous student and teacher postcourse questionnaires including both quantitative and qualitative components.

RESULTS

On a scale of 1-10, students rated the quality of the program highly (mean 9.30, SD 1.15) and felt the sessions were highly useful in guiding their revision (mean 8.95, SD 0.94). There was a significant increase in perceived confidence ratings after delivery of the program (P<.001). Teachers felt the program helped them better understand and retain the subject material taught (mean 9.36, SD 0.81) and develop skills to become effective clinical teachers (mean 9.27, SD 0.79).

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study demonstrating the efficacy of a near-peer OSCE teaching program delivered exclusively online. This provides an exemplary framework for how similar programs should be encouraged given their efficacy and logistical viability in supplementing the undergraduate curriculum.