Impact of COVID-19 on medical undergraduate students’ academics and its ramifications

OBJECTIVES: COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected undergraduate medical education all over the world. This effect is most noteworthy on the medical students as clinical orientation and hands-on training are crucial toward development of basic medical skills. Various modifications to the methods of online teaching have been adopted in response to this pandemic to maintain continuity of medical education; however, we do not yet know the implications of this change. MATERIAL AND METHODS: To study the impact of this pandemic on medical students and to have a first-hand estimate of the adversities and challenges faced by them, an online questionnaire-based survey was conducted, administered through Google Forms maintaining anonymity. They were asked a series of multiple choice questions pertaining to the effects of this pandemic on their curriculum and academic activities. The responses received were analyzed by univariate analysis. RESULTS: Almost half (46.4%) of students reported a decreased interest in medicine after suspension of hands on teaching/practical classes. A total of 136 respondents (69.38%) felt that they became less productive in studies during the pandemic. Approximately 74% respondents felt less motivated to study at home. More than two-thirds of the respondents felt that on graduation, their clinical skills will be inferior to the students who graduated during the “non-COVID” era. About 84.69% of students believed that their examinations should be postponed hoping to get appropriate clinical experience once things normalize. CONCLUSION: Majority of the students feel less motivated and less productive, amidst the transition. The major area that has been compromised is the clinical skills training, a crucial adjunct to theoretical teaching in medical schools, and almost all students believe that their clinical skills in the long term would remain inferior to those who graduated before this pandemic.