Medical students in Russia evaluate the training during the COVID-19 pandemic: a student survey

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to obtain feedback from medical students in Russia regarding their e-learning experience during COVID-19 Pandemic. METHODS: Thirteen thousand forty students from 46 Medical Schools in Russia completed an original evaluation form validated by 6 experts. Criterion and construct validity were determined in a pilot study (n = 46). The study design was based on the use of Google Forms. Participants used the Visual Analog Scale from 1 to 10 to assess the level of knowledge acquired. RESULTS: 95.31% of medical schools in Russia switched to e-learning during the Pandemic. 39.8% of the students stated that the time to prepare for the class has doubled. For 19.9% of them, it increased by one third, while 26.6% did not report any changes. 38,4% of the participants are satisfied with particular elements of e-learning, 27.5% like such a format, 22.9% do not like it, and 11.2% could not answer the question. The average scores for the knowledge assessment were 5.9 for the humanities, 6.1 for fundamental science, and 6.0 for clinical training. CONCLUSIONS: The most important findings are increased self-instruction time, insufficient knowledge gained and territorial and socio-economic inequalities within the country. Meanwhile, most students favor distance learning or its particular elements. Consequently, medical education leaders in Russia should consider the implementation of blended training in medicine taking into account specific regional factors, ensuring its effectiveness at all stages.