Coping With COVID-19

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Clinical Pathology
• Infectious Disease Outbreaks

Background:

• The emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) significantly disrupted medical institutions and education.
• The Department of Laboratory Medicine at the University of Washington faced immediate challenges to its medical student clerkships.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the rapid implementation of changes to medical student clerkships in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To detail the adaptation of existing courses and the development of new remote learning strategies.

Main Methods:

• One ongoing case- and didactic-based course (LabM 685) was converted to remote learning in real time.
• Elements of an immersive clinical laboratory clerkship (LabM 680) were repurposed for remote delivery to accommodate large student cohorts.
• A new remote clerkship (MedSci 585C) was developed using distance learning and guided small-group sessions.

Main Results:

• Fifteen out of 17 scheduled sessions for LabM 685 were successfully completed remotely.
• Remote learning strategies were successfully implemented for LabM 680, accommodating 40 medical students per class.
• A new remote clerkship, MedSci 585C, was successfully developed and implemented, alongside remote adaptations for resident and fellow education.

Conclusions:

• The adaptations in medical education highlight the dynamic response required during global health crises.
• Technology played a crucial role in facilitating innovative remote learning solutions for clinical pathology education, despite some limitations.