Students' Awareness as an Underlying Factor for Satisfaction and Compliance.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Public Health
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• COVID-19 pandemic necessitated rapid shifts in higher education, impacting medical schools globally.
• Egyptian medical schools transitioned to online learning and modified assessment methods, including research projects and online exams.
• Clinical rotations and final exams for clinical years were postponed due to the pandemic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate medical students' awareness of COVID-19 safety guidelines.
• To assess student satisfaction with online learning and new assessment strategies.
• To gauge perceptions of university-provided solutions for continuing education.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was distributed to medical students across Egypt.
• Data were collected and statistically analyzed using SPSS software.
• A Chi-squared test was employed for analyzing two variables.

Main Results:

• A significant majority (66.2%) of surveyed students doubted the adequacy of university safety measures upon return.
• Findings suggest average baseline knowledge of COVID-19 among medical students.
• The study highlights a gap in students' understanding and preparedness for infection control.

Conclusions:

• There is a clear need for targeted infection control programs for medical students.
• Continuous education on COVID-19 practices is essential for healthcare professionals.
• Improving awareness and safety protocols is crucial for academic continuity and public health.