An Effective COVID-19 Medical Student Elective

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for medical student training in pandemic preparedness and clinical COVID-19 knowledge.
• Existing educational gaps necessitated the development of a structured curriculum with robust evaluation data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a comprehensive COVID-19 pilot curriculum for medical students.
• To evaluate the curriculum's effectiveness using a multi-level assessment approach.

Main Methods:

• A two-week, primarily asynchronous elective course was piloted at UCI School of Medicine in Spring 2020.
• Instruction utilized diverse distance learning strategies including modules, readings, videos, debates, simulation, and writing assignments.
• A three-level evaluation plan assessed student satisfaction, relevance, confidence, knowledge, and behavior.

Main Results:

• Students reported high satisfaction and perceived relevance of the curriculum to their clinical education.
• Assessment tools indicated excellent knowledge attainment among participants.
• High confidence in personal protective equipment use was reported, with lower confidence in ventilator management.

Conclusions:

• The pilot curriculum effectively delivered relevant and satisfying COVID-19 instruction to medical students.
• Students demonstrated acquired knowledge and desired behaviors in COVID-19 patient care.
• The study provides a model for pandemic preparedness education in medical schools.