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Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Inpatient Pediatric Medical Student Education in Hawai'i
Alyssa S Fujiwara1, Jennifer R Di Rocco1, Travis K F Hong1
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Hawai'i John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI (ASF, JRD, TKFH, KAL).
Insights
The COVID-19 pandemic reduced the number of patients and common pediatric respiratory diseases seen by medical students. This suggests a need for supplemental education to address gaps in clinical experience.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered medical training, impacting student exposure to patient cases.
- Safety measures and shifts in patient diagnoses affected the clinical clerkship experience for medical students.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the inpatient clinical experiences of third- and fourth-year medical students.
- To assess changes in patient volumes and diagnoses encountered by medical students during pediatric rotations.
Main Methods:
- A comparative analysis of medical student clinical experiences at Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women and Children.
- Data on patient notes, diagnoses, and ages were collected and compared between pre-pandemic (July 2018-February 2020) and pandemic (May 2020-September 2021) periods.
Main Results:
- Medical students saw significantly fewer patients per month during the pandemic (88) compared to pre-pandemic (112).
- The proportion of patients diagnosed with bronchiolitis and pneumonia significantly decreased during the pandemic period.
- Bronchiolitis cases dropped from 5.9% pre-pandemic to 1.3% during the pandemic; pneumonia cases fell from 4.6% to 1.0%.
Conclusions:
- The COVID-19 pandemic markedly altered the inpatient pediatric experience for medical students, characterized by reduced patient encounters and fewer common respiratory illnesses.
- Findings indicate a potential need for targeted educational interventions to compensate for diminished clinical exposure and ensure comprehensive training.
Abstract:
The COVID-19 pandemic has had many effects on medical student education, ranging from safety measures limiting patient exposure to changes in patient diagnoses encountered by medical students in their clerkship experience. This study aimed to identify the impact of the pandemic on the inpatient experiences of third- and fourth-year medical students by assessing patient volumes and diagnoses seen by students. Frequency and types of notes written by medical students on hospital-based pediatric rotations at Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women and Children as well as patient diagnoses and ages were compared between 2 time periods: pre-pandemic (July 2018-February 2020) and pandemic (May 2020-September 2021). On average, the number of patients seen by medical students was significantly reduced in the pandemic period from 112 patients/month to 88 patients/month (P=.041). The proportion of patients with bronchiolitis or pneumonia were also significantly reduced in the pandemic period (P<.001). Bronchiolitis was diagnosed in 1.3% of patients seen by medical students during the pandemic period, compared with 5.9% of patients pre-pandemic. Pneumonia was diagnosed in 1.0% of patients seen by medical students in the pandemic period compared with 4.6% pre-pandemic. There was no significant difference in patient age between the 2 groups (P=.092). During the first 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, medical students in this institution had a remarkably different inpatient experience from that of their predecessors. They saw fewer patients, and those patients had fewer common pediatric respiratory diseases. These decreases suggest these students may require supplemental education to compensate for these gaps in direct pediatric clinical experience.
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