Global Health Interest Among Pediatric Residents in Indiana Following the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Descriptive Study

While COVID-19 created unique learning experiences within medical education, the pandemic also changed views on global health (GH). There is an important gap in our knowledge regarding the ways in which the unique learning experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic affected medical residents' approach to GH. Our objective is to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pediatric graduate education, with special attention given to resident perspectives on GH education.

As part of a program-wide assessment of GH education in March 2021, a 50-item survey was developed based on widely used survey instruments, with additional questions related to COVID-19. In this analysis, we reviewed 13 quantitative questions assessing pediatric residents' perceptions of how the COVID-19 pandemic affected their GH education. The electronic survey was sent via email to all pediatric and combined pediatric residents. Survey participation was voluntary. The questions were administered through REDCap™ (Research Electronic Data Capture, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN), and results were assessed using descriptive statistics, including percentages, frequencies, and distribution of responses, via Microsoft Excel (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA). This assessment received exempt approval on ethics review.

Of the 158 eligible pediatric residents, 96 (61%) completed the survey. Most residents expressed that the pandemic had a negative effect on GH education, scholarly activity, and residency training. When asked how their interest in GH changed during the pandemic, residents reported increased interest in learning about international advocacy and equity topics such as vaccine distribution (62/96, 65%), global disease spread (52/96, 54%), health disparities (49/96, 51%), and inequitable distribution of global resources (52/96, 54%). Interest in international electives varied depending on the presence of long-term GH intentions, while interest in domestic GH experiences remained unchanged (76/96, 79%) for most residents.

Although pediatric trainees reported that their GH education and international electives were negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, many expressed increased interest in GH topics directly related to the pandemic. Graduate medical training programs can leverage current GH events to provide education that residents find both valuable and relevant.