Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

What is the role of medical students during the COVID-19 surge?

Brett Lewis and Kelsey C. Priest, PhD, MPH
Conditions
March 28, 2020
233 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

We are in the midst of an unprecedented moment in the history of medical education: Match Day ceremonies canceled, clinical rotations interrupted, and licensing exam centers shut-down. As the anticipated surge on the health care system due to COVID-19 looms, some programs are asking fourth years who have met graduation requirements to consider starting residency early. New York University is offering early graduation to fourth-year medical students who are willing to start residency in April. They are following in the footsteps of Italy, in which 10,000 fourth-year medical students were advanced to graduation early—their skills desperately needed on the frontlines. However, with concern of limited personal protective equipment (PPE) and of compromising student safety, the vast majority of medical students across North America are sidelined following recommendations from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), which put out a notice on March 17 strongly supporting all medical schools to pause clinical rotations.

There are approximately 91,000 allopathic medical students and 30,000 osteopathic students who train in the U.S., and following cancellations, many of these students are generously stepping-up to contribute by providing child care, grocery delivery, dog walking, and PPE drives. But as our health care systems become increasingly burdened, and workers are asked to practice to the full scope of their craft, medical students, to date, are largely relegated to virtual classrooms. Third and fourth-year students have valuable skills in patient communication, clinical documentation, and health care system navigation. As frontline providers become increasingly overwhelmed with direct clinical care, students around the country are waiting in the wings to use their skills to support patients, communities, and systems.

Some medical schools are already enlisting students in their health care response. Einstein School of Medicine created an elective that allows medical students to staff a primary care call center, with an attending back-up at all times, providing check-ins for highly vulnerable patients who should not leave their homes. Students are calling these high-risk patients to assess their health status, mental health, and access to food and medications. Likewise, clinical medical students at Brown are supporting primary care providers and their local department of health by contacting patients with COVID-19 test results and contact tracing positive patients. Students at UCSD, Northwestern, and the University of Minnesota are writing hospital discharge summaries from home as virtual medical scribes. These are all low-risk clinical activities, essential to patient care and health care workflow, without direct patient-exposure.

These are unprecedented times, and there is now no doubt this struggle is going to last more than just a few weeks. Every day we are seeing additional burdens being placed on our health care system and individual workers. Everyone is being called to make sacrifices and put themselves in harm’s way to more or less a degree. Medical students and other health care trainees should be no exception. If we are to sustain this effort, we need to think about increasing our workforce, not limiting it. We are already thinking out of the box on how we deliver care. We clearly also need to think outside the box on how we engage the next generation.

Brett Lewis is a medical student and can be reached on Twitter @brettalewis. Kelsey C. Priest is a medical student and can be reached on Twitter @kelseycpriest.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Grieving the end of life experience from an ICU nurse

March 28, 2020 Kevin 0
…
Next

COVID-19: Social distancing is our responsibility. Vaccines are too.

March 28, 2020 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: COVID, Infectious Disease

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Grieving the end of life experience from an ICU nurse
Next Post >
COVID-19: Social distancing is our responsibility. Vaccines are too.

Related Posts

  • COVID-19, medical education, and the role of medical students around the world

    Clarissa C. Ren, Sara K. Hurley, Matthew A. Crane, Ayumi S. Tomishige, and Masato Fumoto
  • Starting medical school in the midst of COVID-19

    Horacio Romero Castillo
  • Beyond volunteering to help with COVID-19 relief, medical students must also advocate for a change to our health care system

    Amelia Dmowska
  • The long term effects of COVID-19 on medical education

    Samya Faiq, Harveen Kaur Sekhon, and Sharad Jain, MD
  • Medical education in the COVID-19 pandemic can’t be ignored

    Casey Hribar and Carolyn S. Quinsey, MD
  • Applying to medical school in the post-COVID-19 era: What has changed?

    Karolina Woroniecka, MD, PhD

More in Conditions

  • 5 essential tips to help men prevent prostate cancer

    Kevin Jones, MD
  • Changing the pediatric care landscape: Integrating behavioral and mental health care

    Hilary M. Bowers, MD
  • Unlocking the secret to successful weight loss: Curiosity is the key

    Franchell Hamilton, MD
  • The teacher who changed my life through reading

    Raymond Abbott
  • Revaluating mental health assessments: It’s not just the patient you should consider

    Tomi Mitchell, MD
  • Breaking down barriers: How technology is improving diabetes management in underserved communities

    Anonymous
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Healing the damaged nurse-physician dynamic

      Angel J. Mena, MD and Ali Morin, MSN, RN | Policy
    • The struggle to fill emergency medicine residency spots: Exploring the factors behind the unfilled match

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Physician
    • From physician to patient: one doctor’s journey to finding purpose after a devastating injury

      Stephanie Pearson, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of misery in medicine: a practical guide

      Paul R. Ehrmann, DO | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • The hidden dangers of the Nebraska Heartbeat Act

      Meghan Sheehan, MD | Policy
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • Why are doctors sued and politicians aren’t?

      Kellie Lease Stecher, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • From rural communities to underserved populations: How telemedicine is bridging health care gaps

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • 5 essential tips to help men prevent prostate cancer

      Kevin Jones, MD | Conditions
    • Unlock the power of physician compensation data in contract negotiations [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • From pennies to attending salaries: Why physicians should teach their kids financial literacy

      Michele Cho-Dorado, MD | Finance
    • From solidarity to co-liberation: Understanding the journey towards ending oppression

      Maiysha Clairborne, MD | Physician
    • Changing the pediatric care landscape: Integrating behavioral and mental health care

      Hilary M. Bowers, MD | Conditions

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • FDA Panel Supports Tofersen for Rare Genetic ALS
  • Pregnant, Black? Here's Your Drug Test
  • Progestin-Only Birth Control Linked to Small Increase in Breast Cancer Risk
  • Fatty Acid Tube Feeding May Backfire for Preemie Breathing Disorder
  • Case Reports Detail Vision Loss Linked to Recalled Artificial Tears

Meeting Coverage

  • Outlook for Itchy Prurigo Nodularis Continues to Improve With IL-31 Antagonist
  • AAAAI President Shares Highlights From the 2023 Meeting
  • Second-Line Sacituzumab Govitecan Promising in Platinum-Ineligible UC
  • Trial of Novel TYK2 Inhibitor Hits Its Endpoint in Plaque Psoriasis
  • Durable Vitiligo Responses With Topical Ruxolitinib
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Healing the damaged nurse-physician dynamic

      Angel J. Mena, MD and Ali Morin, MSN, RN | Policy
    • The struggle to fill emergency medicine residency spots: Exploring the factors behind the unfilled match

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Physician
    • From physician to patient: one doctor’s journey to finding purpose after a devastating injury

      Stephanie Pearson, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of misery in medicine: a practical guide

      Paul R. Ehrmann, DO | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • The hidden dangers of the Nebraska Heartbeat Act

      Meghan Sheehan, MD | Policy
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • Why are doctors sued and politicians aren’t?

      Kellie Lease Stecher, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • From rural communities to underserved populations: How telemedicine is bridging health care gaps

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • 5 essential tips to help men prevent prostate cancer

      Kevin Jones, MD | Conditions
    • Unlock the power of physician compensation data in contract negotiations [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • From pennies to attending salaries: Why physicians should teach their kids financial literacy

      Michele Cho-Dorado, MD | Finance
    • From solidarity to co-liberation: Understanding the journey towards ending oppression

      Maiysha Clairborne, MD | Physician
    • Changing the pediatric care landscape: Integrating behavioral and mental health care

      Hilary M. Bowers, MD | Conditions

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today iMedicalApps
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...