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

Medical student rotations amid COVID: Welcome to medicine little grasshopper

Heather Delaney, MD
Education
August 11, 2021
32 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

I learned a valuable lesson about mentoring medical students during clinical rotations amid the COVID pandemic, and it’s not as easy as you think.

I have been in medical education, either in it or teaching it, for 20 years. I have spent countless hours doing lectures, giving hospital grand rounds, or leading bedside teaching rounds to those who want to follow in my footsteps as a clinical expert. But some are just trying to survive, trying to check off another day until they can get to a rotation that better suits them. We have all been there.

July 1st

The other day I had a third-year medical student join my graduate medical education team on July 1st. I love enthusiastic learners, and this young woman fit that bill. She asked me about expectations and objectives for the rotation from the very first day, but one thing really stood out to me immediately, she was almost paralyzed with fear and intimidation.

It had been some time since I had seen or helped teach a learner that demonstrated that level of insecurity. I worried for her. As the rotation progressed, day after day, I learned about this woman’s past and how she had immigrated to America at the age of 4. She was raised with little but sought a medical education that was sure to give her success and stability, and she was making it. She was bright, respectful, and reliable. As I continued to learn about her past, I asked her about her experiences during COVID in the past year and then … it hit me. She had never actually touched any patient as a health care learner until our very first day together. She voiced her apprehension in connecting the dots between strictly online medical education during a time of extreme social isolation to that of a competent, hands-on junior physician learner who was knowledgeable — and most of all — present.

The journey

How do we help these learners successfully cross this bridge, and is it still leading to a life medicine had promised? We are in the midst of a global pandemic. Young medical professionals are entering into actual clinical, hands-on medicine during a scary and very uncertain time. I relate this kind of awakening to when I joined the military in 2001. I entered into active duty the summer before my first year of medical school, and months later, the World Trade Center was hit in a terrorist attack that would result in a war lasting decades, resulting in thousands of lives lost. I watched the World Trade Center fall to the ground, and I was overcome with emotion asking myself, “What have I done?” I knew the landscape of my career had been drastically altered. I was uncertain, and I was scared. Medical students today might also find themselves asking, “What have I done?”

What could I do to help?

My student and I talked … and we talked. I sought first to understand better and what I learned was her trepidation in caring for patients was deeply rooted in the concern for making mistakes, spreading COVID-19, or getting ill herself. From there, I came up with a plan.

1. We discussed how to approach patient interactions and stay safe while using appropriate PPE in different clinical settings. I learned that this had not yet been reviewed with her or her colleagues because all of their education up to this point had been in a virtual environment. I needed to fill in the gap.

2. We discussed principles of basic human interaction in this new era of mask-wearing, such as how masks affect our communication and what are the challenges in establishing credibility when you can’t shake someone’s hand or when a mask is covering half of your facial expressions. While the eyes and mouth are the most expressive and therefore, informative regions of the face, facial expressions are only part of message delivery. I find myself using more hand gestures, body language, and descriptive language to come across as approachable and friendly in a way that will ease patient’s anxiety.

3. I reviewed the fundamentals of the physical exam, in-depth and in detail. We did multiple physical exams together until she felt comfortable to do them on her own. These skills are typically taught during the second year of medical school and while tele-education was in full swing during the initial height of the COVID outbreak, this potentially reveals an area in which we could have done better but remains a challenge.

4. We explored her why. We were able to dig deep into why she sought medical education, where she was, and where she was going. She was able to reaffirm her commitment to this profession and reflect how and why she got here in the first place. I helped her explore other ways to maintain her health care relevancy outside of clinical medicine because life is dynamic and knowledge is power…and it’s never to early to think outside of the box.

Throughout her rotation, I saw her thrive. She achieved a level of confidence I was not sure was possible, and through it all, she also taught me a thing or two, for which I will always be grateful.

Heather Delaney is a neonatologist and physician educator.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

A medical student's guide to taking a social history

August 11, 2021 Kevin 3
…
Next

Unconscious biases against vitamins and supplements [PODCAST]

August 11, 2021 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: Medical school

Post navigation

< Previous Post
A medical student's guide to taking a social history
Next Post >
Unconscious biases against vitamins and supplements [PODCAST]

Related Posts

  • Why this medical student chose to pursue medicine

    Ton La, Jr., MD, JD
  • Imposter syndrome and COVID: a medical student perspective

    Kimia Zarabian and Mai Hasan
  • Medicine was consuming this medical student. Was it worth it?

    Sarah B. El Iskandarani
  • What inspires this medical student

    Jamie Katuna
  • A medical student’s advice for clinical rotations

    Ton La, Jr., MD, JD
  • How a medical student can help the team during clinical rotations

    Ton La, Jr., MD, JD

More in Education

  • The secret to success in medical school: self-awareness and courage

    Kaelor Gordon
  • Is mandating pre-medical training widening disparities in the U.S. physician workforce?

    Deepak Gupta, MD and Sarwan Kumar, MD
  • Equalizing the future of medical residencies: standardizing work hours and wages

    Deepak Gupta, MD and Sarwan Kumar, MD
  • From studying to baby kicks: Navigating motherhood in medical school

    Natalie Eichner-Seitz
  • The power of advocacy: a medical student’s journey to helping an uninsured immigrant

    Fabiola Plaza
  • From AI to love: the key to a better future in medical education

    Stevan Walkowski, DO
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • 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
    • From physician to patient: one doctor’s journey to finding purpose after a devastating injury

      Stephanie Pearson, MD | Physician
    • An unspoken truth about non-compete clauses in medicine

      Harry Severance, MD | Policy
    • Fostering the next (diverse) generation of clinicians

      Imamu Tomlinson, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Healing through love and spirituality

      John T. James, PhD | Conditions
  • 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

    • Rescuing primary care: the role of health administrators [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Breaking down barriers: How technology is improving diabetes management in underserved communities

      Anonymous | Conditions
    • From penicillin to digital health: the impact of social media on medicine

      Homer Moutran, MD, MBA, Caline El-Khoury, PhD, and Danielle Wilson | Social media
    • Healing the damaged nurse-physician dynamic

      Angel J. Mena, MD and Ali Morin, MSN, RN | Policy
    • How to overcome telemedicine’s biggest obstacles

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Deaths of despair: an urgent call for a collective response to the crisis in U.S. life expectancy

      Mohammed Umer Waris, MD | Policy

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

  • Investigational ALS Drug May Have Clinical Benefit, FDA Staff Says
  • Cases of Deadly Fungus Tripled in Past Few Years, CDC Says
  • Small Gains in Cardiorespiratory Fitness Track With Improved Longevity
  • Improved OS With Hyperfractionated RT in Recurrent Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
  • GPT-4 Is Here. How Can Doctors Use Generative AI Now?

Meeting Coverage

  • Rapid Improvement in Atopic Dermatitis With Topical PDE4 Inhibitor
  • New Approaches in the Bladder-Sparing Paradigm
  • Response Rates in Hidradenitis Suppurativa Continue to Climb With New Therapies
  • Another Win for a JAK Inhibitor in Alopecia Areata
  • Biologic Switch Revs Up Response in Plaque Psoriasis
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • 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
    • From physician to patient: one doctor’s journey to finding purpose after a devastating injury

      Stephanie Pearson, MD | Physician
    • An unspoken truth about non-compete clauses in medicine

      Harry Severance, MD | Policy
    • Fostering the next (diverse) generation of clinicians

      Imamu Tomlinson, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Healing through love and spirituality

      John T. James, PhD | Conditions
  • 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

    • Rescuing primary care: the role of health administrators [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Breaking down barriers: How technology is improving diabetes management in underserved communities

      Anonymous | Conditions
    • From penicillin to digital health: the impact of social media on medicine

      Homer Moutran, MD, MBA, Caline El-Khoury, PhD, and Danielle Wilson | Social media
    • Healing the damaged nurse-physician dynamic

      Angel J. Mena, MD and Ali Morin, MSN, RN | Policy
    • How to overcome telemedicine’s biggest obstacles

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Deaths of despair: an urgent call for a collective response to the crisis in U.S. life expectancy

      Mohammed Umer Waris, MD | Policy

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...