The Role of Medical Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Letters17 November 2020The Role of Medical Students During the COVID-19 PandemicFREEDavid Gibbes Miller, MSc, Leah Pierson, BA, and Samuel Doernberg, BADavid Gibbes Miller, MScPerelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (D.G.M.), Leah Pierson, BAHarvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (L.P., S.D.), and Samuel Doernberg, BAHarvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (L.P., S.D.)Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/L20-1195 SectionsAboutVisual AbstractPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail IN RESPONSE:Dr. Riva and colleagues voice concern about the risks of in-person medical student involvement during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our commentary identified some major risks associated with such involvement, including the risk for viral transmission in the hospital and the consumption of scarce personal protective equipment. Dr. Riva and colleagues highlight additional risks. Some of these build on the risk for viral transmission, including transmission to students' families and the unknown long-term health consequences of the virus. Others include potential psychological stressors of clinical work during a pandemic. We have several responses to these concerns.Our commentary focused largely on remote clinical roles for medical students that could be widely adopted. We also suggested that advanced medical students could care only for patients without COVID-19, which would have minimized the psychosocial and health-related risks of clinical participation. We continue to believe that the risk–benefit calculus favored involvement in these roles. It is also worth noting that some institutions asked medical students to volunteer in clinical settings early in the pandemic, despite the additional risks that Dr. Riva and colleagues propose (1).Moreover, we emphasized the voluntary nature of any clinical involvement by medical students. This stipulation provided an additional safeguard regarding concerns raised by Dr. Riva and colleagues and allowed for medical students themselves to determine the level of risk they were willing to incur.Since our commentary was published, it has become even safer for medical students to work in the hospital. We have access to more personal protective equipment, know more about transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19, and have implemented safer infection control protocols in hospitals (2). Consequently, medical students have largely returned to their clinical responsibilities (3) despite continued high numbers of cases across the United States. Recent guidance from the Association of American Medical Colleges highlighted the importance of continued medical education, calling medical students “the essential, emerging physician workforce” and stating that “to address ongoing national physician workforce needs, the clinical education of our medical students … must continue, with appropriate attention to safety” (2).We stand by our proposals regarding medical students' clinical roles early in the pandemic. We are also glad to see evolving guidance from the Association of American Medical Colleges acknowledging that medical education needs to continue, with appropriate safety precautions. We believe that medical students have roles to play in clinical settings that can benefit patients and be of educational value, all while staying safe during a pandemic.References1. Caldera CG, Ma V. Harvard Medical School, Partners HealthCare criticized for email requesting medical student volunteers. The Harvard Crimson. 22 April 2020. Accessed at www.thecrimson.com/article/2020/4/22/harvard-coronavirus-medical-volunteers-criticism on 6 September 2020. Google Scholar2. Whelan A, Prescott J, Young G, et al. Guidance on medical students' participation in direct in-person patient contact activities. Association of American Medical Colleges. 14 August 2020. Accessed at www.aamc.org/system/files/2020-08/meded-August-14-Guidance-on-Medical-Students-on-Clinical-Rotations.pdf on 3 September 2020. Google Scholar3. Weiner S. Back to medical school during COVID-19. 11 August 2020. Accessed at www.aamc.org/news-insights/back-medical-school-during-covid-19 on 6 September 2020. Google Scholar Comments 0 Comments Sign In to Submit A Comment Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: David Gibbes Miller, MSc; Leah Pierson, BA; Samuel Doernberg, BAAffiliations: Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (D.G.M.)Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (L.P., S.D.)Disclosures: Authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest. Forms can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M20-1281. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoThe Role of Medical Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic David Gibbes Miller , Leah Pierson , and Samuel Doernberg The Role of Medical Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic Michele A. Riva , Maria E. 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