The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on final year medical students: A Case study of Pakistani Medical College

Abstract

We explored the impact of COVID 19 on final year medical college students in Pakistan during the COVID-19 outbreak. Our investigation aimed to distinguish the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on the medical students' examinations, assessments, electives and assistantship situations and the resulting psychological impact on readiness and certainty of the students going into FY1. An online survey was administered to a total of 150 participants (students enrolled in a medical college of Pakistan). Motivational, behavioral and psychological variables were measured via the multivariate analysis. The study identified that the effect of COVID-19 on final year medical students has been critical in Pakistan. Most of the students feel less ready for starting work as a doctor, with the study revealing that the disturbances to understudy assistantships essentially affected readiness. Regardless of being unprepared, numerous students felt keen on joining the workforce during this pandemic. It is recommended that medical schools and employers should take into account the COVID-19-related interferences in the final months of preparation by this cohort of students, and ensure that their well-being is not compromised. The changes compelled by this pandemic provides a critical opportunity to assess elective medical education and assessment methods, including novel online summative assessments. During the COVID-19 outbreak, medical students faced many problems such as confidence level, psychological issues and a lack of practical classes which hindered the acquisition of practical medical knowledge through face to face involvement. On the basis of the findings of the study, a number of recommendations are made.