561 - Personal and Professional Development During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Exploration of Medical Student Experiences

Poster Number: 561
Publication Number: 561.115

Devika Jaishankar, University of Chicago Division of the Biological Sciences The Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States; Shivam Dave, Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States; Kristen Chalmers, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States; Mohamed Fawaz, University of Chicago Division of the Biological Sciences The Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States; Isabel Scharf, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States; Meagan M. Johnson, University of Chicago Division of the Biological Sciences The Pritzker School of Medicine, Statesboro, GA, United States; Katherine Chretien, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; James N. Woodruff, University of Chicago Division of the Biological Sciences The Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States; Wei Wei Lee, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States; Maria Alkureishi, University of Chicago Division of the Biological Sciences The Pritzker School of Medicine, CHICAGO, IL, United States

Background: Understanding how challenges and uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic impacted medical students’ personal and professional development is critical to supporting their learning and professional identity formation going forward.

Objective: We aimed to conduct a qualitative study to explore how the pandemic impacted students’ personal and professional experiences to help inform future student support initiatives.

Design/Methods: Qualitative data was collected through semi-structured, one-on-one telephone interviews. Interested students were recruited from 3,826 students who took part in our previous online survey on burnout, stress, and loneliness during the early pandemic (May-July 2020). Interviews were conducted between February and June 2021. Open coding and thematic content analysis were performed using Atlas.TI software.

Results: Overall, 106/450 (24%) responded to the invitation to participate, and 44 interviews were completed, ranging from 25-72 minutes in length. Most respondents were female (75%), white (77%), and third years (39%). Major themes centered on student responsibilities (e.g. personal, professional, societal), navigating tensions (e.g. personal risk vs. professional responsibilities, COVID-precaution conflicts), professional identity formation (e.g. commitment to medicine, caring for COVID patients), stressors (e.g. academic, personal), emotional responses (e.g. mental health challenges), and lessons learned (e.g. examining priorities, adaptability). Student responsibilities included volunteering, patient-care, activism, public health education, and familial obligations. Tensions experienced centered on ethical concerns and prioritizing competing responsibilities. Additional findings included suggested resources to support student development, such as enhanced support mechanisms (e.g. structured reflection, mental health support) and recommendations for schools (e.g. clear communication, flexible policies, allowing choice in caring for COVID patients and remaining in clinical roles).Conclusion(s): The COVID-19 pandemic prompted medical students to engage in meaningful reflection on their personal and professional identities, and undergraduate medical institutions can provide resources to support students’ personal and professional development. Medical students recommended that institutions prioritize transparent communication on curricular and policy changes and promote mental health support both during and beyond the pandemic. These recommendations emphasize the importance of giving students flexibility in prioritizing what is best for their own learning, safety, and wellbeing.
Figure 1: Conceptual Model