COVID-19 Pandemic and the Residents’ Side of the Story: A Cross-sectional Survey Study
Abstract Background: Residency training programs have been impacted by the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In this study we aim to investigate and evaluate the impact of the pandemic on residents as well as residency training programs.Methods: A survey of 43 questions was prepared on Google forms and distributed among residents at a tertiary center in North Jordan in the period between October 30th and November 8th of 2020. The survey included questions that addressed the impact of the pandemic on residents’ health as well as training programs. Our cohort was stratified according to the type of residency program (surgical residents (SRs) and non-surgical residents (NSRs)). Statistical methods included descriptive analysis, Chi-square or Fisher’s exact test, and Mann Whitney U test. A two-sided p-value of ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: Out of 430 residents in the institute, 255 (59%) residents responded to the survey. Participation rate among SRs was 74% (121/164) compared with 50% among NSRs (134/266). A total of 17 (7%) of residents reported being infected with COVID-19 and a significant difference was reported between SRs and NSRs (10% vs 4%, P = 0.048). Approximately, 106 (42%) reported a decrease in the number of staff working at the clinic and 164 (64%) reported limited access to personal protective equipment during the pandemic. NSRs were more likely to be trained to protect themselves and others against COVID-19 spread compared to SRs (57% vs 37% P= 0.002, 55% vs 41% p=0.026 respectively) Conclusion: The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the workflow of residency training programs is very significant, thus institutes should modify their programs to fit residents’ needs to maintain education without any compromise in their health status. Training healthcare workers should be given a priority in any healthcare-related crisis as they are the first line in combating such circumstances.