Medical Students’ Readiness for Virtual Clerkships During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BackgroundThis study aims to qualitatively examine the readiness of medical students to change to virtual clerkship during the pandemic, from both the faculty preceptors and students’ perspectives’. MethodsA qualitative study was conducted based on the framework of readiness to change. Focus group discussions with students, and semi-structured interviews with clinical faculty members were done using appropriate online platforms. Transcripts were then analyzed using a qualitative phenomenological approach.Results Twelve themes emerged which are 1) Perceptions about the university decision and its communication to students, 2) A Perceived Lack of clinical experience, 3) Student safety , 4) Students’ role as members of the medical team facing the pandemic, 5) Quality and design of VI and the skills it offered, 6) Belief in own ability to succeed in the VC, 7) Confidence that VC would reach its goals, 8) New enhanced learning approaches, 9) Acquired skills, 10) Preparing students for new types of practice in the future, 11) Academic support and communication with faculty and college, 12) Psychological support. Medical students showed limited readiness to undertake a virtual clerkship and not play their role as healthcare professionals during the pandemic. They perceived a huge gap in gaining clinical skills virtually and asked for quick return to training sites.ConclusionsMedical students were not ready for virtual clerkships. There will be a need to integrate novel learning modalities such as patient simulations and case-based learning in order to meet future demands of the medical profession and enhance the efficiency of virtual clerkships.