Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Competency of Clinical Year Medical Students, With Special Reference to Community and Public Health.

Abstract

[ ]in many places around the world, the pandemic has provided medical students remarkable experiences that otherwise would have been difficult, such as involvement in community- or hospitalbased health care facilities and in the auxiliary health care workforce, as seen in the United States and Europe 6 Medical students have been given the opportunity to serve in their chosen fields during a historic public health crisis and to prepare for the next one [ ]of this, many students are considering changing their specialty from emergency medicine or critical care to specialties perceived as being less hazardous, such as radiology or dermatology, where interaction with potentially infectious patients is minimal 7 In the long run, such decisions might also lead to severe job satisfaction issues, as choosing the right specialty is one of the most important decisions for a budding doctor Students must also be encouraged to participate in online group activities to enable them to be part of a team and strengthen their teamwork and leadership abilities during this pandemic