Back to Search
Start Over
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on physician-scientist trainees to faculty one year into the pandemic.
- Source :
-
BMC medical education [BMC Med Educ] 2024 May 28; Vol. 24 (1), pp. 587. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 May 28. - Publication Year :
- 2024
-
Abstract
- Purpose: Physician-scientists play a crucial role in advancing biomedical sciences. Proportionally fewer physicians are actively engaged in scientific pursuits, attributed to attrition in the training and retention pipeline. This national study evaluated the ongoing and longer-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on stress levels, research productivity, and optimism for physician-scientists at all levels of training.<br />Methods: A multi-institutional cross-sectional survey of medical students, graduate students, and residents/fellows/junior faculty (RFJF) was conducted from April to August 2021 to assess the impact of COVID-19 on individual stress, productivity, and optimism. Multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify associated variables and unsupervised variable clustering techniques were employed to identify highly correlated responses.<br />Results: A total 677 respondents completed the survey, representing different stages of physician-scientist training. Respondents report high levels of stress (medical students: 85%, graduate students: 63%, RFJF: 85%) attributed to impaired productivity concerns, concern about health of family and friends, impact on personal health and impairment in training or career development. Many cited impaired productivity (medical students: 65% graduate students: 79%, RFJF: 78%) associated with pandemic impacts on training, labs closures and loss of facility/resource access, and social isolation. Optimism levels were low (medical students: 37%, graduate students: 38% and RFJF: 39%) with females less likely to be optimistic and more likely to report concerns of long-term effects of COVID-19. Optimism about the future was correlated with not worrying about the long-term effects of COVID-19. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, all respondents reported increased prioritization of time with family/friends (67%) and personal health (62%) over career (25%) and research (24%).<br />Conclusions: This national survey highlights the significant and protracted impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on stress levels, productivity, and optimism among physician-scientists and trainees. These findings underscore the urgent need for tailored support, including mental health, academic, and career development assistance for this biomedical workforce.<br /> (© 2024. The Author(s).)
- Subjects :
- Humans
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Male
Adult
Pandemics
Faculty, Medical psychology
Surveys and Questionnaires
Stress, Psychological epidemiology
Research Personnel psychology
Research Personnel education
SARS-CoV-2
Optimism
Physicians psychology
COVID-19 epidemiology
Biomedical Research
Students, Medical psychology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1472-6920
- Volume :
- 24
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- BMC medical education
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 38807106
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05541-9