Impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) 2019 pandemic on clinical practice, training, and the well-being of dermatology residents

Abstract

Introduction: Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic imposed a huge strain on the healthcare system. The role of physical distancing as one of the precautions to limit the viral transmission ultimately led to many restrictions on the dermatology department's workflow with a ripple effect on training and medical education. In this study, we aim to measure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dermatology trainees using an online questionnaire. We believe that the result of this research will help to better understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical training and the trainees' well-being. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study carried out between July and November 2020. The target population of our study included all dermatology residents under the training of The Saudi Board of Dermatology in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire was formed through Google Forms which included 37 questions in English, arranged in four sections. These sections include: the basic demographic characteristics, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on residents' training, the effect of the transformation into a virtual learning environment, and afinally, the residents' well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: A total of 31 responses were collected from dermatology residents in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Of all the residents, more than half (56.7%) indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on their residency training and progress. All the resident respondents reported that their programs had converted to using remote platforms to continue educational activities during the pandemic. A large number of dermatology residents (40%) enrolled in the study were found to be suffering from severe anxiety. Conclusion: In conclusion, COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the training of dermatology residents. Mostly, as a result of the very limited exposure of one-on-one patient contact, many clinical hours of training have been lost. Therefore, measures and real solutions should be taken to overcome this loss of clinical training hours experienced by dermatology residents.