Medical education in SARS-CoV2 pandemic times

Abstract

Objective: the emergence of SARS-CoV2 has caused accelerated changes in medical education due to the need for social distancing. The disease is expected to be endemic and that long-term effective teaching strategies will need to be implemented. This review sought to identify the strategies that have been implemented by medical education institutions during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic to maintain their activities.

Methods: a systematic review of the literature in the Medline, Taylor and Francis, LILACS, ERIC, Embase, SAGE, Scopus and Springer databases, along with other sources in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese, up to April 2020, regarding the relationship between medical education, the pandemic and coronavirus. The findings were categorized according to the type of study and topic covered.

Results: of the 1,490 articles found, 84 were included in this review. Most of the studies were commentaries (n=31), followed by letters to the editor (n=22). The country which has produced the most articles is the United States (n=35), followed by the United Kingdom (n=13). Fifty-seven (67.8%) present strategies in undergraduate health programs, and 22 in medical residencies. Most of the articles focus on didactic and administrative strategies. Only 13 articles are analytical studies.

Conclusion: the implementation of effective communication strategies, mixed and sequential learning settings, and strengthening of telehealth within a framework of professionalism and mental health protection are the strategies most frequently implemented during the pandemic