Anticipated Challenges for Medical Students Choosing a Career in Radiology During the COVID 19 Pandemic
The SARS CoV 2 (COVID 19) pandemic has shifted medical school curricula nationwide. Preclerkship teaching has moved primarily online using prerecorded and live videoconferenced content, and clinical teaching has been interrupted. These changes will affect how medical students are introduced to radiology as a career and how final year medical students will prepare their applications for the upcoming Canadian Residency Matching Service (CaRMS) cycle. It is important for radiologists involved in mentoring and supervising students to understand these curricular changes and be aware of when to reach out to students during these challenging times. Preclerkship exposure to radiology has been shown to influence their awareness of the specialty and career choice. At the University of British Columbia, firstand second year medical students are exposed to radiology through lectures, shadowing, and Radiology Interest Group activities. Although lectures are continuing virtually during the pandemic, students will not have the same opportunities to approach speakers in person to ask about possible research projects or shadowing opportunities. Additionally, shadowing experiences will be limited as many medical schools are likely to restrict these nonessential clinical activities, and in many radiology departments, the number of individuals allowed in a reading room will be limited to ensure appropriate physical distancing. We believe that the lack of in person lectures, diminished opportunities for mentorship with radiologists and radiology residents, and reduced or absent shadowing opportunities will negatively impact students' ability to develop an interest in radiology and to assess their aptitude for the specialty. In a recent Canadian study, Radiology Interest Group participation was shown to increase medical students' interest in radiology and influence their career choice. These student led clubs arrange events for preclerkship students to learn more about aspects of the specialty not typically covered in the curriculum. For example, group leaders often invite panels of radiologists to speak about their subspecialty practice or arrange for radiology residents to lead ultrasound guided biopsy sessions with a phantom. Due to restrictions imposed by the pandemic, Radiology Interest Group activities across the country are now being modified to also move to an online format. In addition to reducing mentorship connections, we anticipate that this will be a barrier for students learning about some of the procedural aspects of the specialty. Thirdand fourth year medical students in the classes of 2021 and 2022, who are completing their clerkship and electives, have been most affected by the pandemic. Clinical rotations for medical students were halted in mid March 2020 and many institutions are only now resuming their undergraduate clinical teaching. It is anticipated that these students will miss at least 4 months of curricular/clinical time, and upon their return, the emphasis will be on attaining competency in core disciplines with reduced time for clinical electives. Although the CaRMS application deadline has been pushed to later in the spring to accommodate these changes, students will still be less likely to have the radiology experience of prior cohorts. Additionally, this year institutions will not accepting students for visiting electives (ie, out of province) limiting students' ability to explore radiology residency programs across Canada. Although this is a difficult time for students and postgraduate programs, this situation does offer a 'silver lining, allowing departments to reach out to students in new and innovative ways. We need to be proactive in approaching students with potential projects, including clinical research, clinical audits, and educational initiatives, so long as they do not require the student to be on site to complete the work. When possible, we need to volunteer for online teaching and even give additional extracurricular sessions focusing on the nonmedical expert aspects of the specialty. When in person mentorship is not
Canadian Association of Radiologists journal Journal l'Association canadienne des radiologistes