What is factor contributing to medical student learning anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic? A systematic review

Changes in education aspects increase the risks for mental and emotional disorders on students during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article aimed to discover the factors are contributing to medical students' learning anxiety during the COVID-19. A systematic review was written based on scientific article identification on three databases of Science Direct, PubMed NCBI, and EBSCO using terms of anxiety, factors, students, and COVID-19. The authors selected and analyzed using PRISMA based on predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The studies obtain from several electronic databases revealed 519 research articles and a total of 20 articles to be analyzed. The internal factor of student anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic is age, gender, and lack of knowledge. The external factor is high academic loads with online learning methods, area restrictions/lockdown, physical activities, and socio-economic status changes. Knowing the factors that affect medical student anxiety during the pandemic could prevent further mental and emotional disorders and achieve optimal health.

The Opioid Awareness and Support Team: an innovative example of medical education and community partnership

Implication Statement The Opioid Awareness and Support Team (OAST) at the Memorial University Faculty of Medicine is a novel student-led initiative designed to supplement medical student learning related to opioid use disorder and the opioids crisis. OAST has focused on grounding educational initiatives related to opioid use disorder in the local community context, working with community partners, and bringing in individuals with lived experience. We present initial findings from an Opioid Education Day that suggest student-led supplemental education for medical students can improve student knowledge surrounding opioid use.

Hybrid-virtual simulations for Canadian medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic

Implication Statement: Given the efficacy of simulations as a medical education tool, the inability to provide them during the COVID-19 pandemic may be detrimental to pre-clinical medical student learning. We developed hybrid simulations, where remote learner participants could direct an in-person assistant. This offered a learning opportunity that was more realistic than fully virtual simulations and abided by public health guidelines. Hybrid simulations provided an opportunity for medical students to practice real-time clinical decision making in a remote, high-fidelity, simulated environment. This approach could be adapted for rural healthcare students and professionals to participate in simulations without a local simulation centre.