key: cord-0921808-m54tf1f6
authors: Villela, Edlaine Faria de Moura; de Oliveira, Fábio Morato; Leite, Sabrina Toffoli; Bollela, Valdes Roberto
title: Student engagement in a public health initiative in response to COVID‐19
date: 2020-05-27
journal: Med Educ
DOI: 10.1111/medu.14199
sha: 8fbebabc9a67e488e4ef6c3d9b39b306f95d1bb2
doc_id: 921808
cord_uid: m54tf1f6

In face of the current pandemic, universities are closing worldwide. In Brazil, as elsewhere, academic activities have been suspended in response to the Ministry of Health's recommendations to socially distance. This created risk of suboptimally utilizing the great potential students have to contribute to the COVID-19 response.

Because of the current coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, universities around the world have closed. In Brazil, as elsewhere, academic activities have been suspended in response to the Ministry of Health recommendations on social distancing.

This created the risk of suboptimally utilising the great potential of students to contribute to the COVID-19 response.

Even without classes, medical students have the means to contribute to the control of the COVID-19 pandemic and wish to feel part of this historic moment. In a Midwestern Brazilian public university, on 20 March 2020, teachers launched the idea of developing an epidemiological information bulletin to be created by students 

This experience allowed new ways of teaching and learning through the use of education technologies that are currently made use of in daily life, but are sometimes little explored by teachers effectively. The most successful aspect of this experience was the space it created for students to be proactive, 1 

Senior medical students in the COVID-19 response: an opportunity to be proactive