key: cord-0966586-xc1n4npz
authors: Fulton-Ward, Taylor; Rallis, Kathrine S
title: Reshaping cardiology amidst COVID-19: prioritizing medical education
date: 2020-11-12
journal: Eur Heart J Qual Care Clin Outcomes
DOI: 10.1093/ehjqcco/qcaa073
sha: 0c819df538758f68036ea4b0928fad87fb6e54aa
doc_id: 966586
cord_uid: xc1n4npz

nan

Online publish-ahead-of-print 17 September 2020

Alkhouli et al., 1 describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical practice, education, and professional values but provide little information on the profound implications for medical students. Undergraduate clinical training has been put on hold with suspension of clinical placements restricting opportunities to observe and interact with cardiology patients, and practice core clinical and communication skills. Disruptions to academic assessment and progress examinations have reduced opportunities for knowledge selfassessment and reflection, while cancellation of conferences has restricted opportunities to present research and develop our presentation skills. Elective placement cancellations have had further detrimental effects. Meanwhile, the surge in virtual education has transformed undergraduate medical teaching with mixed results.

There is concern that the disruption to undergraduate teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic may have adverse long-term ramifications. Reduced clinical and communication skills practice and limited speciality exposure may hinder clinical competence and quality of care. Practical skills too are likely to suffer from electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation, for example, directly associated with clinical exposure. 2 Course selection, may also be disrupted and evidence that early speciality exposure correlates with future career choice 3 suggests that cardiology, which currently attracts considerable interest from medical students, may be at particular risk. 4 Some positive outcomes for undergraduate medical training will emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. Self-directed learning has increased, playing an important educative role. Students have learned to access online databases, conferences, and lectures compensating for the lack of face-to-face teaching. Importantly, these web-based skills will contribute to professional development and future research engagement. In addition, increased student volunteering will have cultivated altruism, adapting professional values and respect for medical professionals, as mentioned by the authors. 1 The authors discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic is an unparallel opportunity to reshape cardiology and medicine as a whole. We believe undergraduate education should be a central consideration. Since technology increases student learning engagement, 5 continuing to utilize innovative resources may mitigate the effects of reduced clinical exposure, stimulating independent, self-directed learning above pre-pandemic norms. Additionally, widening student access to electronic patient records will enhance learning and facilitate students' involvement in audits, retrospective patient studies, and case series. Finally, adapting medical curricula to encompass student volunteering may ensure that altruistic principles learnt from the pandemic are retained throughout medical student generations.

The COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to reshape undergraduate and postgraduate medical training. Despite disruptions, we believe this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to steer long-lasting change. After all, challenges have often precipitated transformations in science and healthcare. Isaac Newton's 'year of wonders' in science was during his isolation amid the plague. As Benjamin Franklin once said, 'Out of adversity comes opportunity'.

Conflict of interest: none declared.

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