Advances in Medical Education and Practice (Jul 2024)
Potential Impact of COVID-19 on Medical Career Aspirations of Prospective Students
Abstract
Md Anwarul Azim Majumder,1 Abdulmuhaimin Aslam Khatib,2 Taha Alhassan,3 Mohammed S Razzaque2,3 1The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados; 2Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Erie, Pennsylvania, USA; 3Department of Medical Education, School of Medicine, University of Texas (UTRGV), Edinburg, Texas, USACorrespondence: Mohammed S Razzaque, Department of Medical Education, School of Medicine, University of Texas (UTRGV), 1204 W Schunior Street, Edinburg, Texas, 78541, USA, Tel +1 (956) 296 2314, Email [email protected]: This article describes the evolving landscape of medical education in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the renewed importance of public health, mental well-being, and career choices among medical students. The pandemic has prompted a significant shift in medical student’s career aspirations, highlighting the need for mental health support mechanisms within the medical education framework. Medical students’ career choices are influenced directly and indirectly by the challenges and experiences of the pandemic era, which are discussed in this article under four key themes: traditional values, global health interests and disparities, developing trends, and digital healthcare. There is an urgent need to adjust medical training to the new reality and share the future directions of the medical education landscape by embracing diverse career paths in medicine, integrating technology into medical training, adapting to the changing context of medicine, and strengthening collaboration and communication. The pandemic underscores the importance of evidence-based patient care, necessitating the preparation of tomorrow’s doctors to address the emerging healthcare challenges with resilience, adaptability, and a comprehensive understanding of both local and global health challenges.Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, mental health, career aspirations, medical students, impact
