As described above, students at all levels experienced negative feelings and challenges during the past year. One of the most substantial among these is student isolation, ranging from studying alone to being unable to participate in team-building activities, such as interest groups and community service projects. The effects of the lack of peer- to-peer interactions were often subtle, but significant. For example, for residency interviews, students were unable to garner the wisdom from those in previous classes to plan their progress and their approach to their education. Likewise, faculty members, who value in person interaction with their students, often felt dissatisfied with conducting virtual lectures and other sessions. However, numerous conversations among faculty and students indicate that despite the difficulties we have faced over the past year, there are positive aspects that should be acknowledged. Faculty and students alike were forced to become more flexible, handle uncertainty, and adapt quickly to new and evolving situations. Faculty recognized the value of having face-to-face conversations with students after class to further explain difficult concepts. Clinical faculty were able to take part in more didactic sessions because they could do so remotely from their clinics or offices. Faculty could also respond to questions from students by name because of the Zoom arrangement, so it could be argued that they got to know the students better than they would have in the classroom. Students saved money and time in the interview process. They learned the technological aspects of medicine, such as telemedicine, but given their time away from the clinical environment, they grew to appreciate more the value of the doctor-patient relationship. Physical isolation with the flexibility of technology also gave students an opportunity to strengthen pre-existing social relationships, whether it was catching up with family or friends, which they may not have previously had time to do while having to attend in-person curriculum duties. Finally, we learned that virtual experiences have a valuable place in medical education, and our ever-evolving curriculum will likely continue to include them in some fashion. CONCLUSION As we watch the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are providing vaccinations to our students and faculty. Throughout the process, we have held students to the same standards as we did previously, including accreditation standards, their medical knowledge, and their professional attitudes. Our Aesculapian Society, a student-run organization that fosters continual academic quality and improvement and serves as a liaison between students and faculty, is as active as ever. We continue to work with our hospital partners to ensure that our students are learning in a safe environment. We will maintain our flexibility as
the pandemic evolves and anticipate that our community will continue to work together to ensure excellent medical education is received as our students prepare to become the future physicians for the state of Louisiana. REFERENCES 1. State of Louisiana Executive Department. (2020, March 22). COVID-19 Stay at Home Order. Office of the Governor. https:// gov.louisiana.gov/home/ 2. Young G, Catanese VM, Whelan A. The Role of Currently Enrolled Medical Students in Volunteer and Paid Clinical Work Settings Beyond the Purview of Their Own Medical Schools: Considerations in Planning and Decision-Making. (2020, April 3). Association of American Medical Colleges. https://www. aamc.org/media/43846/download 3. Janz DR, Mackey S, Patel N, et al. Critically Ill Adults With Coronavirus Disease 2019 in New Orleans and Care With an Evidence-Based Protocol. Chest. 2021;159(1):196-204. doi:10.1016/j.chest.2020.08.2114 4. USMLE Suspending Step 2 Clinical Skills Examination. (2020, May 26). United States Medical Licensing Examination. https://www.usmle.org/announcements/default. aspx?ContentId=295 5. Work to Relaunch USMLE Step 2 CS Discontinued. (2021, January 26). United States Medical Licensing Examination. https://www.usmle.org/announcements/default. aspx?ContentId=295 6. The Coalition for Physician Accountability’s Work Group. (2020, May 11). Final Report and Recommendations for Medical Education Institutions of LCME-Accredited, U.S. Osteopathic, and Non-U.S. Medical School Applicants. Association of American Medical Colleges. https://www. aamc.org/what-we-do/mission-areas/medical-education/ away-rotations-interviews-2020-21-residency-cycle 7. Specialty Response to COVID-19. (2020-2021). Association of American Medical Colleges. https://students-residents.aamc. org/applying-residency/article/specialty-response-covid-19/
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