The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Education of Medical Students

Abstract

The full-time education only was the traditional basic condition for the development of professional competencies of future health professionals. The COVID-19 pandemic, the digitalization of the medical field, and the effective global experience of distance learning have demonstrated the need to reengineer the established paradigm of medical education. The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of distance learning of Ukrainian medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study involved content analysis, Computer Audio-Recorded Interviewing (CARI), face-to-face interviews, in-depth interviews, qualitative and quantitative analysis of the results of empirical research. Universal and specific problems of distance education are identified. The model of two-stage diagnostics of the state of distance education in medical vocational colleges of Ukraine (2020 - 2021) is presented. The results of the linear experiment showed a positive trend in: the quality of the Internet and the workplace arrangement of medical students (from 40% to 90%), special training in distance education technologies (from 13% to 74%), the use of unified educational platforms (from 39% to 100%), reduced stress level in students (from 100% to 60%), increased assessment objectivity (from 37% to 55%). Stereotypes about distance education as forced and ineffective in the development of practical skills (from 98% to 76%) remained steady. Online technologies in medical education require qualified scientific and methodological support of teaching. It is appropriate to develop and implement a national strategy, proven technologies of distance education for medical vocational colleges. The focus of further research is the development of reference models, distance education technologies that can provide effective training of mid-level medical staff.