Korean J Med Educ.  2016 Jun;28(2):209-217. 10.3946/kjme.2016.30.

Avoiding student infection during a Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreak: a single medical school experience

• Park SW
• Jang HW
• Choe YH
• Lee KS
• Ahn YC
• Chung MJ
• Lee KS
• Lee K
• Han T

• KMID: 2417523
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3946/kjme.2016.30

Abstract

PURPOSE
In outbreaks of infectious disease, medical students are easily overlooked in the management of healthcare personnel protection although they serve in clinical clerkships in hospitals. In the early summer of 2015, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) struck South Korea, and students of Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine (SKKUSOM) were at risk of contracting the disease. The purpose of this report is to share SKKUSOM's experience against the MERS outbreak and provide suggestions for medical schools to consider in the face of similar challenges.
METHODS
Through a process of reflection-on-action, we examined SKKUSOM's efforts to avoid student infection during the MERS outbreak and derived a few practical guidelines that medical schools can adopt to ensure student safety in outbreaks of infectious disease.
RESULTS
The school leadership conducted ongoing risk assessment and developed contingency plans to balance student safety and continuity in medical education. They rearranged the clerkships to another hospital and offered distant lectures and tutorials. Five suggestions are extracted for medical schools to consider in infection outbreaks: instant cessation of clinical clerkships; rational decision making on a school closure; use of information technology; constant communication with hospitals; and open communication with faculty, staff, and students.
CONCLUSION
Medical schools need to take the initiative and actively seek countermeasures against student infection. It is essential that medical schools keep constant communication with their index hospitals and the involved personnel. In order to assure student learning, medical schools may consider offering distant education with online technology.

Keyword

Middle East respiratory syndrome; Emerging infectious disease; Medical students; Risk assessment

MeSH Terms

*Clinical Clerkship
Communication
Coronavirus Infections/*prevention & control/transmission/virology
Cross Infection/*prevention & control/transmission/virology
*Disease Outbreaks
Education, Distance
Education, Medical
*Hospitals
Humans
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus
Personnel, Hospital
Republic of Korea
Safety
*Schools, Medical
Strategic Planning
*Students, Medical
Universities