Korean J Med Educ.  2022 Jun;34(2):167-174. 10.3946/kjme.2022.228.

Impact of medical school responses during the COVID-19 pandemic on student satisfaction: a nationwide survey of US medical students

• Kim Jr. IE
• Kim DD
• Kim JE
• Rebello E
• Chung D
• Woolley P
• Lee D
• Borden BA
• Wang A
• Villalta D
• Sutherland A
• De Armas S
• Liu M
• Kim H
• Ahn GS
• Geisler R
• Yang A
• Joung B
• Slate-Romano J
• Rajski M
• Kim AE
• Vrees R
• Monteiro K

• KMID: 2530281
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3946/kjme.2022.228

Abstract

Purpose
Medical schools have faced various challenges in preparing their clinical students for the frontlines of a pandemic. This study investigated medical students’ satisfaction with their institutions during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with the intention of guiding educators in future public health crises.
Methods
In this cross-sectional study surveying students in clinical rotations, the primary outcome was overall satisfaction regarding medical schools’ responses to the pandemic, and the four secondary outcomes were school communication, exposure to COVID-19, availability of personal protective equipment, and access to COVID-19 testing.
Results
The survey was distributed to ten medical schools, of which 430 students responded for a response rate of 13.0%. While most students were satisfied (61.9%, n=266) with their schools’ response, more than one in five (21.9%, n=94) were dissatisfied. Among the four secondary outcomes, communication with students was most predictive of overall satisfaction.
Conclusion
In future crises, schools can best improve student satisfaction by prioritizing timely communication.

Keyword

COVID-19; Medical education; Public health