• Kwi Hwa Park, So Jung Yune, Min Kyu Jung, Yura Kim, Geon Ho Lee, and Seong Yong Kim.
• Kwi Hwa Park, Department of Medical Education, Gachon University College of Medicine, Namdong-gu, Incheon, 21565, Korea (South).
• Pak J Med Sci. 2022 Mar 1; 38 (3Part-I): 469-475.

Background And ObjectiveIn 2020, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, medical students were placed in a learning environment that exposed them to unsafe clinical settings. In this study, using a phenomenological approach, we analyze the experiences of fourth-year students in the Daegu area of South Korea, a region that experienced a high concentration of COVID-19 infections.MethodsThe essays of 80 students from four medical schools who agreed to participate in the study were utilized in the final data analysis. The data were analyzed using the proposed phenomenological analysis.ResultsForty-seven condensed meaning units, twelve subthemes, and three essential themes were identified. The main theme includes the following: 1) confusion and stress due to sudden changes in the learning situation 2) learned the medical professionalism of physicians 3) reflection and internal change regarding what it means to be a physician.ConclusionsThe COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on students who participated in clinical clerkships. This study can provide baseline data for planning educational strategies and establishing a support system for students in response to the changes that they may experience in the event of the reoccurrence of a novel infectious disease in the future.Copyright: © Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences.

4 keywords...

hide…