How will COVID and online classes impact incoming medstudents?

[Total Gunner]

 

any thoughts on whats aspects of the curriculum will be impacted and how the inability to go to hospitals and shadow doctors impact students in short and long run?

 

Do you see any issues for students looking at competitive sites and specialties?

[conditional knockout]

Curious about this too, so throwing out some speculations to get this post going. It seems that classes will probably be online, but I feel like CBL can happen with distancing and masks? Not sure about clinical skills stuff, but could be feasible if it's small groups too.

I wonder if they will totally prohibit shadowing, or simply limit it, since clerks are being allowed back into hospitals.

[bruh]

1 hour ago, conditional knockout said:

Curious about this too, so throwing out some speculations to get this post going. It seems that classes will probably be online, but I feel like CBL can happen with distancing and masks? Not sure about clinical skills stuff, but could be feasible if it's small groups too.

I wonder if they will totally prohibit shadowing, or simply limit it, since clerks are being allowed back into hospitals.

I have similar thoughts. I think lectures will be online. I hope we get to a point where we can have CBL sessions in person. From what I know they are in groups of 8. Gathering limits will very likely be above that by September. Anatomy labs will be less predictable - not sure how many people attend these. We could make a poll and have a little fun trying to predict what the start of the classes will look like lol  
 

I’m also very curious about shadowing. Although, I don’t think it’s a huge deal if we have to wait until later in the semester for it to be allowed. 
 

It’s definitely sad that O-week will most probably be online, and I can’t imagine it being as exciting as last year’s. This is probably the most significant loss of experience for incoming students. I had been dreaming of this opportunity to meet people and enjoy fun activities together. I’m sure they’ll do their best to maximize our experience virtually but it simply can’t rival the experience from previous years:

With that said, we need to continue to stay vigilant and respect social distancing as much as possible. This isn’t an easy time for any of us, and I continue to be grateful that I have been admitted in the first place.  I’m also grateful that the admissions as well medical students have been so welcoming and doing their best to make our experience enjoyable. Whatever happens, we will adapt. 

[Anon_9]

On 5/18/2020 at 8:22 PM, RiderSx said:

I have similar thoughts. I think lectures will be online. I hope we get to a point where we can have CBL sessions in person. From what I know they are in groups of 8. Gathering limits will very likely be above that by September. Anatomy labs will be less predictable - not sure how many people attend these. We could make a poll and have a little fun trying to predict what the start of the classes will look like lol  
 

I’m also very curious about shadowing. Although, I don’t think it’s a huge deal if we have to wait until later in the semester for it to be allowed. 
 

It’s definitely sad that O-week will most probably be online, and I can’t imagine it being as exciting as last year’s. This is probably the most significant loss of experience for incoming students. I had been dreaming of this opportunity to meet people and enjoy fun activities together. I’m sure they’ll do their best to maximize our experience virtually but it simply can’t rival the experience from previous years:

With that said, we need to continue to stay vigilant and respect social distancing as much as possible. This isn’t an easy time for any of us, and I continue to be grateful that I have been admitted in the first place.  I’m also grateful that the admissions as well medical students have been so welcoming and doing their best to make our experience enjoyable. Whatever happens, we will adapt. 

During my call with one of the o-week coordinators, they mentioned that because the university has not prohibited online classes or gatherings yet, they are still planning as usual for o-week! Although I doubt we will have the exact same experience as previous years, they mentioned that all the key events that usually happen during o-week will definitely still happen, even if they are delayed! I'm staying hopeful because I've been watching these oweek videos for years and it would be such a shame if we didn't get to experience it as well. Fingers crossed!

[bruh]

UofT will be delivering seminars, labs, and small classes IN-PERSON. Larger lectures will be online. 

https://www.utoronto.ca/uoft-roadmap

I expect that medicine will follow the same format. In fact, medicine and nursing receive even higher priority in conducting in-person teaching.

[Total Gunner]

I guess CBL could be in person then. Don't know if there cluld be anything else tbh. Hospital rotations/horizontals are probably out of the question, I assume.

[bruh]

47 minutes ago, Total Gunner said:

I guess CBL could be in person then. Don't know if there cluld be anything else tbh. Hospital rotations/horizontals are probably out of the question, I assume.

Pretty much everything is in small-groups for first year (CBL, ICE, Portfolio, and possibly anatomy labs). Rotations and electives are for clerks as long as I understand it.

This is our usual first year schedule:

 

[Galaxsci]

On 5/21/2020 at 11:35 AM, RiderSx said:

Pretty much everything is in small-groups for first year (CBL, ICE, Portfolio, and possibly anatomy labs). Rotations and electives are for clerks as long as I understand it.

This is our usual first year schedule:

 

Most of the curriculum is delivered in small groups, so they'd be more likely to start (though still not guaranteed) on time. Anatomy would be tricky because it's in small groups, but there are about 5-10 groups in each large room, so it might not be as easy as the other small group things. 

Lecture is non-mandatory and always recorded, so I can't imagine them allowing in person lectures for a while. Shadowing is likely out of the question initially because they won't want to expose patients to more people than necessary, but there'll be plenty of time for that throughout preclerkship, just maybe not in the first few months.

[bruh]

7 hours ago, Galaxsci said:

Most of the curriculum is delivered in small groups, so they'd be more likely to start (though still not guaranteed) on time. Anatomy would be tricky because it's in small groups, but there are about 5-10 groups in each large room, so it might not be as easy as the other small group things. 

Lecture is non-mandatory and always recorded, so I can't imagine them allowing in person lectures for a while. Shadowing is likely out of the question initially because they won't want to expose patients to more people than necessary, but there'll be plenty of time for that throughout preclerkship, just maybe not in the first few months.

That’s exactly how I imagined classes would start. 

Although, this can all be out the window if we have a major second wave! 

 

[heartandsoul]

Clinical skills seems to make more sense to be in person but I think even CBL can be done online

[conditional knockout]

I feel like small group stuff that normally takes place in a hospital will not be happening. They may have eluded to this in the webinar on monday. CBL can take place virtually, and even clinical skills that are about learning to listen to what the patient is saying. That said, I am sad that this will be the case, because I’ve been experiencing “Zoom fatigue” lately. It’s just such a burden to have meetings virtually rather than in person. I currently dread my zoom sessions. Anyone feel the same way? Hopefully this won’t be the case with med stuff.