The Impact of COVID 19 pandemics and Online Learning on Medical Students' Academic Achievement

Background: COVID-19 epidemic started in March 2021 globally as declared by WHO. In Iraq, The Ministry of Highereducation ordered ceasing class attendance of all students in Universities all over the country. Online learning was thealternative solution to universities students, the medical students in Karbala university were fooling this approach.Objective: This study aims to explore the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on medical students’ learning obstacles andtheir academic achievements.Material and methods: This cross-sectional study is based on a questionnaire that was planned and provided tostudents in the medical college. The sample size of this study (405 participants out of 1030) was calculated using theonline Raosoft® sample size calculator. The survey questionnaire consisted of 12 fixed-alternative questions includingmultiple choice and nominal-dichotomous.Results: All responses from the medical students (405 responses) were analyzed. Female students with age 21-23 yearsand living in Karbala are the highest number of participants. Most students are worried about the impact of epidemicson themselves and the world. 76.63% of students agreed that their clinical skills are affected negatively and most ofthem are not satisfied with their academic achievement. “Feeling lazy “, “internet connectivity” and “ too manydistractions at home” are the top three challenges facing students during the online learning period. The majority ofstudents (281, 70.96%) had not participated in a previous academic survey.Conclusion: The pandemic period has a significant impact on students’ psychological status and academic achievement.Online learning is a new experience for students who need further study. Additionally, they need to be engaged more infuture university surveys to enhance their engagement with their medical college.