Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Trainees’ Educational Experiences and Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Sindhubarathi Murali,1 Saketh R Velapati,1 Pratibha Kaul,1,2 Rubin I Cohen1,2 1SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA; 2Syracuse Veterans Affairs Hospital, Syracuse, NY, USACorrespondence: Rubin I Cohen, Email [email protected]: We conducted a quality improvement study to gain insight into how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the education of trainees in pulmonary and critical care medicine (PCCM). We also sought to understand the experiences of fellows to better prepare for future pandemics.Methods: We sent an electronic survey to fellows of an academic PCCM program and used data from the electronic survey to design semi-structured interviews for a qualitative study.Results: Three themes were generated, centred on the emotional burden and physical demand, friendship, and education. Favourable aspects included the organizational response to the pandemic, particularly in terms of communication, personal protective equipment, and an emphasis on teamwork. Fellows became proficient in critical care procedures. The need for a trainees’ respite area was emphasized. Other areas of concern included the lack of leadership to facilitate assistance from various services in the ICU and ensuring adequate education in pulmonary medicine, despite the extended demands of critical care.Conclusion: Participants were dismayed at the lack of support from other services. The shift to virtual lectures resulted in a loss of personal contact and connections, as fellows much preferred in-person sessions. Our results highlight opportunities for learning, fulfillment, and challenges encountered while navigating a pandemic.Keywords: medical education, physician, fellows, burnout, mental health, qualitative methodology