Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Medical Student Performance and Evaluation Scores
Erika R. Noel, MD1*, Barry Mizuo, MD2, Loren G. Yamamoto, MD, MPH, MBA3, Kyle M. Ishikawa, MS4, John J. Chen, PhD5 and Kyra A. Len, MD6
1Department of Pediatrics, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai`i, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. ORCID Number: 0000-0002-5389-8016
2Department of Pediatrics, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai`i, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
3Loren G. Yamamoto, MD, MPH, MBA, Department of Pediatrics, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai`i, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
4Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai`i, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. ORCID Number: 0000-0002-4181-8648
5Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai`i, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
6Department of Pediatrics, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai`i, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. ORCID Number: 0000-0002-5952-7885
*Corresponding Author: Erika R. Noel, MD, 3-3420 Kuhio Hwy, Lihue, HI 96766, enoel@hawaii.edu Tel: +1 (808)-245-1100 Fax: +1 (808)-369-1245
DOI: https://doi.org/10.58624/SVOAMR.2024.02.011
Received: May 27, 2024 Published: June 24, 2024
Abstract
In March 2020, the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine suspended in person clinical teaching due to the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID) pandemic. During this period, virtual cases, telehealth participation, and online cases were incorporated into medical education. We have examined the effects of educational outcomes of third and fourth year students throughout clerkship performance, national standardized test scores, and our local fourth year OSCE examination. We found that USMLE step 2 scores were higher in the COVID-affected group. Patient logs in the COVID-affected group were lower for internal medicine, family medicine, OBGYN, and psychiatry clerkships. Clerkship performance grades in the COVID-affected group were lower for OBGYN and higher for surgery and psychiatry, but not different in other clerkships. USNBME subject specific examination scores in the COVID-affected group were higher for internal medicine, surgery, family medicine and psychiatry, but not different in all other specialties. For the fourth year OSCE, students in the COVID-affected group performed better on note taking and worse on physical examination. Future investigations will be needed to explore how our COVID-affected medical students perform in residency and beyond.
Keywords: SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic; COVID-19 Pandemic; Medical Education Curriculum Changes; USNBME; Third Year Clerkships; OSCE; USMLE Step 2 Examination; Patient Logs
Citation: Noel ER, Mizuo B, Yamamoto LG, Ishikawa KM, Chen JJ, Len KA. Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Medical Student Performance and Evaluation Scores. SVOA Medical Research 2024, 2:1, 10-18. https://doi.org/10.58624/ SVOAMR.2024.02.011