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Resources for Medical Schools During the COVID-19 Pandemic
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The COVID-19 pandemic has caused dramatic and disruptive changes to medical education. The AAMC has curated critical documents to support medical schools during this challenging time.
Included below you will find guidance and resources from the AAMC and its partner organizations. You will also find ways to connect with the AAMC and your colleagues across the country to share best practices and lessons learned through open webinars and calls for submissions. We will continue to update this page as resources are made available.
This page is a part of the AAMC’s efforts to provide the most up-to-date information to members. For information about other areas, visit the COVID-19 Resource Hub.
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Latest Guidance from the AAMC on Medical Students’ Educational Activities
Updated MSPE Guidance for Disruptions Related to COVID-19
The June 2021 MSPE Guidance for Disruptions Related to COVID-19 (PDF) emphasizes clarity over uniformity in describing the impact(s) of the pandemic on the applicant's academic experience. The GSA Committee on Student Affairs (COSA) MSPE Effective Practices Working Group recognizes that just as many COVID-related changes were made at the individual medical school level, many of the decisions about how to represent those changes in the MSPE will also need to be made at the school level in accordance with institutional policies. (Last updated June 25, 2021)
AAMC Guidance on Peaceful Protests by Medical Students and Residents
The AAMC has developed guidance in support of medical student, resident, and applicant participation in demonstrations and other forms of peaceful public protest against police brutality and systemic racism. This guidance is intended for medical school administrators, the admissions community, and residency program directors for their consideration as they review and refine their communications and processes for the upcoming selection cycles. (Last updated July 7, 2020)
Medical Student Away Rotations for Remainder of 2020-21 and 2021-22 Academic Year
The Coalition for Physician Accountability, of which the AAMC is a member, released updated recommendations on away rotations for medical schools and non-U.S. medical school applicants for the 2021-22 academic year. (Last updated April 14, 2021)
Medical Students’ Participation in Direct Patient Contact Activities
The AAMC issued guidance on medical students’ participation in the clinical setting during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Last updated Aug. 14, 2020).
Role of Medical Students in Volunteer and Paid Clinical Work Settings Beyond Their Medical School
The AAMC in a joint statement with the LCME issued guidance on enrolled medical students’ participation in volunteer and paid clinical activities beyond the purview of their medical schools. (Last updated April 3, 2020)
Updates from Key AAMC Services
Several AAMC services that support learners have issued special information about COVID-19.
Latest Guidance from Partner Organizations on Accreditation, Assessment, and the Transition to Residency
On Accreditation
- LCME COVID-19 Updates and Resources: Accreditation‐related resources and information from the LCME.
- ACGME Response to Pandemic Crisis: New conceptual framework from which graduate medical education programs can effectively operate during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Assessment
- USMLE COVID-19 Updates and Resources: Information on testing site closures and suspensions.
- NBME Coronavirus (COVID-19) Assessment Information and Updates: Updates on assessments administered by the NBME.
On Graduation and the Transition to Residency
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Toolkit: Practical Guidance to Support the Move from Undergraduate Medical Education to Graduate Medical Education: The AAMC, AACOM, ACGME, and ECFMG developed this toolkit of voluntary guidance and other resources to assist in the transition of 2021 medical school graduates into their first post-graduate year of medical education and training. This collection of resources is designed to support residents and their residency programs in delivering safe, high-quality patient care.
For Teaching and Learning
Virtual Learning Resources during COVID-19
This special MedEdPORTAL collection features peer-reviewed teaching resources that can be used for distance learning, including self-directed modules and learning activities that could be converted to virtual interactions.
Clinical Teaching and Learning Experiences: A Resource Collection to Support Innovations in Health Professions Education
Initially launched in March 2020, this resource collection was built in response to the COVID-19 pandemic’s significant impact on the teaching and learning of health professionals. Designed by diverse educators, this working collection features clinical learning experiences, which can be readily used or easily adapted for specific, local settings, without the need for physical patient contact. The collection is actively used by thousands of medical educators around the world.
Building Better Curriculum Webinars: COVID-19
Special editions of the Building Better Curriculum Webinar series highlight innovative and new approaches to the curriculum as schools try to respond to the pandemic and work to ensure high-quality learning experiences.
Learn more about the series and register for upcoming webinars
Managing Medical Curricula In the Pandemic: A Special Collection from FASEB BioAdvances
Many medical schools have now had time to fine-tune the changes they implemented last spring to shift from face-to-face instruction to virtual learning. In this Special Collection, the approaches taken by several medical schools are described.
For Supporting Your Learners
Collaborative Student Volunteer and Service Projects
Launched in April 2020, this resource collection was built in response to the upsurge in student volunteer and service projects to provide additional support in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on communities, medical schools, and health systems. Largely student-initiated, this working collection features volunteer and service experiences that are responsive to local needs, do not place additional burdens on local systems, and prioritize student, patient, and community safety. These experiences can be adopted or adapted for local use and have helped inform student-led projects around the country.
Medical Student Well-Being
This page offers personal stories of resilience, resources for maintaining well-being, and programs, practices, and strategies that student service providers, faculty, staff, and current medical students have found to be effective in building student well-being.
Conducting Interviews during the Coronavirus Pandemic
This toolkit helps medical school and teaching hospital faculty effectively conduct all interviews with potential students, residents, and faculty in a virtual setting, either by phone or through video conferencing.
Other Resources
Academic Medicine
This collection of free-to-read articles published in Academic Medicine explores the COVID-19 pandemic from multiple perspectives, including early lessons learned from physicians in the initial epicenter of the outbreak in the US, how the pandemic is affecting students and residents and how they are filling new roles, the financial impact on academic health centers, physician well-being, and more. This collection will be updated as new articles are published.
Resources to Support the Health and Well-Being of Clinicians During COVID-19
The National Academy of Medicine Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience, of which the AAMC is a part, compiled these resources to support the health and well-being of clinicians during public health emergencies, including COVID-19.
Clinical UME Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic
These checklists are intended to be a living document identifying the more important considerations regarding medical students in the clinical learning environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. As circumstances change, the document will evolve. Please send edits or questions to Kate McOwen, AAMC Senior Director of Educational Affairs, at kmcowen@aamc.org.
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