Abstract
My dear seniors, patrons, colleagues, and fellow readers, one can only now pray as the devastation caused by COVID-19 continues to lingers on, hampering not only day-to-day life but affecting many livelihoods as well spanning all walks of life. Our healthcare industry (professional and academia both) has been immensely affected by the disruptions caused by the same. The closure of educational institutions has impeded the proper functioning of attached clinics and operatories, seriously affecting both clinical practice and didactic clinical training aimed to develop, enrich, and enhance a student’s clinical “hand.” Additionally, repeated closures have also caused both students and teachers, who in the most part had to be isolated socially due to multiple lockdowns worldwide, to develop acute levels of mental stress and associated symptoms. ( 1 , 2 )
While this alone may be distressing on its own, the long-term consequences of isolation, limited clinical exposure and patient interaction, and little or no skill development especially for the postgraduation students are something we must truly ponder and introspect on. Lectures, seminars, and journal clubs have taken the route of being delivered at home, taking the same route as other professional institutions. However, as medical and dental patient care is more patient- and person-centric, online lectures and webinars alone cannot in any circumstance substitute that experience. This global pandemic has robbed at least 2 batches of proper undergraduate and postgraduate medical and dental training. While these factors are considered, during their respective examinations, I must implore and ask my fellow teachers and academicians if it will be enough. There is clearly a gap in the skillset that we as teachers and mentors strive to achieve in our students, to better prepare them to engage confidently while facing the challenges of entering and handling a competitive clinical practice.
While several studies have shown that some students whether in the medical and dental field are willing to volunteer and put in extra hours to make up for this deficit ( 3 ), there is lack of infrastructural and protocol-based support to facilitate the same. Furthermore, till the time vaccination targets are achieved to allow for the existence of herd immunity, there may be poor response from the patient’s side as well. The use of augmented reality and virtual reality may allow for some specific skillset improvement and development with a more “hands-on” feel, but again the lack of widespread infrastructure to support the same is a challenge along with the lack of a structured curriculum to fully utilize the potential of this newer technological advent ( 4 ). So, we should ask ourselves how the present generation of students is going to make up for the paucity of clinical and patient skill or should we leave them at the mercy of various “medical and dental academies” to lure them in the so-called “crash courses.” What I feel in my humble opinion would be the option of voluntary enrolment in the future where the threat of COVID-19 isn’t as serious either at the parent institution or at centers by the alma mater of the same institution willing to lend a helping hand in reducing this practical knowledge and skillset deficit. In doing so, not only the institution and the alma mater would extend their much-needed support as mentors to these affected students, but also a deeper sense of responsibility and camaraderie may be established between the newer and the older students of a particular institution strengthening their alumni network. It is a common unfortunate problem that we all would need to rise out of by working together, and such solutions would help all of us nurture the future generations in the right directions.
As always, I would love to hear valuable feedback on this matter, as it deeply affects the future budding talent of our and associated allied professions. Jai Hind, Jai IOS.