Covid-19: how to use your time when clinical placements are postponed

Improve your learning strategies and prepare educational resources

Medicine involves lifelong learning, so find effective study strategies that work for you. With the pressures of upcoming exams and a seemingly endless amount to learn, it is tempting to rote learn topics, but this will give you only a superficial grasp of them.1 Use this time to develop more effective learning strategies that support long term knowledge retention. Strategies might include:

• Using concept maps to make connections within and between topics—for example, different causes and types of seizure and how they relate to each other2

• Making notes on topics in your own words rather than copying out sections of a textbook

• Using examples to describe abstract concepts—for example, using conditions to illustrate different types of genetic inheritance.

Following your medical school’s curriculum will ensure you cover the right topics.

You can commit information to memory through repeated self-testing; active recall (for example, listing side effects of antiepileptic drugs without resorting to notes); and spaced repetition (for example, asking yourself the same question again after longer time intervals).3 Digital flashcards (for example, Anki4) and online question banks, such as Passmedicine,5 are study tools that can help you to combine these principles.6

Revise anatomy using radiology resources

During a busy clinical rotation, anatomy can get overlooked. Studying anatomy using radiology image banks is a useful way to learn the imaging seen in practice. Websites and ebooks are good places to start. They can be easily accessed from home—for example, radiopaedia.org, radiologymasterclass.co.uk, linestubes.com, and Grainger and Allison’s Diagnostic Radiology.78910

Develop prescribing abilities

The idea of prescribing drugs as a newly qualified doctor is often a source of anxiety for students,11 and prescribing errors among junior doctors are common.12 Familiarise yourself with common sources of prescribing information, such as the British National Formulary, and create a list of drugs that you will commonly use as a junior doctor. The World Health Organization recommends that clinicians keep a “p drug” list of personal drugs they often prescribe so that they become familiar with the indications, contraindications, and common side effects.13

Learn about how technology is changing medical consultations

The use of digital communication, such as video consultations and e-consulting, as an alternative to face-to-face consultation14 has been accelerated by the current pandemic.15 Many of the innovations made to facilitate e-consultations will remain in the future. You could use this time to further explore and understand the uses of technology in medical consultations.

Get involved in research

Although the middle of a pandemic might seem a strange time to suggest getting involved in research, the value of evidence based research to inform clinical and governmental decision making has never been clearer. Skills developed during research activities, ranging from collecting and assimilating data to collaborating and communicating with others, can be directly useful in your clinical practice.19 Systematic or narrative reviews are a great introduction to research, and with many centres working on rapid reviews,20 there might be local opportunities to get involved.

A case report is a good chance to expand on an interesting patient you saw on the wards or a case presentation you were asked to give. The BMJ Case Reports editors have published advice on how to get started.21

Develop teaching abilities

All doctors are expected to contribute to the teaching of their colleagues and of medical students. Near peer teaching22 of fellow students can prepare you for this role, allowing you to develop teaching skills while also supporting clinical faculty.23 Students also benefit from having a role model who offers well targeted knowledge.24 Consider developing teaching sessions and delivering them remotely to your peers or younger students. Make sure you include feedback forms to document your progress and commitment to teaching. Your medical school or MedSoc might be looking for students to support more junior peers with teaching while lectures and placements are on hold.

Online tutoring can refine your teaching skills and provide a source of income, while helping students and parents who might be worried about continued learning during school closures.

Offer to help those affected in your local community

Many medical students have stepped forward to help during the pandemic—perhaps most notably the early graduation of final year students and their deployment to wards.31 Besides volunteering in hospitals, medical students can also contribute to the efforts against this disease. People without close support networks might struggle with shopping and with childcare over the coming months. With reduced social contact, many older and vulnerable people might be at risk of isolation and depression.3233 Community support groups are being created nationwide; so join these efforts to help those in your local community where possible. Helping can be as simple as offering to call isolated people, doing shopping, offering childcare support, or even offering to care for the pets of NHS staff.34

Invest time in looking after your mental health

Medical students face many challenges, and this is even more true in the current climate, with additional difficulties presented by social distancing measures and risk to loved ones. Take some time to look after yourself. Be realistic and manage your expectations of what can be achieved. Develop strategies to help cope with those negative thoughts, nagging worries, and things that are outside your control. These strategies will be invaluable in your future career. Box 2 lists resources for looking after your mental health during the covid-19 pandemic.