Med schools' responses to the recent delta variant COVID surge

[Skarl]

Our school is mandating masks while indoors, prohibiting all food/drink on-campus, and keeping lectures on zoom. Anatomy, clinical didactics, and PBL learning will be in person (these were virtual last year except for clinical didactics.) Certain school traditions and class social events which would normally occur are TBD.

I wonder what the end point for normalcy will be. Our students and faculty are ~100% vaccinated and we are in an area with high community vaccination rates, but apparently that isn't enough. I know many don't care for these things (lectures, class traditions, and social events), but I feel like students who started medical school during COVID have really missed out on many rites of passages and memories.

How are your schools responding to the current COVID surge fueled by the Delta variant? Curious to compare schools' responses and hear everyone's thoughts.

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[stickgirl390]

Continued reach-out for students to get vaccinated (though most are), vaccines available on campus, masks in all clinical areas, zoom meetings “as needed”, and students can refuse to work with Covid positive patients.

 

[frosted2]

Mandatory masks on campus + social distancing + mandatory vaccinations.

I don't care about traditions, in-person classes, making memories, etc. My white coat ceremony was on Zoom... do I care? No. I'm not going to medical school to get a short white germ distributing piece of clothing... I'm here to get a degree so I can legally practice medicine and learn how to become an excellent doctor... that is my goal.

I wish we would continue Zoom only classes, since hardly anyone goes to lecture anyways. It is so much more efficient.

 

[SlattGotit]

Mandatory masks on campus + social distancing + mandatory vaccinations.

I don't care about traditions, in-person classes, making memories, etc. My white coat ceremony was on Zoom... do I care? No. I'm not going to medical school to get a short white germ distributing piece of clothing... I'm here to get a degree so I can legally practice medicine and learn how to become an excellent doctor... that is my goal.

I wish we would continue Zoom only classes, since hardly anyone goes to lecture anyways. It is so much more efficient.

jeez buzzkill much

 

[Lifeblood_20]

M1 here. We currently have mask mandate in doors except for eating/drinking. In person lectures/PBL/anatomy lab, although some virtual activities. Some welcome events cancelled but white coat ceremony still happening in person. School administration emphasizes being flexible and is prepared to make big changes rapidly.
I personally am thankful to be in person for most of the transition to med school, but I share similar sentiments with @frosted2. I am excited to train to become a good physician and don’t really care what the format/ceremonies look like.

 

[Dral]

I know this doesn't help, but I do feel bad for all you folks in MS1 and MS2 right now. We had happy hours, post-exam keg parties, trips to wineries, etc that I have very fond memories of. I still keep in contact and sometimes see friends I made during that time and we're about 12 years out at this point.

I'm not sure what you can do to make it better in that regard, but it is certainly an important part of the experience. I hope things die down a decent amount by next spring so that things can change by then.

 

[SweetBurger]

honestly didnt mind never being in person. Kind of sad that im forced to be in person more now and will have less opportunities to go home and visit family

 

[MDMechEngr]

Mandatory masks on campus + social distancing + mandatory vaccinations.

I don't care about traditions, in-person classes, making memories, etc. My white coat ceremony was on Zoom... do I care? No. I'm not going to medical school to get a short white germ distributing piece of clothing... I'm here to get a degree so I can legally practice medicine and learn how to become an excellent doctor... that is my goal.

I wish we would continue Zoom only classes, since hardly anyone goes to lecture anyways. It is so much more efficient.

Yes, and let's do zoom resindency interviews and cancel all away rotations too, or do virtual rotations. LOL.

 

[QuizzicalApe]

Mandatory masks on campus + social distancing + mandatory vaccinations.

I don't care about traditions, in-person classes, making memories, etc. My white coat ceremony was on Zoom... do I care? No. I'm not going to medical school to get a short white germ distributing piece of clothing... I'm here to get a degree so I can legally practice medicine and learn how to become an excellent doctor... that is my goal.

I wish we would continue Zoom only classes, since hardly anyone goes to lecture anyways. It is so much more efficient.

Well in the pre-covid era, I attended most of my med school classes virtually, which is to say I watched recordings a couple hours later at 1.5x speed in my pajamas at home with a cat in my lap. It was a much better way to learn medicine than actually showing up in terms of both efficiency and quality of life.

 

[Lucca]

We have a vaccine mandate and back to indoor masking on campus. Never stopped mask mandate in hospital, obviously. For now no plans to go back to all virtual classes, although remote lecture attendance was always popular even pre Zoom med school as it is many places.

 

[frosted2]

Well in the pre-covid era, I attended most of my med school classes virtually, which is to say I watched recordings a couple hours later at 1.5x speed in my pajamas at home with a cat in my lap. It was a much better way to learn medicine than actually showing up in terms of both efficiency and quality of life.

Totally agree!!!

 

[Hzreio]

M1 at my school cancelled everything in person for the first week. Everything is online, even anatomy lab cancelled for the first week. Hoping to get anatomy back next week but we’ll see. Also white coat is in person only for students and staff. Family must go virtual

 

[Mass Effect]

Our school is mandating masks while indoors, prohibiting all food/drink on-campus, and keeping lectures on zoom. Anatomy, clinical didactics, and PBL learning will be in person (these were virtual last year except for clinical didactics.) Certain school traditions and class social events which would normally occur are TBD.

I wonder what the end point for normalcy will be. Our students and faculty are ~100% vaccinated and we are in an area with high community vaccination rates, but apparently that isn't enough. I know many don't care for these things (lectures, class traditions, and social events), but I feel like students who started medical school during COVID have really missed out on many rites of passages and memories.

How are your schools responding to the current COVID surge fueled by the Delta variant? Curious to compare schools' responses and hear everyone's thoughts.

I feel for you not getting the experience you want, but in fairness, you have no idea how many people are actually vaccinated. It could be 100% of those able to are vaccinated, but don't forget that not everyone can be vaccinated. You also have no idea who the ones vaccinated have at home who can't be vaccinated. If my husband or kids are unable to get vaccinated, even if I am, I am a risk to them.

 

[Skarl]

I feel for you not getting the experience you want, but in fairness, you have no idea how many people are actually vaccinated. It could be 100% of those able to are vaccinated, but don't forget that not everyone can be vaccinated. You also have no idea who the ones vaccinated have at home who can't be vaccinated. If my husband or kids are unable to get vaccinated, even if I am, I am a risk to them.

I certainly empathize with those who are ineligible or medically unable to receive a COVID vaccine. Hopefully FDA approves for children <12 soon.

With that being said, our school has required all trainees and staff to receive a COVID vaccine if eligible barring rare medical exemptions. While I don't know the exact percentage, it's hard to imagine vaccine coverage being any higher than with an institutional mandate. We are also located in a high vaccine-uptake region.

Certain individuals will always be unable or unwilling to receive the vaccine and COVID variants will likely continue to emerge for years until global vaccine coverage is achieved—in fact some epidemiologists have argued that herd immunity is effectively out of reach at this point [1]. Considering this, what would your endpoint be for lifting restrictions?

 

[Mass Effect]

I certainly empathize with those who are ineligible or medically unable to receive a COVID vaccine. Hopefully FDA approves for children <12 soon.

With that being said, our school has required all trainees and staff to receive a COVID vaccine if eligible barring rare medical exemptions. While I don't know the exact percentage, it's hard to imagine vaccine coverage being any higher than with an institutional mandate. We are also located in a high vaccine-uptake region.

Certain individuals will always be unable or unwilling to receive the vaccine and COVID variants will likely continue to emerge for years until global vaccine coverage is achieved—in fact some epidemiologists have argued that herd immunity is effectively out of reach at this point [1]. Considering this, what would your endpoint be for lifting restrictions?

When hospitals aren't totally overwhelmed. There is literally no reason to have regular MS1 didactics on campus right now and in fact, before Covid, everyone complained that schools with mandatory attendance wouldn't let thems tay home and study on their own.

 

[Skarl]

When hospitals aren't totally overwhelmed. There is literally no reason to have regular MS1 didactics on campus right now and in fact, before Covid, everyone complained that schools with mandatory attendance wouldn't let thems tay home and study on their own.

I don't disagree with you. But by your standards, restrictions would be lifted as our area's hospitals are certainly not "totally overwhelmed" or anywhere close to it.

I'll agree to disagree on the value of in-person didactics, as this probably varies by school (e.g. attendance policies, types of didactics, curriculum) and individual preference.

 

[drducky.]

I read that there’s only a 0.2% breakthrough infection rate, and since most schools require the vaccine, the chances of getting the virus through school should be minimal. The problem is the other 30% of the general population that’s not vaccinated.

 

[Mass Effect]

I don't disagree with you. But by your standards, restrictions would be lifted as our area's hospitals are certainly not "totally overwhelmed" or anywhere close to it.

I'll agree to disagree on the value of in-person didactics, as this probably varies by school (e.g. attendance policies, types of didactics, curriculum) and individual preference.

It doesn't really matter that your hospitals are not totally overwhelmed. We know how this works. We lived through it last year. It's restricted to a certain area for only so long. Do you really think it's only going to be TX and FL and AR who see the brunt of this next wave? There will be hotspots all over the country. No, we shouldn't go into lockdown again. But it isn't wrong for MS 1 lectures to be held over Zoom for now. It's not like you're missing Anatomy or clinicals.

 

[FutureSurgical]

M1 was a crap show since my school stopped most in-person stuff. They were pretty strict on not having big social events not planned by the school. The school cancelled all events (white coat ceremony, donor ceremony, OSCEs, "prom" (each class gets one after the second-to-last block in pre-clinicals), etc.) White coat ceremony will be done for our class and the incoming M1 class this year though, which is awesome.

Now, we have more in-person stuff (OSCEs, labs, lectures, etc.) However, our school is still postponing/cancelling each social event. Which we're really unhappy about (if we have mandatory in-person lectures and labs, let us do some sort of modified social events that our social chair has worked on to be COVID-protocol compliant.)

 

[deleted966164]

While MS1 was a lot on Zoom I have raised the concern how that contributes to “unconscious gunnerism.” For a lot of my classmates, it seemed very easy to regard icons on Zoom as just part of the virtual setup and not as humans you’ll encounter this year in the lecture hall (hopefully).

I have yet to hear the exact plans from our school but it seems as things are gonna be “normal.”

 

[Lawpy]

I'm curious what schools do NOT have a mask mandate

 

[Nugester]

M1: zoom mostly, some clinical skills in person, all exams in person. Masks.

M2: masks on still, in-person classes (but for how long??) that I still haven't gone to (other than mandatory ones), more buzzkill to fun activities.

 

[lanadelgay124]

M1: Almost everything in-person and masked. Mandatory vaccine. Nothing cancelled as yet (but I anticipate that changing. Two weeks ago, we weren't going to be in masks).

 

[premeddestiny]

M3: Every student has to be vaccinated, but they can go unmasked if there are no off-campus visitors. Mostly in-person preclinicals but clinicals are all in-person.

 

[esob]

Clinicals are still in person, 100% masking everywhere on campus. No requirement for vaccination but SOM has a 99+% vaccination rate. Most other stuff has returned to online, including interest groups and clubs, didactic sessions, presentations, etc.

 

[NITRAS]

I read that there’s only a 0.2% breakthrough infection rate, and since most schools require the vaccine, the chances of getting the virus through school should be minimal. The problem is the other 30% of the general population that’s not vaccinated.

Way higher than that. More like 50%.

 

[Nugester]

Update: need to have proof of vaccination. If not, you have to get tested weekly.

 

[Rapsidy]

Vaccine mandate unless you have a religious or medical exemption and then you need to test weekly. Mask mandate indoors at every campus building and nobody but students or staff are allowed into the medical tower. We had a white coat ceremony but we’re limited to 3 guests each.

They are offering hyflex classes for some things so you can choose to go in person or via zoom and mostly zoom lectures but you can still go in person.

Changes week by week there was supposed to be 4 mandatory in person days this week but because someone tested positive for Covid last week they are making every single student test regardless of your vaccine status or if you were exposed to that person, then switched to all classes virtual this week.

 

[Ganon]

No vaccine requirement yet, but they are required for clinical sites and no other provisions or accommodations will be made, so for M3/M4 your choices are to be vaccinated or delay graduation (with the assumption that maybe clinical sites won't require it in the future? Idk, that's not gonna' happen.)

Essentially it's required. I anticipate it will officially be required for attendance of all years once FDA approval comes next month.

 

[Redpancreas]

Mandatory masks on campus + social distancing + mandatory vaccinations.

I don't care about traditions, in-person classes, making memories, etc. My white coat ceremony was on Zoom... do I care? No. I'm not going to medical school to get a short white germ distributing piece of clothing... I'm here to get a degree so I can legally practice medicine and learn how to become an excellent doctor... that is my goal.

I wish we would continue Zoom only classes, since hardly anyone goes to lecture anyways. It is so much more efficient.

Thanks for this post. I wish more people would vocalize that it's OK to have this attitude in medicine. I think it places the focus on where it needs to be. The attitude of those who disagree with this sentiment's already well-represented IMO as demonstrated by the dislikes of the initial post and subsequent comment. I also do get there are some times where learning is facilitated by group participation...but that's kind of like saying you shouldn't use UpToDate because in some cases the information posted can only represent one side of a controversial issue.

Regarding the Delta variant, my place doesn't test for it so I don't have a comment on it. What I do know is I have seen 30 covid patients so far hospitalized in residency. 27 were proudly unvaccinated. 2 was on chronic steroids for a medical condition. Another had an immunodeficiency. Overall I don't think the Delta variant is the problem burdening hospitals right now, but future variants have the potential to be. I truly don't know how close or far out we are from that. Right now, Delta just feels like a polarizing political grab bag term. I think Fauci and other experts realize this but think (and I agree) that it's important to publicize the concerns about COVID variants like Delta because it illustrates the importance of basic vaccine public health measures. The issue is that contrarians on the political right latch onto the over-exaggerations propagated by MSNBC and they become talking points on Fox News which fosters distrust and whether we like it or not, our unvaccinated patients listen to those opinions.