To Help or Not to Help: A First Year Canadian Medical Student’s Dilemma During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Authors

  • Janhavi Patel Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/ijms.2020.538

Keywords:

COVID-19, First-year Medical Student, Experience, Medical student, Community work, Pandemic

Abstract

I am a first-year medical student, and this is a commentary, highlighting some of the dilemmas and challenges encountered by a first-year medical student during these unprecedented times of the COVID-19 crisis. With the declaration of COVID-19 as a public health emergency, and medical students having to discontinue their clinical duties, I felt apprehensive. As if being restricted from serving the communities for whom I took an oath of service, even before I could start. Talking with my mentors and through self-reflection, I found solace in diverting my energy in supporting the frontline staff from the bleachers. This article would provide medical students with an opportunity to think critically during these times, stir conversation amongst medical students, and allow them to recognize how to reconcile with so much uncertainty about the future.

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Author Biography

Janhavi Patel, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University

Medical Student

References

Bonilla-Escobar FJ. Leadership and Health: The Scientific Journal’s Mission of Spreading Science in Times of Pandemic. Int J Med Students. 2020 Jan-Apr;8(1):9-10.

O'Connor-Terry C, Gowda T, Zuchelkowski B, Minney S, Kwon J. Medical Students Have a Powerful Role in Addressing Community Needs in the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Experience from the US. Int J Med Students. 2020 Jan-Apr;8(1):70-72.

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Published

2020-06-12

How to Cite

Patel, J. (2020). To Help or Not to Help: A First Year Canadian Medical Student’s Dilemma During the COVID-19 Pandemic. International Journal of Medical Students, 8(2), 169–171. https://doi.org/10.5195/ijms.2020.538

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 2 (2020)

Section

Experience

Categories

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