University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Sufana Shikdar , Rabia Saleem , Joel Alcid , Sarbajit Mukherjee , Ayesha Hassan , Vinay E. Keshava , Humza Razaq , Raid Aljumaily
Background: Hematology-Oncology (HO) trainees faced significant challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted by a previous survey (Durani, Urshila, et al. "Impact of COVID-19 on Hematology-Oncology Trainees: A Quantitative and Qualitative Assessment."JCO Oncology Practice (2021): OP-21). Despite the positive impact of effective vaccines, the pandemic is still ongoing; thus, the challenges remain. Our aim is to evaluate how well the trainees have adapted to changes in their clinical training environment after the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional internet-based survey (Shih, Grace, et al. "The impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on the education and wellness of US Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellows."Pediatric Anesthesia 31.3 (2021): 268-274) from December 10, 2021, to January 10, 2022, was obtained from the trainees enrolled in Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited HO fellowship programs in the United States in their fourth (PGY4), fifth (PGY5), and sixth (PGY6) postgraduate year. Results: The survey was completed by 102 trainees. Demographics of the participants are reported in Table. Interestingly, 51% reported an impact of COVD-19 on their employment plans, primarily due to the inability to interview in person (24%, n=23). Trainees experienced several stressors due to the pandemic, including fear of getting sick from a patient (71%) or a coworker (66%). Approximately 27% (n=26) experienced mental health issues requiring additional care. Less than one-third of the trainees were concerned about clinical expertise and procedural skills. Trainees also felt that the change of conference to virtual format impacted their learning activities compared to in-person education (66%, n=64). Most trainees (52%, n=53) reported limited involvement in COVID-related research and journal club education. Most had access to socialization (59%, n=60), virtual office hours (70%, n=72), and telehealth visits (83%, n=85). Female trainees (18%) were more likely to seek mental health care than the male trainees (7.8%) (P=.02). Female trainees (33%) also reported facing more challenges in their employment plans compared to males (16%) (P=.003). Conclusions: Our study highlights the challenges experienced by hematology-oncology trainees with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and reveals the gender gap related to employment plans and seeking mental health care.
Characteristics | N = 102 | % |
---|---|---|
Age, y, mean | 32.7 (SD 2.4) | |
Gender Male Female | 49 53 | 48 52 |
Postgraduate year (PGY) PGY4 PGY5 PGY6 | 29 31 42 | 28 30 41 |
Quarantined due to work-related COVID-19 exposure Yes | 21 | 20 |
Training extension No | 99 | 97 |
Disclaimer
This material on this page is ©2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology, all rights reserved. Licensing available upon request. For more information, please contact licensing@asco.org
Abstract Disclosures
2022 ASCO Annual Meeting
First Author: Muhammad Salman Faisal
2024 ASCO Annual Meeting
First Author: Jessica R. Bauman
2023 ASCO Quality Care Symposium
First Author: Christina Hum
2023 ASCO Quality Care Symposium
First Author: S. M. Qasim Hussaini