A longitudinal study assessing the impact of ongoing COVID-19 pandemic among hematology-oncology trainees.

Authors

null

Sufana Shikdar

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

Organizations

University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, Allegheny Cancer Center, Pittsburg, PA, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma HSC, Oklahoma City, OK

Research Funding

No funding received

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.

Survey respondent characteristics.

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

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2022 ASCO Annual Meeting

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

Professional Development and Education Advances

Track

Medical Education and Professional Development

Sub Track

Education Research

Citation

J Clin Oncol 40, 2022 (suppl 16; abstr 11033)

DOI

10.1200/JCO.2022.40.16_suppl.11033

Abstract #

11033

Poster Bd #

224

Abstract Disclosures

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