How are health care graduate schools affected by COVID-19?


Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Social distancing rules which are necessary for the fight against the coronavirus pandemic also carry implications for health care graduate schools. These isolation measures typically prevent health care graduate students from interacting with patients.



Pandemic safety precautions result in dramatic changes for health care grad schools.
In normal circumstances, aspiring health care providers in graduate programs make in-person visits to health care facilities. They use these clinic hours to observe and learn from experienced health care clinicians. They are asked to be involved in hands-on procedures and help provide physical assistance to patients in distress.

These immersive learning procedures are impossible nowadays due to coronavirus-related restrictions on social interactions. 

The following are 12 kinds of health care graduate programs that have made major adjustments due to the novel coronavirus, which causes the COVID-19 disease.

Audiology and speech language pathology programs
Future audiologists and aspiring speech-language pathologists are affected by the coronavirus outbreak. “Students who were expecting to graduate in spring 2020 are particularly impacted,” Loretta Nunez, director of academic affairs and research education for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, shared in an email. "Students in the pipeline for clinical rotations and clinical placements in the summer, and possibly in the fall, will also be impacted by a 'backlog' of clinical placements to accommodate students who have had to extend their degree programs to meet graduation and credentialing requirements.”

Dental schools
Instruction that ordinarily accompanies dental clinical training can be provided virtually, but “clinical rotations in dentistry require a hands-on method that as yet cannot be delivered virtually” shares Dr. Karen P. West, president and CEO of the American Dental Education Association.

Genetic counseling programsStudents in genetic counseling programs have had to switch from in-person, discussion-based coursework to virtual coursework and online learning. Clinical training is occurring in telehealth settings, says Gillian Hooker, president of the National Society of Genetic Counselors.

Medical schools
Many medical students are being steered away from clinical rotations they would usually complete during this portion of their medical education. Dr. Robert A. Cain, an osteopathic physician who is the CEO and president of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, notes that his organization issued a formal recommendation that D.O. medical programs pause all such clinical rotations due to COVID-19 safety ad logistical concerns.

Nursing schools
Nursing graduate students will still need to acquire whatever minimum number of hours of direct patient care experiences that a licensing board require, but these hours can be supplemented with time spent in virtual simulations.

Occupational therapy programs
As coronavirus spreads throughout the nation and the world, occupational therapy students are fulfilling some of their direct service clinical requirements through telehealth settings. There are, of course, not enough direct service opportunities to accommodate all OT students. Neil Harvison, chief officer of the knowledge division of the American Occupational Therapy Association, believes there will be delays in graduation for sure because there are basic clinical skills that cannot be cultivated to simulations.

Pharmacy schools
Students are studying online through virtual courses and digital simulations. Some graduate pharmacy students were shifted away from pharmacies where they were training because of coronavirus safety concerns. Others continue to receive training at community pharmacies at locations where it is possible to do so safely.

Physical therapy programs
Social distancing guidelines are a major obstacle for physical therapy students because virtual training is currently not allowed by physical therapy’s accrediting body but further considerations may be forthcoming.

Physician assistant programs
The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on students in physical assistant programs is uncertain but could be significant. It is complicated to address how clinical requirements for physician assistant students will be changed due to COVID-19 as there are many unknowns about the length of the crisis.

Podiatry schools
Podiatry schools are using online education and virtual learning platforms to organize virtual small group meetings and telemedicine training sessions. Podiatry students are also being given access to podiatric continuing education content.

Psychology programs
Psychology graduate students have numerous alterations to their clinical rotations. Catherine Grus, American Psychological Association and clinical psychologist, says some psychology grad schools are encouraging students to keep in contact with patients through virtual, online telehealth platforms or phone calls while other schools are permitting face-to-face treatment with the proviso that social distancing protocols are followed.

Social work schools
A social worker’s job is to offer guidance to individuals facing adverse life circumstances. Those who specialize in clinical social work are normally employed as therapists. The Council on Social Work Education has temporarily reduced the number of field placement hours required for bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work. Social work schools are shifting to a more online, technological approach. There are lots of teleconferences and phone calls being used.




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