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2020 MEDICAL YEAR
IN REVIEW

midst of constantly changing public information. It was learning about They went from learning on campus in large and small group sessions,
the disease from cutting-edge case reports and online didactic sessions as well as hands-on learning in the anatomy and clinical skills labs, to
rather than seeing it firsthand. For my classmates and me, being side- learning online via Zoom overnight. Many students reported that the
lined was difficult, but the order encouraged us to be creative and find transition was difficult as they had to learn to use new technology and
other ways to help. Students from UIWSOM helped in the COVID- to focus in their home environment which can be very distracting.
19 pandemic by donating PPE to local drives, delivering PPE to local Our third-year students were preparing to take their board exams
physician’s offices, making and donating face shields, helping with con- when the “Stay at Home” order was put into place in March. Many
tact tracing, providing childcare for physicians whose daycare had had their exams canceled or postponed for indefinite amounts of time.
closed, and much more! Some still have not had the opportunity to complete these important
In addition, when we could not be on our scheduled rotations, we assessments. They were forced to be resilient and to adjust to changes
were able to complete a Telemedicine elective rotation. I learned about at a moment’s notice as no one could predict where this pandemic was
many important facets of telehealth, including billing and HIPAA going to take us.
practices, and even practiced doing patient visits via Zoom. I foresee The members of the Class of 2024 began their medical education
telehealth being an important part of the future of medicine and I will in July and have not yet been able to travel to campus for full-time
be more prepared to help my patients in this way. All the time I have learning. This has been an incredible feat for these students who have
spent learning to use Zoom will surely prove useful as we enter into been forced to adjust to the rigor and pace of medical school in this
the first ever virtual residency application season. Stu- unprecedented time. The faculty and staff have re-
dents in the Class of 2021 are prepared to do “meet and sponded by trying to bring the learning to the students
greets” with residents, interview, and rank programs in I foresee telehealth in the best way possible given the circumstances. Stu-
hospitals and cities that we have never visited. Through being an important dents are currently experiencing all the typical course-
part of the future of
it all, we came together to help each other and our com- work, but in a virtual format and they have only been
medicine and I will
munity endure one of the most difficult times that we able to meet their classmates and professors via Zoom.
be more prepared to
have faced and I’m confident we will continue this. This is hard for me to comprehend because I know how
help my patients
When we finally received the news that we would be difficult the acclimation process is, but they have
in this way.
able to return to clinical rotations, I was excited to con- demonstrated an extreme amount of flexibility, which
tinue my education and, at the same time, apprehensive will be incredibly valuable in their future careers.
to return to the “real world” knowing how much had changed. My de- In the end, no one can predict exactly what the future months will
sire to serve had not faltered and my interest in learning to be an effec- hold regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, but I know for sure that I
tive physician was still there, but there was also the fear of being will continue smiling behind my mask and consider this time in my ed-
exposed and becoming ill. We’ve seen that most cases in previously ucation abundantly valuable. One of my preceptors told me that she be-
healthy individuals are mild to moderate. However, that does not dis- lieves we have lost sight of humanity amidst this pandemic and I think
count those who experienced severe symptoms and are now living with that in many ways that is true. We need to remember that the human
potentially lifelong consequences of the disease. Either way, I suited race has faced many difficult periods. The way we will make it through
up and headed back out to finish my rotation in Internal Medicine. I this is to unite ourselves and work together to keep everyone healthy.
was surprised to realize that with the new guidelines in place, I saw As future physicians, we play an important role in this pandemic.
very few sick patients in the outpatient clinic. Our role involves learning how to handle difficult situations and how
Most patients I saw were coming in for annual wellness exams or to to adjust. Communicable diseases surround us every day, but control-
follow up on chronic conditions. No one who had a fever or cough ling and slowing the spread of a pandemic is not new. We need not re-
was allowed in the clinic. Again, I saw the paradox unfolding before member this time for all the things that were taken from us in our
me. Sick patients were not allowed to see their physician—the one education, but for all the new opportunities that were presented. 2020
person they are supposed to turn to when they are ill. We’re still learn- has been a year filled with proverbial lemons for medical students
ing how to respond to the challenges set forth by this pandemic and across the country, but we will continue making lemonade. We’ll just
attempting to keep those who are well away from those who are sick have to sip it through our masks.
should be prioritized to control the spread of disease. Still, we need to
find a way for patients to access their physicians and the care they need. Madeline Ruszala is a fourth-year medical student at the
In talking to students who are still in their pre-clinical years, they have University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medi-
shared the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on their education. cine and is a member of the Bexar County Medical Society.

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