Amidst the uncertainty of the current days, as we slowly recover from COVID‐19’s first wave and apprehending its second, medical trainees from all different backgrounds should reflect back on how this pandemic has affected our medical training. Many of which were halted as elective procedures and clinics were postponed indefinitely as a measure to contain the virus and focus all medical resources on battling the pandemic. 1 However, albeit the negative consequences on our medical education, the COVID‐19 pandemic will undeniably make us all better physicians.
COVID‐19 has, and will continue to make, medical trainees more empathic. The isolation we experienced due to the social distancing recommendations has allowed us to better comprehend the everyday reality of many of our patients with mental health disorders that limit their social interactions. 2 Similarly, it made us better understand the hardships faced by patients with comorbidities such as cystic fibrosis and other immunosuppressing diseases who must constantly worry about social distancing and risk of infection. Such experiences will undoubtedly continue to elevate the empathy and compassion we have towards our patients.
Medical trainees often look up to their mentors and attending staff for guidance. Not only do mentors teach their trainees medical knowledge and skills, but they also instil in them certain personality traits that ultimately make them the physicians of the future. The COVID‐19 pandemic has allowed our mentors and senior physicians to display a remarkable level of courage as they continue to put their own lives and the those of their loved ones at risk while they audaciously battle on the frontlines. 3 This has undoubtedly instilled in all of us a sense of bravery and commitment to our Hippocratic oath.
As medical trainees, we have always worked and thrived in teams. COVID‐19 will make us even better collaborators. Many specialists have ceased their practices to join the ED workforce. Residents from all specialities have been redeployed to COVID‐19 medical wards and EDs. 4 , 5 Seniority and hierarchy are forgone, as residents and their attending physicians unite and volunteer their time and expertise to assist in geriatric facilities and nursing homes. This unforgettable display of collaboration will undoubtedly leave a long‐lasting footprint in our future careers as physicians and make us rethink what the perceived role of medical trainees in health care systems truly entails.
Maintaining a positive perspective allows us to persevere through hardships. While the COVID‐19 pandemic has undeniably affected our medical education, it has inspired all of us to become better physicians. Being a physician is both a privilege and an immense responsibility. The EDs during COVID‐19 remind us of both.
AEM Education and Training. 2021;5:130–131
The authors have no relevant financial information or potential conflicts of interest to disclose.
Author contributions: HE, AS, and ND significantly contributed to the commentary concept, design, and drafting of the manuscript.
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