Faculty of Medicine, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya.
Zliten Medical University, Zliten, Libya.
PLoS One. 2020 Nov 25;15(11):e0242905. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242905. eCollection 2020.
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused an unprecedented disruption in medical education and healthcare systems worldwide. The disease can cause life-threatening conditions and it presents challenges for medical education, as instructors must deliver lectures safely, while ensuring the integrity and continuity of the medical education process. It is therefore important to assess the usability of online learning methods, and to determine their feasibility and adequacy for medical students. We aimed to provide an overview of the situation experienced by medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of medical students regarding electronic medical education. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with medical students from more than 13 medical schools in Libya. A paper-based and online survey was conducted using email and social media. The survey requested demographic and socioeconomic information, as well as information related to medical online learning and electronic devices; medical education status during the COVID-19 pandemic; mental health assessments; and e-learning knowledge, attitudes, and practices. A total of 3,348 valid questionnaires were retrieved. Most respondents (64.7%) disagreed that e-learning could be implemented easily in Libya. While 54.1% of the respondents agreed that interactive discussion is achievable by means of e-learning. However, only 21.1% agreed that e-learning could be used for clinical aspects, as compared with 54.8% who disagreed with this statement and 24% who were neutral. Only 27.7% of the respondents had participated in online medical educational programs during the COVID-19 pandemic, while 65% reported using the internet for participating in study groups and discussions. There is no vaccine for COVID-19 yet. As such, the pandemic will undeniably continue to disrupt medical education and training. As we face the prospect of a second wave of virus transmission, we must take certain measures and make changes to minimize the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on medical education and on the progression of training. The time for change is now, and there should be support and enthusiasm for providing valid solutions to reduce this disruption, such as online training and virtual clinical experience. These measures could then be followed by hands-on experience that is provided in a safe environment.
新型冠状病毒肺炎（COVID-19）大流行在全球范围内对医学教育和医疗系统造成了前所未有的破坏。该疾病可导致危及生命的情况，这给医学教育带来了挑战，因为教师必须安全地授课，同时确保医学教育过程的完整性和连续性。因此，评估在线学习方法的可用性，并确定其对医学生的可行性和适当性非常重要。我们旨在概述 COVID-19 大流行期间医学生的情况，并确定医学生对电子医学教育的知识、态度和实践。我们对来自利比亚 13 所以上医学院的医学生进行了横断面调查。使用电子邮件和社交媒体进行了纸质和在线调查。该调查要求提供人口统计学和社会经济学信息，以及与医学在线学习和电子设备相关的信息；COVID-19 大流行期间的医学教育状况；心理健康评估；以及电子学习知识、态度和实践。共检索到 3348 份有效问卷。大多数受访者（64.7%）不同意利比亚可以轻松实施电子学习。虽然 54.1%的受访者同意可以通过电子学习实现互动讨论，但只有 21.1%的人同意电子学习可用于临床方面，而 54.8%的人不同意这一说法，24%的人持中立态度。只有 27.7%的受访者在 COVID-19 大流行期间参加过在线医学教育项目，而 65%的受访者报告说他们使用互联网参加学习小组和讨论。目前还没有针对 COVID-19 的疫苗。因此，大流行无疑将继续扰乱医学教育和培训。随着我们面临第二波病毒传播的前景，我们必须采取某些措施并进行更改，以将 COVID-19 爆发对医学教育和培训进展的影响降到最低。现在是做出改变的时候了，应该支持并积极提供有效的解决方案来减少这种干扰，例如在线培训和虚拟临床经验。然后可以在安全的环境中提供实践经验。
