Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Seattle Children's Hospital.
Division of Pediatric Psychology, Nationwide Children's Hospital.
J Pediatr Psychol. 2021 Feb 19;46(2):144-152. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsaa132.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives and workplaces of individuals across the world substantially, in ways that are yet largely unknown. This commentary aims to provide an early snapshot of the experiences of pediatric postdoctoral fellows in academic medical settings; specifically, we will explore the impact of the pandemic on developing mastery within several competencies (e.g., research, professional development, clinical, interdisciplinary). These competencies are critical elements to fellowship to prepare for independent practice. Several models of training competencies for professional psychology and pediatric psychology exist, which focus on trainee skill development. Measures taken to minimize the spread of COVID-19 have directly impacted hospital systems and training, requiring programs to adapt competencies in various domains, such as increased familiarity with telehealth and virtual supervision. Additionally, fellows experienced an impact of the pandemic on securing employment following fellowship, conducting research and program development activities, and on cognitive flexibility and self-care. Governing bodies, such as the APA and Council of Chairs of Training Councils, have released statements and guidelines on addressing training of postdoctoral fellows including increasing flexibility of training methods, limiting in-person contact, and adjusting educational and licensing requirements. This paper offers informed commentary and diverse perspectives from current postdoctoral fellows engaged in a variety of clinical and research responsibilities regarding how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted their training. We hope this paper will provide important insight into the unique experiences of postdoctoral fellows during the capstone year(s) of training prior to independent work and inform recommendations for postdoctoral training programs.
COVID-19 大流行以人们尚未完全了解的方式，极大地影响了世界各地个人的生活和工作场所。本评论旨在早期描绘学术医学环境中儿科博士后研究员的经历；具体而言，我们将探讨大流行对发展几种能力（例如研究、专业发展、临床、跨学科）内掌握能力的影响。这些能力是为准备独立实践而进行研究员培训的关键要素。专业心理学和儿童心理学存在几种培训能力的模式，这些模式侧重于培训生技能的发展。为了最大限度地减少 COVID-19 的传播而采取的措施直接影响了医院系统和培训，要求各计划在各个领域适应能力，例如增加对远程医疗和虚拟监督的熟悉程度。此外，研究员们还经历了大流行对他们在完成研究员培训后就业、开展研究和计划发展活动以及对认知灵活性和自我保健的影响。专业组织，如美国心理协会和培训理事会主席理事会，已经发布了关于解决博士后研究员培训的声明和指导方针，包括增加培训方法的灵活性、限制面对面接触以及调整教育和许可要求。本文从从事各种临床和研究职责的当前博士后研究员那里提供了有关 COVID-19 如何影响他们培训的知情评论和不同观点。我们希望本文能为博士后研究员在独立工作之前的培训最后一年（或几年）期间的独特经历提供重要的见解，并为博士后培训计划提供建议。
