Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Paediatrics Training in a Regional Victorian Hospital.

AIM

To evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on the clinical training of paediatric trainees during the pandemic at a regional hospital in Victoria, Australia.

METHODS

In response to a survey and feedback from paediatric trainees, a retrospective analysis was conducted to investigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical staff attendance at onsite training in the Department of Paediatrics at a regional hospital in Victoria. The study spanned from January 2019 to December 2021. Variables collected included the number of participants attending the paediatric clinical and education meetings. A comparative analysis of attendance during the pre-COVID-19 year (2019) and the COVID-19 years (2020-2021) was conducted.

RESULTS

The total number of meetings held was 292 in 2019, which declined to 184 in 2020 and further declined to 171 in 2021, with a minimal increase in existing virtual meetings. The total attendance in paediatric clinical meetings dropped from 2190 attendees in 2019 to 1332 in 2020, and further declined to 1230 in 2021. Paediatric registrar attendance was 477 in 2019, which decreased by 29.35% to 330 in 2020 and further decreased by 38.57% to 293 in 2021. Paediatric hospital medical officer attendance showed the worst trend among paediatric trainees, with 445 attending clinical meetings in 2019 and decreasing by 50.78% to 219 in 2020 and a 52.58% decrease to 211 in 2021.

CONCLUSION

The sudden outbreak of COVID-19 led to significant disruptions in medical education globally. This study showed a noticeable reduction in paediatric departmental clinical meetings and teaching sessions during the pandemic, as well as a significant decline in attendance by paediatric trainees and medical students. These findings confirm the experiences of paediatric trainees, who reported losing valuable teaching opportunities due to the pandemic and a demand for attention.