Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Surgical Education and Training: A Resident Survey in a Developing Country

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected medical education and training programs worldwide. Early investigations have shown that surgical residents face a lot of challenges in these unprecedented times. This study aims to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgical education and training in a developing country.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in Allied Hospitals of Rawalpindi Medical University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan from June 2021 to July 2021. A structured questionnaire designed by the researchers was distributed to all surgery departments, and surgical residents who consented to participate in this study were included.ResultsA total of 152 residents participated in this study, of which 53 (34.9%) were in general surgery and 99 (65.1%) in various surgical allied specialties. Of the residents, 14.5% reported full transfer from the parent unit to the COVID-19 unit. An increase in emergency surgical procedures was reported by 52.8% of general surgery residents as compared to surgical allied specialties (P = 0.037). Of the residents, 90.1% reported increased stress and anxiety levels, with the number of allied residents significantly higher than general surgery residents (P = 0.031). A total of 125 (82.2%) respondents claimed that fear of contracting the virus affected proper patient evaluation.ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the training and psychological well-being of surgical residents.