Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Competency of Clinical Year Medical Students, With Special Reference to Community and Public Health

Efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 have prompted the widespread shutdown of educational institutions in most countries. This stayat-home policy implemented by governments around the world is intended to slow the spread of COVID-19 among the most vulnerable to ensure a manageable hospital patient load. As part of modern pedagogy's evolution, medical colleges around the world are trying to shift from predominantly theoretical classroom-based teaching to a more practical approach focusing on deeper communication and clinically oriented curricula. However, most educational institutions have had to shift to online learning to comply with the new norm of the pandemic.1 Clinical learning is the most important part of medical students' education, especially those in their prefinal and final years. They complete their clinical rotations in hospitals, where they learn history taking, observe clinical presentation of different diseases, and learn how they are being managed.2 Clinical postings help (1) improve academic performance, (2) increase interest in relevant specialties, (3) increase confidence and reduce stress, and (4) acquire communication and basic clinical skills.