COVID-19 Impact on Medical Education: Evidence of International Students

Abstract

The study explores higher medical education transformation during the COVID-19 pandemic in the world and Ukraine. It also highlights the current trends – coronavirus quarantine and digitalization of medical education. The article also aims to study international medical students’ needs and perspectives on the eve of quarantine and their attitude to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020. The research is based on surveys of first-year international medical students, chosen at random. It allowed students to provide feedback on their country of origin, satisfaction, ways of financing the study, and future career plans, as well as their attitude to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The qualitative data analysis lets advocate that coronavirus has determined a deep transformation in higher medical education and affected international medical student population. First, coronavirus has changed the role of medical students and internship. Second, it has fastened transition from traditional to digitally-based education and brought distance learning and exams worldwide. On the eve of the quarantine, Ukraine is becoming a host country for international students primarily from Asia and Africa. Among the reasons for international students’ choice of Ukraine as a place for study are their country preference, high-quality education, friends’ advice and geographical location. The international medical students consider Ukraine not only as a high-quality medical education provider but as the perspective country for postgraduate employment. Besides, the majority of first-year international medical students find remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic supporting, effective but tiring. The research creates a paradigm for future studies of the international medical students’ phenomenon.