Adapting Education at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: the Pandemic Medicine Elective

Joseph Antony Elengickal; Amanda M Delgado; Shefali Priya Jain; Elena Rae Diller; Catherine E Valli; Kesar K Dhillon; Hee K Lee; Rohitha Baskar; Rodger D MacArthur

doi:10.1007/s40670-021-01216-y

Adapting Education at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: the Pandemic Medicine Elective

Med Sci Educ. 2021 Jan 27;31(2):843-850. doi: 10.1007/s40670-021-01216-y. eCollection 2021 Apr.

Authors

Joseph Antony Elengickal¹, Amanda M Delgado¹, Shefali Priya Jain¹, Elena Rae Diller¹, Catherine E Valli¹, Kesar K Dhillon¹, Hee K Lee¹, Rohitha Baskar¹, Rodger D MacArthur²

Affiliations

¹ Office of Academic Affairs, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, GA USA.
² Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, GA USA.

Abstract

The Medical College of Georgia (MCG) responded to the COVID-19 pandemic's challenges to medical education with a novel, comprehensive curriculum. The Pandemic Medicine Elective was an effective solution with a safe, virtual alternative to traditional clinical experiences. As the elective evolved to include pre-clinical students and service initiatives across Georgia, students and faculty navigated online platforms to execute critical community-based projects. This curricular development utilized an interdisciplinary approach by faculty across each of MCG's regional campuses. We describe the curriculum of the electives, the student initiatives, and lessons learned while quickly adapting curriculum during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; Community engagement; Distance learning; Medical education; Medical student; Service learning.