For many medical students, the COVID-19 Pandemic meant one of two things: you graduated early from your fourth year to help the overflow in the hospitals or you were told to stay home and quarantine to avoid getting sick and spreading the virus. Either way, medical students were helping to control the spread of coronavirus.

Early Graduates

For fourth-year medical students, graduating early and being thrown into helping with a pandemic could cause quite a strain on one’s mental health. Medical school is already stressful, and most students look forward to their final year as they will receive their residency placements and begin their well-earned career as medical professionals. By graduating early, most medical students lacked a sense of closure and accomplishment with their medical education, while also experiencing fear of what the COVID-19 pandemic could bring.

Additionally, being thrown into an unanticipated pandemic is harmful to one’s mental health, as it’s something that no one could have prepared for, let alone a recent medical school graduate. For those struggling with their newfound responsibilities as a doctor in these unprecedented times, participating in online therapy could be extremely beneficial. For any recent graduates struggling with mental health issues and seeking therapy in DC, the Therapy Group of DC offers online therapy sessions that they personalize to each participant’s needs. Speaking to a therapist during these times can be essential for new doctors to take care of their own mental health while dealing with the stress of caring for COVID-19 patients.

Current Students

Like most universities, current medical students were instructed to remain home and participate in distance learning through online courses. Although distance learning kept medical students safe from being exposed to COVID-19, it added multiple new aspects of stress. Not only did medical students have to adjust to online courses and taking exams at home, but they lost essential clinical experience that they were expecting to receive before the pandemic. While many instructors did what they could to help students achieve the best results from their online courses, the necessary clinical aspects of medical education could not be portrayed effectively through distance learning.

Missing out on these critical lessons provided plenty of stress for many medical students as they prepare for their medical careers. Since the stress that comes with medical education is often tremendous for most students, online therapy can help current students cope with the pandemic. Seeing an online therapist can help students from experiencing loneliness and stress, allowing them to succeed as best as possible in an online learning environment.

Therapy and Medical Professionals

Regardless of how many years of experience that a healthcare provider may have, maintaining their mental health is essential in having a successful medical career. The medical field comes with a significant amount of stress, so seeing a licensed therapist will only be beneficial. The COVID-19 pandemic offers the perfect opportunity for medical students to begin taking care of their mental health through online therapy. And while this pandemic will eventually come to an end, it is important for these students to maintain strong relationships with their therapists, as it will help provide a sense of strength and support throughout their careers.

ACLS Renewal

As a result of social distancing protocols, many medical students are finding themselves at home and are missing out on essential parts of their medical education. Current medical students can take advantage of this time at home by taking an ACLS certification course for the first time or by receiving an ACLS renewal certification. Since advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) is an essential certification for health care professionals, taking an online course is an excellent way for students to keep busy during their free time at home. Students can receive their ACLS certification or the renewal certification as quickly as taking a one-day course on eMedCert.com.