Impact of COVID-19 on Training and Mental Health of Oral Medicine Residents in North America

Sandhu, Shaiba; Sankar, Vidya; Sroussi, Hervé Y.; Villa, Alessandro

Objective To assess resident and faculty perception of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the training experience, education, and psychological well-being of oral medicine (OM) residents. Study Design An anonymous 16-item online questionnaire was e-mailed to faculty and residents of all CODA-accredited OM residency programs in North America. Survey questions quired the pandemic's impact on resident educational, clinical, and research activities, and the well-being of the residents. Survey data was collected using Qualtrics XM, Seattle, U.S. Results Forty participants (52.5% residents and 47.5% faculty members) responded to the survey. Regarding the impact on clinical activities, 67.5% reported 50% or less reduction in patient volume seen by residents at its worst during the pandemic. With respect to educational activities, majority reported a complete switch of didactic training (85.3%), academic examinations (60%), and off-site resident rotations (45%) to a virtual platform. Research activities were impacted the most; 55% reported complete cessation for some time. 33% perceived a negative impact, 18% perceived no impact, 11% perceived a positive impact, and 38% were unsure regarding the impact of COVID-19 on resident morale. Despite the interruptions in the clinical, research, and educational activities, 62.5% expected on-time resident graduation. Conclusion Despite constraints due to the pandemic, OM residency programs successfully continued clinical activities, didactic training, and research productivity through virtual means and a hybrid delivery care model while supporting their residents’ morale.