Abstract Manager

Facilitated and Dedicated Poster

LP5 - 05

Accept

I declare I have no actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to this program.

no

General Call (Workshop, Oral Presentation, Poster Presentation)

Oral

Education Innovation

Student

yes

Introducing a COVID-19 ethics curriculum for medical students, by medical students: harnessing an integrative and collaborative approach

During the COVID-19 pandemic, debates have arisen surrounding the equitable allocation of scarce resources. Regulatory frameworks often reflect different principles and values, creating moral dilemmas for healthcare providers. With this in mind, our goal was to provide a "Return to Clerkship" (RTC) program to third-year medical students on ethical considerations surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on issues of resource allocation and equity. We formed a diverse working group consisting of medical students and faculty leads, with curricular content spearheaded by a group of medical students who developed a COVID ethics resource repository.

Our instructional approach consisted of an introductory lecture surrounding the ethics of resource allocation during COVID, a small-group case-based discussion to engage students in applied decision-making, and an expert panel to highlight real-life ethical dilemmas in the pandemic. Just-In-Time teaching was implemented by providing students and tutors with materials to ensure preparedness for the sessions.

This curriculum highlighted the role of integrating a multi-modal approach in medical education and the important role of medical students in co-developing curricula. Overall, while students seemed to enjoy the discussion and real-life application of ethics afforded by the case analysis and panel, they had mixed responses to the theoretical content of the introductory lecture. Differing levels of ethical and medical knowledge led to discrepancies in understanding, but preparatory materials and seminars contributed to better learning. This project provides a strong basis for future collaborative endeavours between faculty and students in medical education and reinforces the importance of education on timely ethical issues.

Medical ethics

COVID-19

Curricular development

Undergraduate

Teaching and learning

Student Affairs

Leadership

Faculty Development

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes