Medical education COVID-19 resource guide

This article is part of a series of COVID-19 articles and resources on medical education.

The AMA has curated a selection of resources to assist residents, medical students and faculty during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak to help manage the shifting timelines, cancellations and adjustments to testing, rotations and other events at this time. Find out about the status of MCAT exam administrations, clinical rotations, USMLE STEP 2 testing and other critical information.

1. AMA online community discussion

   Sign in to join the ongoing discussion: "Maintaining medical education during pandemics: A conversation among colleagues about concerns, challenges and instructional alternatives in uncertain scenarios."

2. Medical education COVID-19 video updates

   Watch video updates with AMA leaders and other subject matter experts on issues affecting medical education during COVID-19.

3. Guidelines for protecting students and residents underrepresented in medicine

   1. The medical education community must remain vigilant for potential inequities in educational outcomes across the medical education continuum. Find detailed examples of pressing risks for inequity in educational outcomes.

1. AMA webinar: Residency virtual interview: Planning and troubleshooting

   Listen to the Oct. 20, 2020 webinar. As programs prepare for the unprecedented move to virtual interviews, it is important to consider the technological troubles that might surface on interview day. While there will be challenges with any technology, it is imperative that we are prepared to effectively troubleshoot on interview day and reduce student anxiety as much as possible while optimizing the residency application process for an equitable and successful cycle.

2. AMA webinar: Residency application process: Current challenges and potential solutions

   Listen to the Sept. 28, 2020 webinar. The residency application process is becoming more challenging to medical students and program directors. Students are applying to many more programs than necessary, in part due to fear of not matching. Program directors, faced with burgeoning numbers of applications, are increasingly using standardized test scores and other discrete metrics to screen applications for interview. These behaviors raise anxiety and contribute to a vicious cycle of increasing applications. Furthermore, the impact of COVID-19 on the upcoming application season is uncertain and is increasing stress. This webinar reviews the current challenges in applying to residency and discusses two innovations intended to improve the process.

3. Coronavirus impact on MCAT

   For more details regarding the impact of coronavirus on 2020 and 2021 testing dates, please visit the MCAT Coronavirus Page.

4. AMA Code of Medical Ethics statement on early graduation to provide clinical care

5. ACGME statement on early graduation and appointment to accredited programs

6. Interviews: AAMC recommends virtual approach to interviews at all levels

7. NRMP frequently asked questions about COVID-19

1. Medical students: Stay informed on COVID-19 news and media

   Read the latest AMA news on what medical students need to know to stay informed and up-to-date on COVID-19 issues

2. USMLE exam changes and updates

   Information on delays, cancellations and rescheduling of Step exams.

3. Coronavirus and student loan forbearance info for students, borrowers and parents

1. AMA guiding principles to protect medical students responding to COVID-19

2. AMA practical guide to restoring clinical rotations for medical students (PDF)

3. AAMC and LCME issued guidance for student clinical rotations (PDF)

   Effective March 17, 2020, the AAMC and LCME issued guidance for medical schools to pause all student clinical rotations. View the March 30, 2020 update (PDF).

4. LCME guidance for responding to disruption of educational programming

1. Guiding principles to protect resident & fellow physicians responding to COVID-19

2. Guidance for international medical graduates

3. Residents & fellows: Stay informed on COVID-19 news and media

   Read the latest AMA news on what residents and fellows need to know to stay informed and up-to-date on COVID-19 issues.

4. COVID-19 impact on residents & fellows

   Follow the ACGME newsroom coverage of COVID-19 as it relates to issues affecting the graduate medical education community.

5. Temporary residency housing support

   To help alleviate the financial burden of relocation and support medical residents, Hilton is offering 15% off their best available rates for stays up to 30 nights.

1. Curricular diversity and inclusion: AMA's outline for self-study and action plans (PDF)

   1. At the spring 2019 meeting of the Accelerating Change in Medical Education consortium, leadership teams from member institutions followed structured process to consider potential educational inequities in medical curriculum, assessment and programming.

2. AMA webinar: Engaging learners in telemedicine visits: workflows to support teaching, feedback and billing (PDF)

   Download the slides and listen to the June 29, 2020 webinar looking at the flow of a telemedicine encounter and points at which learners can be engaged, from the perspectives of both supervising faculty and resident physicians.

3. AMA webinar: Focusing on diversity: Promoting mission-aligned medical school admission and residency selection processes (PDF)

   Download the slides and listen to the June 15, 2020 webinar that looks at best practices for expanding diversity at the UME and GME level.

4. AMA webinar: Taking care of our students: Preparing for the 2021 residency application cycle (PDF)

   Download the slides and listen to the May 18, 2020 webinar and explore alternative methods to fulfill the goals of away rotations, including modifying the requirements for letters of recommendation.

5. AMA webinar: Early graduation from medical school in response to COVID-19 (PDF)

   Download the slides and listen to the April 15, 2020 webinar on early graduation, responding to workforce needs, eligibility for early graduation and supports for early transition.

6. AMA webinar: Deploying students in alternative roles during COVID-19 (PDF)

   Download the slides and listen to the April 1, 2020 webinar on preserving clinical educational objectives and supporting competency development.

7. COVID-19 resources for medical educators

   A curated, crowd-sourced list of potential resources—both free and paid—for virtual or remote learning that have been shared by medical educators in a variety of settings.

8. ACGME response to COVID-19

9. ABMS statement to designated institutional officials (DIOs) on COVID-19

   The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) states that in situations in which quarantine impedes completion of on-time training, boards are receptive to case-by-case discussions and do not wish to penalize trainees for situations beyond their control.

10. LCME COVID-19 updates: Accreditation-related

    Visit the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) website for accreditation‐related resources and information as they become available related to COVID-19.

11. NBME coronavirus (COVID-19): Assessment information and updates

    To support physicians, medical school faculty and students alike, the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) is fast tracking investigations into alternative modes of assessment delivery.

12. Free GME resources during COVID-19 crisis

    The AMA is helping residency programs quickly adjust educational practices by offering access to six AMA GME Competency Education Program modules, with transcript tracking. ​The GME competency education modules focus on: Request transcript tracking
    • Creating an effective and respectful learning environment​
    • Physician health: Physicians caring for ourselves​
    • Working effectively within an interprofessional team​
    • Patient safety​
    • End of life care​
    • Patient handoffs

13. Free UME resources during COVID-19 crisis

    The AMA is helping medical schools quickly adjust educational practices by offering access to 13 Health System Science (HSS) modules with transcript tracking capability. The series of modules provide medical students with an understanding of how health care is delivered, how professionals work together and how health systems can improve patient care. Request transcript tracking

1. American Academy of Pediatrics

   • RedBook Online COVID-19 outbreak page

2. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention

   • Coping with stress
   • Mental health and coping during COVID-19
   • Taking care of your emotional health
   • Helping children cope with emergencies

3. Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress

   • Coronavirus & emerging infectious disease outbreaks response
   • Taking care of your family during coronavirus fact sheet (PDF)

4. American Psychological Association

   • Coronavirus & mental health: Taking care of ourselves during infectious disease outbreaks
   • Research information: Pandemics
   • Five ways to view coverage of the coronavirus
   • Speaking of psychology: Coronavirus anxiety

5. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

   • Parent/caregiver guide to helping families cope with COVID-19 (PDF)

6. Smart phone apps

   • The Down Dog: App (featuring yoga, barre, 7 minute cardio workouts).

The Coalition for Physician Accountability (CPA) is a multi-organizational group of national organizations – including the AMA – responsible for the accreditation, assessment, licensure and certification of physicians throughout their medical career.

The CPA is providing leadership in response to the extreme disruption to physician education, training, licensing and credentialing due to the pandemic. They are providing guidance on important issues including pathways for students transitioning into residency this June; protecting learners engaging in volunteer activities arising out of the pandemic; potential adjustments to the residency selection process for the graduating class of 2021 and how to maintain standards, quality and training during the relaxed regulations for licensure. View the CPA’s recommendations and resources below.

1. Recommendations on virtual interviews for 2021-22 residency season (PDF)

   On Aug. 24, a working group of the Coalition for Physician Accountability released new guidance on conducting interviews during the 2021-22 residency season for medical education institutions considering applicants from LCME-accredited, U.S. osteopathic and non-U.S. medical schools. The AMA is a member of the Coalition, a cross-organizational group of national medical education organizations. 

2. Statement on public health (PDF)

   The CPA statement on supporting public health and evidence-based practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.

3. Safeguarding the public, protecting our health care workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic

   1. A statement in support of safeguarding the public and protecting the health care workforce.

4. Maintaining quality and safety standards amid COVID-19 (PDF)

   Statement and table of resources to provide guidance to health care administrators and credentialing staff supporting new or volunteer physicians to patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

5. Medical students in the class of 2021: Moving across institutions for post graduate training (PDF)

   1. This is the final report and recommendations that address three major issues facing applicants and training programs as they prepare for the 2020-2021 residency application cycle: (1) away rotations, (2) in-person interviews for residency (3) the ERAS® timeline.
      • Executive summary (PDF)
      • Compendium of resources (PDF)
   2. On April 14, 2021, the Coalition for Physician Accountability released updated guidance in consideration of current information pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic, its impact on the clinical learning environment, and the training of third- and fourth-year medical students seeking away rotations for the 2021-22 academic year. This update is appended to the recommendations created by the CPA and released in January 2021 and originally published in May 2020. See below for the full updated away rotations recommendations.
      • CPA Updated Away Rotations Recommendations (PDF)

6. Learner transitions from medical schools to residency programs in 2020 (PDF)

   Recommendations addressing aspects of the 2020 transition likely to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.