Bongomin F.

2 Publications in AERD

Author Publications

Internal medicine clerkship amidst COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study of the clinical learning experience of undergraduate medical students at Makerere university, Uganda

By Bongomin F.

Background: The coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to impose a significant impact on medical education. We aimed to describe the clinical learning experience of undergraduate medical students undertaking internal medicine clerkship during the COVID-19 pandemic at Makerere University, Uganda. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study among medical students in clinical years of study pursuing the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery undergraduate degree program was conducted in November 2020. Only 3rd (junior clerks) and 5th (senior clerks) year medical students whose internal medicine clerkships were interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic were studied. Results: Data of 188 (95%) eligible clinical year students; junior (101, 54.0%) and senior (86, 46.0%) were analysed. Median age was 24 (range: 22–42) years. Majority (70.1%) were male and Ugandan nationals (94.1%). Sixty-four (30.3%) students reported inadequate personal protective equipment, 152 (81.7%) felt at risk of contracting COVID-19, and 127 (67.9%) said it was difficult to observe COVID-19 standard operating procedures. Twenty-two students (11.9%) were discouraged from pursuing a career in internal medicine. Overall, most students reported good or excellent clinical experience pre-COVID-19 era compared to during the COVID-19 era (4.0 vs 3.5, p<0.0001). Senior clerks significantly believed that the time allocated for the rotation was adequate (p<0.0001) and they were able to complete their study objectives (p<0.001), compared to the junior clerks. Senior clerks believed that learning was difficult when combined with junior clerks (p=0.013). About half of the students (51.4%, n=95) reported clinical teaching should remain as it was in the pre- COVID-19 era. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significantly negative effect on the clinical learning experience of the students. There is need to review the current teaching and learning methods to suit teaching and learning during pandemics of highly infectious diseases to ensure safe and effective learning experience. © 2021 Bongomin et al.

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Burnout and associated factors among medical students in a public university in Uganda: A cross-sectional study

By Kajjimu J.

Background: Burnout is a well-recognized phenomenon that may manifest with feelings of stress, fatigue, or exhaustion. It is a common and emerging problem among healthcare workers. Medical students may be at increased risk of burnout given the rigorous nature of their training. However, there is a paucity of data on the burden of burnout among medical students in Africa. Aim: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of burnout, as assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory – Student Survey (MBI-SS) as well as factors associated with the development of burnout among students pursuing Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) degrees at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Uganda. Methods: A single-centre, cross-sectional, online survey was conducted among MBChB students of MUST. Burnout was assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory – Student Survey (MBI-SS) tool. Bivariate analysis and backward stepwise logistic regression analysis were performed to assess possible associations between variables related to participants’ demography, socioeconomic, personal, learning environment, outside school environment aspects and burnout prevalence scores. Results: A total of 145 medical students, 102 (70.3%) male, with a median (range) age of 23 (18–40) years were studied. A total of 135 students (93.1%) presented with high levels of emotional exhaustion, 90 (62.1%) students had low levels of professional efficacy scores and 141 (97.2%) of the medical students had high levels of cynicism. Overall, 79 (54.5%) students had burnout, as defined by the MBI-SS tool. Choosing MBChB willingly appears to be an independent predictor of burnout (Adjusted odds ratio: 7.2; 95% CI: 1.4–36.9; p=0.018). Conclusion: More than one-half of medical students questioned at MUST do experience a degree of burnout. Preventative and interventional measures should be considered in the development of the medical curriculum. © 2021 Kajjimu et al.

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