The Coronavirus Effect on 12 Types of Health Care Graduate Programs

Pandemic safety precautions have resulted in dramatic changes for health care grad students.

Under ordinary circumstances, aspiring health care providers in graduate programs make in-person visits to health care facilities, where they can observe and learn from experienced clinicians. Individuals preparing for health care professions that involve hands-on procedures often are asked to provide physical assistance to patients in distress while being supervised by their mentors. But these types of immersive learning opportunities may be impossible nowadays because of coronavirus-related restrictions on social interactions. Here are 12 kinds of health care grad programs that have made major adjustments because of the novel coronavirus, which causes the COVID-19 disease.

Audiology and speech language pathology programs

Both future audiologists and aspiring speech-language pathologists are affected by the coronavirus outbreak. "Students who were expecting to graduate in spring 2020 are particularly impacted," Loretta Nunez, director of academic affairs and research education for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, wrote in an email. "Students in the pipeline for clinical rotations and clinical placements in the summer, and possibly in the fall, will also be impacted by a 'backlog' of clinical placements to accommodate students who have had to extend their degree programs to meet graduation and credentialing requirements." Nunez notes that efforts are being made to "mitigate the clinical training impact" via evidence-based alternatives to traditional clinical education.

Dental schools

"In general, there are more virtual learning experiences being developed and offered at dental schools," Dr. Karen P. West, president and CEO of the American Dental Education Association, wrote in an email. "What's in play can vary by school." West, a dentist, notes that the instruction that ordinarily accompanies dental clinical training can be provided virtually, but she cautions that "clinical rotations in dentistry require a hands-on method that as yet cannot be delivered virtually."

Genetic counseling programs

Students in genetic counseling graduate programs have switched over from in-person, discussion-based coursework to virtual coursework, and their clinical training is occurring in telehealth settings, says Gillian Hooker, president of the National Society of Genetic Counselors. "One of the greatest things we have going for us is our model of practice is really amenable to telehealth," she says, adding that there is significant scientific evidence that telehealth genetic counseling is effective.

Medical schools

Many medical students are being steered away from the clinical rotations they would usually complete during this portion of their medical education. Dr. Robert A. Cain, an osteopathic physician who is the CEO and president of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, notes that his organization has issued a formal recommendation that D.O. medical programs pause all clinical rotations because of COVID-19 safety and logistical concerns. During the crisis, D.O. students are learning timely lessons about the COVID-19 disease and the personal protective equipment that is necessary to guard against it, and they are completing coursework in academic subjects such as medical science that do not necessitate physical interaction with patients, Cain says.

Nursing schools

Though nursing graduate students will still need to acquire whatever minimum number of hours of direct patient care experiences that their licensing board requires, they can supplement these clinical hours with time spent in virtual simulations, according to graduate nursing school professors. "Nothing can ever replace the precious time we have with patients, of course, but this is a really great start to students at least practicing and having some hands-on virtual practice," says Natalya Pasklinsky, a nurse who has a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and is executive director of simulation learning at New York University's Rory Meyers College of Nursing.

Occupational therapy programs

As coronavirus spreads, occupational therapy students are sometimes fulfilling their direct service clinical requirements in telehealth settings or, in rare instances, gaining this experience in-person at health centers that are still willing to host OT students. Unfortunately, there aren't enough direct service opportunities to accommodate all OT students, says Neil Harvison, chief officer of the knowledge division of the American Occupational Therapy Association. "The reality is, there will be delays in graduation for sure." Though basic clinical skills can be cultivated through simulations, direct service experience is critical during the final phase of training, Harvison says, adding that OT schools have an ethical obligation to make sure their graduates are well prepared to enter the workforce and care for patients.

Pharmacy schools

Pharmacy school lectures and labs that would usually be delivered via in-person instruction have been transformed into virtual courses and digital simulations, says Michael J. Avaltroni, dean of the Fairleigh Dickinson University School of Pharmacy in New Jersey. Though some Fairleigh Dickinson graduate pharmacy students were shifted away from the pharmacies where they were training because of coronavirus safety concerns, other students continue to receive training at community pharmacies at locations where it is possible to do so safely. Students who cannot get this on-the-ground training may provide pharmaceutical guidance to patients via telehealth technology, Avaltroni says. Fortunately, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, pharmacy students at Fairleigh Dickinson are expected to graduate on time, he adds.

Physical therapy programs

Social distancing guidelines are a major obstacle for physical therapy students. "Virtual clinical training is currently not allowed by physical therapy's accrediting body but further considerations may be forthcoming," Gregory S. Ford, chair of the physical therapy department at Daemen College in New York, wrote in an email. "Simulation is not considered sufficient to meet the needs and requirements of direct patient care. Telehealth is new to PT and is being implemented in some but few clinical settings."

Physician assistant programs

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on students in physical assistant programs is uncertain but could be significant, according to Gregg Shutts, chair of physician assistant studies at Daemen and a member of the Physician Assistant Education Association Coronovirus Task Force. "It is extremely complicated to address how clinical requirements for physician assistant students will be changed due to COVID-19 as there are many unknowns about the length of the crisis," Shutts wrote in an email. "Simulations cannot replace all person-to-person experiences for PA students."

Podiatry schools

"With very little advance planning time, podiatric medical schools have shifted to providing many forms of virtual training," Moraith G. North, executive director of the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine, wrote in an email. North says podiatry schools are using online platforms to teach students differential diagnosis skills and are organizing virtual small group meetings and telemedicine training sessions. Podiatry students are also being granted access to podiatric continuing education content and are participating in scientific journal review sessions, which typically include quizzes.

Psychology programs

Psychology graduate students can expect numerous alterations to their clinical rotations, according to experts. Catherine Grus, chief education officer with the American Psychological Association and a clinical psychologist, says some psychology grad schools are encouraging students to keep in contact with patients using either telehealth platforms or phone calls while other schools are permitting face-to-face treatment sessions with the proviso that social distancing protocols are followed. "In other cases, when programs have decided it is not possible for students to continue to provide patient care, students are continuing their clinical training by completing activities such as watching a video about a therapy or an assessment technique that is new to them, reading articles on recent clinical research studies, and participating in trainings with their classmates via video meeting software," Grus wrote in an email.

Social work schools

Social workers offer guidance to individuals facing adverse life circumstances, and those who specialize in clinical social work are typically employed as therapists. The Council on Social Work Education has temporarily reduced the number of field placement hours required for bachelor's and master's degrees in social work, according to Darla Spence Coffey, the council's president and CEO. The organization also expanded its definition of what qualifies as field work "to include field-related assignments, trainings and virtual meetings," Coffey wrote in an email. Social work schools are shifting to a more technological approach than usual, she explains. "We are seeing programs use teleconferences for students to engage with individuals, families and groups."

Types of health care grad programs that have been transformed by the coronavirus pandemic

-- Audiology and speech language pathology programs

-- Dental schools

-- Genetic counseling programs

-- Medical schools

-- Nursing schools

-- Occupational therapy programs

-- Pharmacy schools

-- Physical therapy programs

-- Physician assistant programs

-- Podiatry schools

-- Psychology programs

-- Social work schools

Learn about how coronavirus is affecting health care providers.

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