Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical school aspirants: A narrative review
Abstract
Admission to medical schools in North America is a highly competitive and complex process requiring medical school aspirants to complete and exceed in all aspects of the application, the success of which is the result of multiple years of effort. With the emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its resulting restrictions, medical school aspirants face additional hardships applying to medical schools in North America due to the disruption of multiple elements of the medical school application including the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), extracurricular activities and the diminished ability for physical interaction and attendance of classes. Multiple aspects of the medical school application process have been drastically impacted and augmented by an increase in financial stress, with a ripple effect on mental health in this student population. This review examines the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on North American medical school aspirants based on the published literature surrounding this specific population as of July 2021.
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