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Portugal has taken action early with medical schools, whereas the UK medical schools response has been staggered and varied, with cases rising to 1,130 at present.
No such advice has been recommended in the UK. The medical schools council suggests seeking alternative examination arrangements, not delaying graduation for final year students and to suspend clinical placements in aid of patient safety. Upon the statement, universities across the country are welcome to proceed as they see appropriate.
This has resulted in a wide-ranging response from some universities. Trinity (Dublin) have brought their exams forward by 6 weeks. On the other hand, Glasgow, Cambridge and King’s College London have cancelled their examinations. The majority of medical schools, however, do remain open. This may be a reflection of the government’s ‘herd immunity’ strategy, which differs significantly to the rest of Europe’s plan.
Should the UK follow suit of Portugal and close down all medical schools to prevent damaging impacts of COVID-19 reaching patients and healthcare professionals?
The closure of all Portuguese medical schools highlights that when learning about COVID-19 transmission medical students should not be expected to “see one, do one, teach one” [1,2].
1 Mahase E. Covid-19: Portugal closes all medical schools after 31 cases confirmed in the country. BMJ 2020;368:m986. doi:10.1136/BMJ.M986
2 Rodriguez-Paz JM, Kennedy M, Salas E, et al. Beyond ‘see one, do one, teach one’: Toward a different training paradigm. BMJ Qual Saf 2009;18:63–8. doi:10.1136/qshc.2007.023903
Competing interests:
No competing interests
10 March 2020
Matthew HV Byrne
Junior Doctor
Cambridge University Hospitals Trust, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
Re: Covid-19: Portugal closes all medical schools after 31 cases confirmed in the country
Dear Editor,
Portugal has taken action early with medical schools, whereas the UK medical schools response has been staggered and varied, with cases rising to 1,130 at present.
No such advice has been recommended in the UK. The medical schools council suggests seeking alternative examination arrangements, not delaying graduation for final year students and to suspend clinical placements in aid of patient safety. Upon the statement, universities across the country are welcome to proceed as they see appropriate.
This has resulted in a wide-ranging response from some universities. Trinity (Dublin) have brought their exams forward by 6 weeks. On the other hand, Glasgow, Cambridge and King’s College London have cancelled their examinations. The majority of medical schools, however, do remain open. This may be a reflection of the government’s ‘herd immunity’ strategy, which differs significantly to the rest of Europe’s plan.
Should the UK follow suit of Portugal and close down all medical schools to prevent damaging impacts of COVID-19 reaching patients and healthcare professionals?
Competing interests: No competing interests