Protection or constraint? A phenomenological study of the learning experience among doctors receiving postgraduate medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic considerably impacted medical education, and adopting new education approaches was needed to address public health emergencies. Doctors undergoing postgraduate medical education (PGY doctors) were likely to encounter complex challenges stemming from the pandemic. However, there is limited understanding of how their learning was affected from their perspective. Therefore, the present study explored the learning experiences of PGY doctors during the pandemic. In the present qualitative study, 24 PGY doctors participated in five focus groups, which took place during the pandemic in Taiwan (August to November 2022). Participants were invited to share their perceptions of encountering the COVID-19 pandemic during their training and how the pandemic affected their learning experiences. The audio recordings of the focus groups were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using the Framework Method. The data suggested that the COVID-19 pandemic had four key impacts on the learning context (i.e., the hospital environment in Taiwan): (a) facing the uncertainty of COVID-19 infection risk, (b) new regulations imposed by pandemic-related prevention policies, (c) lack of essential equipment and personnel in the hospital, and (d) reduced exposure to other diseases observed and treated during the pandemic. Two main learning challenges were identified. First, PGY doctors faced unexpected changes in the breadth and depth of learning during the pandemic. Second, PGY doctors experienced heightened psychological stress in their learning due to the pandemic. The results suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic brought new challenges for PGY doctors’ learning experience. The breadth and depth of their learning unavoidably changed during the pandemic, and they experienced a mismatch between expected and actual capabilities. To some extent, the protections they were given as medical students became constraints when they transitioned into the role of a PGY doctor. It is important for medical educators to consider how to create and provide alternative forms of modeling to enhance potential missed learning experiences and increase the capability and confidence of PGY doctors. Not applicable.