Medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic: a reflection on the JHUSOM experience

Background: We sought to understand the relative risk of COVID-19 infection and identify risk factors for infection to identify targets for mitigation among medical students.

Methods: An observational cohort study of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine students was conducted from June 2020 to July 2021. Blood samples were collected and tested at three visits to assess for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, a questionnaire was administered at each visit to collect demographic information and assess potential social and behavioral risk factors.

Results: 264 students enrolled in the study, and 38 participants completed all study requirements by study end. Roughly 6% of the first- and second-year classes had a reported positive COVID-19 test compared to 5% of third- and fourth-year students. By visit 3, 92% of medical students had detectable antibodies against COVID-19 compared to 4% during the study enrollment period. From study enrollment to visit 3, there was a 10-fold increase in the percentage of students reporting attending large social gatherings and dining in restaurants.

Conclusions: Overall, few COVID-19 cases were found among medical students, even those on clinical rotations. As the study progressed, students reported engaging in higher-risk social behaviors in conjunction with increasing vaccination rates among students.