COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Impact on Training Programs of Medical Residency in Romania

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the training process for resident physicians. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on professional training, and also the subjective perception of the levels of stress, anxiety, and depression among resident doctors specializing in gastroenterology in Romania. Methods: We conducted an observational cross-sectional study, for a period of two months, among 180 resident doctors specializing in gastroenterology, working in university hospitals in Romania. A questionnaire consisting of 29 questions distributed through social media platforms was completed in Google Forms. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS software v.20. Results: A linear relationship was identified between the number of daily hospitalizations in the gastroenterology department and the rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection among resident physicians. In total, 80% of the participants reported an increase in the levels of stress, anxiety, and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 88.3% stated that they were unsatisfied by online courses. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has had negative effects on both professional training and levesl of stress, anxiety and depression of resident doctors specializing in gastroenterology. In the specialty of gastroenterology there may be certain peculiarities, due to the interventional aspects that this medical specialty involves, for example, endoscopic procedures. Thus, the necessity to acquire practical skills in addition to theoretical knowledge increases the negative impact on gastroenterology internship.