RESEARCH ON THE IMPACT OF PARTICIPATION IN THE WORK OF MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS RENDERING ASSISTANCE TO PATIENTS WITH COVID-19 ON THE STUDENTS’ PROFESSIONAL SELF-IDENTIFICATION

Objectives. To study the impact of participation in the work of medical institutions providing assistance to patients with COVID-19 on the professional self-identification of students. Material and methods. The study was carried out on the basis of the educational institution «VSMU». Inclusion group: medical students of the 4th-6th years who took part in the work of medical teams providing assistance to patients during the period of an epidemic rise in the incidence of respiratory infections, including SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus one. The survey was conducted in the form of an anonymous questionnaire. To segment the respondents according to certain criteria, depending on their answers, the «decision tree» method was used. Results. In the course of the study, it has been found that 1.8 times more often the question «To what extent did you manage to combine your work and studies?» the answer «everything turned out well» was given by the students who indicated that they had a curator who helped them to cope with their professional adaptation difficulties. The higher the self-esteem of the personal level of knowledge and skills was, the more often students chose the answer that they were definitely not going to leave medicine and change their profession. Conclusions. Based on the survey data, one of the most significant factors influencing the adaptation and development of practical skills is the high-quality work of university teaching staff and a physician-curator. An important role in professional adaptability is played by the solution of psychoemotional problems of working students through the establishment of their close interaction with the social, pedagogical and psychological service of the university, professional training centers.