Employment Intention of Chinese Medical Students During the COVID-19 Epidemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Context: In the process of combating the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, medical personnel were at the forefront of the fight. As the future medical workforce, medical students often experienced firsthand how their seniors and teachers had to commit to working hard in combating the epidemic. Many were directly involved in the front line of the fight and that experience could easily have affected their intention to seek employment in a medically related career. Objective: The study intended to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Chinese medical students' employment intentions and the factors associated with them to put forward relevant suggestions to provide a basis for medical education in the future. Design: The research team conducted a cross-sectional study, using an anonymous online questionnaire. Setting: The study took place in many provinces and cities in China and was conducted in an online questionnaire. Participants: Participants were 1114 college students studying clinical medicine, college students studying nursing, and students interning during standardized resident training, medical interns. Outcome Measures: The participants completed a self-administered questionnaire, which investigated their psychological statuses related to anxiety and depression as well as COVID-19's impact on their intentions related to job searches, regarding their willingness to engage in clinical or basic research in epidemic-related specialties and epidemic-related work. Results: Compared to college students studying clinical medicine, the employment intentions of nursing students and medical interns were more vulnerable to the epidemic. Females and nursing students were more reluctant to choose clinical work, and the choice was associated with depression. Nursing college students and medical interns were significantly less willing to engage in infection medicine, respiratory medicine, and intensive care medicine (all P < .001). Medical students with a bachelor's degree and postgraduate degrees were significantly less willing to engage in infection medicine and respiratory medicine (all P < .001), but medical students from regions with stable epidemics were more willing to engage in intensive care medicine. Medical students with a bachelor's degree were significantly less likely to be involved in epidemiology-related work than undergraduate students, and students from severe epidemic regions were significantly less willing to work in isolation wards or to go to Wuhan as volunteers. Conclusions: Participants' psychological statuses related to anxiety and depression, genders, degrees, current educational statuses, and regions affected employment intentions during the epidemic.

Analysis of Cognition, Protection, Psychological, and Job-search Intentions Among Medical and Nonmedical College Students During COVID-19 Epidemic.

Context: Since December 2019, medical practitioners discovered a novel coronavirus causing an acute respiratory-tract infection in some hospitals in Wuhan, Hubei Province. COVID-19 has spread globally, making it an epidemic worldwide at present. Understanding the mental-health responses of college students to COVID-19 can help a school staff to better guide students seeking education. Objective: The study aimed to explore the differences between nonmedical and medical college students during the COVID-19 epidemic in their cognitive interest about the disease, preventive behaviors, psychological effects, and job-search intentions, hoping to provide more targeted measures for virus-coping education for college students. Design: The research team conducted a cross-sectional study, using an anonymous online questionnaire. Setting: The study took place at Shanghai, China. Participants: Participants were 1648 college students studying different specialties in various provinces of China, 485 nonmedical students and 1163 medical students. Outcome Measures: The survey's questions covered the respondents': (1) general demographic characteristics, (2) cognitive interest and knowledge about COVID-19 and its infectiousness as well as efforts at active learning about infectious diseases and viruses, (3) awareness of precautionary behaviors against COVID-19, (4) effects on mental health, and (5) effects on job-search intentions. The research team used descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests to analyze the survey data. Results: Among nonmedical students: (1) 297 participants (61.2%) were interested in learning about COVID-19, (2) 321 participants (66.2%) took the initiative to learn about the virus, (3) 301 participants (62.1%) took the initiative to learn about infectious disease, and (4) 151 participants (31.1%) watched medical-themed movies or TV series about COVID-19. Among medical students, the corresponding proportions were 772 participants (66.4%), 855 participants (73.5%), 791 participants (68.1%), and 791 participants (68.1%), respectively. Among nonmedical students, 223 participants (46.0%) had N95 masks available, 429 participants (88.5%) had disinfectant supplies available, 271 participants (55.9%) wore goggles in public places, 75 participants (15.5%) chose public transportation, and 77 participants (15.9%) were exposed to public places in the week prior to the survey. Among medical students, the corresponding proportions were 470 participants (40.4%), 935 participants (80.4%), 575 participants (49.4%), 243 participants (20.9%), and 297 participants (25.5%), respectively. Furthermore, COVID-19 had a stronger effect on medical students' psychology and job-search ambitions. Conclusions: The news about COVID-19 piqued the interest of medical students. Nonmedical students had stronger protective behavior than medical students. The COVID-19 outbreak had a significant influence on medical students' lives, studies, and moods. In addition, COVID-19 had a greater impact on the job-search intentions of medical students.