INTRODUCTION
In December 2019, a highly contagious novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was identified in Wuhan, China1, and on March 26th, 2020 the USA became the world’s most afflicted nation with 81,321 cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)2,3. The rapid spread of COVID-19 has placed tremendous strain on the American healthcare system and prompted drastic steps to divert healthcare resources for the treatment of patients with COVID-19. For example, on March 14th, 2020 the Surgeon General advised all hospitals to halt elective surgery4. Additionally, physicians have increasingly used telemedicine to facilitate social distancing5 and in some instances, physician specialists, have been redeployed to “frontline” services such as the medical wards, intensive care unit, and emergency room6.
In addition to clinical practice changes, numerous academic meetings have been cancelled, licensing exams are being rescheduled, and fellowship interviews are being conducted using teleconferencing software7. Beyond the educational and structural changes experienced, COVID-19 threatens the well-being of residents as nationwide personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages leave frontline workers at increased risk of viral exposure8. Furthermore, a recent study conducted in Wuhan during the COVID-19 pandemic reported that frontline workers were at risk of unfavorable mental health outcomes9.
Despite these monumental changes and the unique challenges presented by the pandemic, the impact on resident well-being, clinical practice, and education are largely unknown. To address this gap, in the current study we aim to assess the well-being, clinical practice, and education of urology residents throughout the USA during the COVID-19 pandemic through the use of an anonymous survey. Given that routine urology practice encompasses elements of outpatient clinic, inpatient medicine, and surgery, and the low number of urology trainees nationally relative to other specialties, a national study of urology trainees may provide an important and timely initial assessment. To our knowledge, this is one of the first studies assessing trainees’ well-being, clinical practice, and education during the COVID-19 pandemic.