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.