The Covid-19 Crisis and Medical Students’ Resistance to Return to the Conventional Education System

The lasting pandemic-induced human factors influencing the cognitive sphere of medical students resulted in difficulties in study continuation after the pandemic expressed in stress, anxiety, and slow psychological health recovery. The research aimed to find out the impact of Covid-19 on resisting a return to the conventional education system. A total of 53 medical students completed the Likert scale questionnaire, SPSS software version 29.0 was used to analyze results. The majority of respondents (37; 69.8%) were female and in their fifth year of medical education (31; 58.5%). A considerable proportion experienced heightened stress and anxiety due to the pandemic (30; 56.6%). Statistical analyses showed a significant negative correlation between pandemic-induced stress and anxiety levels and the likelihood of mental health returning to its pre-pandemic state (r = –.539, p < 0.01). The transition to virtual learning platforms posed challenges, most students facing difficulties in concentrating on their studies (28; 52.9%), expressed concerns about reduced clinical experiences affecting their confidence in medical skills (40; 75.5%), and future clinical competence (23; 43.4%). There was a significant negative correlation between pandemic-induced stress and anxiety levels and academic performance (r = –0.358, p = 0.009). Challenges with virtual learning platforms and reduced clinical experiences were notable stressors resisting the return to the conventional education system for medical students due to the lasting impact of the pandemic.