COVID-19 and Fall Classes

[Flash99]

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How is everyone feeling about school beginning in Fall while COVID 19 isn’t under control yet?
Will we have classes and labs?
What does everybody think?

 

[Weirdy]

School dependent.

Online learning + campus for labs only.

Rotation sites also school or hospital dependent.

No point brainstorming when situation changes every 2 weeks.

 

[Flash99]

Thanks... you’re right things do change everyday. Wondering how we can socially distance in the lab?

 

[Weirdy]

Thanks... you’re right things do change everyday. Wondering how we can socially distance in the lab?

6ft apart, limit students, time slotted rotation etc.

They can get creative.

 

[J29622]

Kent will probably be back to having classes this coming fall. At least this is what I last heard from them before I graduated.

 

[PTPuser]

Kent right now is saying we're gonna have class in person, so we shall see. They already postponed our WCC...so..

 

[sad1980s]

Kent right now is saying we're gonna have class in person, so we shall see. They already postponed our WCC...so..

Pre-matriculation program is also online for Kent.

Kinda feels like they're delaying the inevitable so people don't defer or switch schools once it's announced to be remote tbh... Who knows at this point, I'm sitting around waiting for some kind of confirmation to even start looking for a lease.

 

[Flash99]

Pre-matriculation program is also online for Kent.

Kinda feels like they're delaying the inevitable so people don't defer or switch schools once it's announced to be remote tbh... Who knows at this point, I'm sitting around waiting for some kind of confirmation to even start looking for a lease.

that is exactly what I think I am glad you brought this up!!!! They really need to tell us something... I'm not looking for a lease until they make a definitive plan. Make it online! It's been online...what is the big deal-- its preclinical education. If Harvard Medical has gone online for 1st years there is no reason whatsoever that we cant do the same.

 

[Flash99]

What is being said about fall classes at every pod school? Everyone please chime in... thanks!

 

[drsole]

What is being said about fall classes at every pod school? Everyone please chime in... thanks!

Temple University announced that they will be doing a mix of virtual and in-person classes with social distancing. They have yet to specify as to how this would work for the podiatry school.

They also said that they would be "ready to pivot to primarily online instruction" when necessary. I suppose in the event of an outbreak, which in my opinion is inevitable, since masks and social distancing are not the silver bullet people that people are making it out to be.

Honestly, I'm still hesitant to find a place as cases will likely spike in light of what is happening.

 

[Flash99]

Temple University announced that they will be doing a mix of virtual and in-person classes with social distancing. They have yet to specify as to how this would work for the podiatry school.

They also said that they would be "ready to pivot to primarily online instruction" when necessary. I suppose in the event of an outbreak, which in my opinion is inevitable, since masks and social distancing are not the silver bullet people that people are making it out to be.

Honestly, I'm still hesitant to find a place as cases will likely spike in light of what is happening.

I totally agree with you... at this point it just needs to be completely online... labs and all because there is too much going on right now and cases will spike and people will get sick and possibly die

 

[Flash99]

I think as students we should lead the charge at our perspective institutions to advocate and state our position for full online. I have a firm belief that there is a reason why Harvard medical and dental students are starting online only for the first years. What makes any other medical school different from Harvard honestly??? Think about that. It’s Ivy League. I believe they have inside information on COVID19 and the ramifications that will happen on campuses if students are allowed back. Other colleges at Harvard have just stated today that they will be fully online. People need to wake up. It won’t be safe. I don’t want to lose my life just to start school in person.

 

[poddoc2024]

If classes remain online all semester, do we think there will be any kind of tuition compensation? Just curious what people think. It's also hard to imagine an online anatomy lab (so fingers crossed this doesn't happen!!)

 

[drsole]

I think as students we should lead the charge at our perspective institutions to advocate and state our position for full online. I have a firm belief that there is a reason why Harvard medical and dental students are starting online only for the first years. What makes any other medical school different from Harvard honestly??? Think about that. It’s Ivy League. I believe they have inside information on COVID19 and the ramifications that will happen on campuses if students are allowed back. Other colleges at Harvard have just stated today that they will be fully online. People need to wake up. It won’t be safe. I don’t want to lose my life just to start school in person.

We should be fully online this semester. I’m not sure why they think that it would be worth the risk of exposure for their faculty and students. I wonder what liabilities they might face, if any at all, if a student becomes seriously injured or dies?

Also, there are just sometimes that “socially distancing” cannot save us. What will they do about elevators and public bathrooms? Entering and leaving buildings? What about asymptotic people? There’s also no real way to enforce social distancing outside of the classroom. Unless they are going to test every single person every day, then it’s just not feasible.

 

[Flash99]

I completely agree. The US Senate Education committee had a meeting today with some college presidents who came to testify about their plans. Many senators drilled them on the risk that they are imposing on their faculty, staff, and students. Many faculty and staff are older people who are extremely vulnerable to COVID 19. It is simply not worth it to bring anyone to campus. It is dangerous and grossly negligent. Everything should be completely online. Anatomy lab is not worth losing your life over and it’s not worth putting your professor in grave danger over.

 

[sad1980s]

Any updates from any schools yet? Just found out someone grabbed the place I planned on leasing but held off on... Really can't be waiting until July to know what's going to happen.

 

[Flash99]

Any updates from any schools yet? Just found out someone grabbed the place I planned on leasing but held off on... Really can't be waiting until July to know what's going to happen.

I haven’t heard anything... what about other people? It’s really ridiculous that we are still waiting but I guess their silence should tell us something

 

[amgi]

I'm just wondering if this is a situation only for fall semester or it will continue for the rest of first year.

 

[Weirdy]

I'm just wondering if this is a situation only for fall semester or it will continue for the rest of first year.

If we could look into a crystal ball and tell you, we would.

It depends on the direction of the pandemic.

Most schools are taking it month by month. At this point semester by semester.

 

[drsole]

Update: TUSPM officially announced that first years are having all classes online except for general anatomy lab.

I am curious as to what other schools have decided.

 

[happyfeet49]

NYCPM‘s fall semester is hybrid. Large lecture sizes held virtually, but there will be in person small group labs and discussions. PPE will be distributed and strictly enforced!

 

[Flash99]

Just not sure how any of this will work

 

[DexterMorganSK]

For the most part, lectures should be virtual with maybe on-campus mandatory labs/small discussions for the majority of the programs.
We do not yet know how will the number of cases increase/decrease once Flu season hits (I think it will get worst), so just keep in mind about social distancing when attending in-person anything. Follow your schools and the CDC guidelines.

 

[Flash99]

For the most part, lectures should be virtual with maybe on-campus mandatory labs/small discussions for the majority of the programs.
We do not yet know how will the number of cases increase/decrease once Flu season hits (I think it will get worst), so just keep in mind about social distancing when attending in-person anything. Follow your schools and the CDC guidelines.

It will get worst down right ugly so you are correct and you can’t socially distance over a cadaver in the anatomy lab so again I just don’t see it working out well for students or professors

 

[DexterMorganSK]

It will get worst down right ugly so you are correct and you can’t socially distance over a cadaver in the anatomy lab so again I just don’t see it working out well for students or professors

If labs will be mandatory, then it is possible to socially distance students.

For example, at Scholl, our anatomy lab is pretty big with many tables...so they can easily divide the first years into groups and keep them apart from one another (invite 1/3rd of overall students at a time). Its def more work but is possible, and it all depends on the admin's willingness to help the students out. Gross anatomy is best learned by doing the dissections, esp true for the lower extremity, so I hope the first years will at least get to do this on campus while keeping the social distancing rules in place.

 

[SGLT]

If labs will be mandatory, then it is possible to socially distance students.

For example, at Scholl, our anatomy lab is pretty big with many tables...so they can easily divide the first years into groups and keep them apart from one another (invite 1/3rd of overall students at a time). Its def more work but is possible, and it all depends on the admin's willingness to help the students out. Gross anatomy is best learned by doing the dissections, esp true for the lower extremity, so I hope the first years will at least get to do this on campus while keeping the social distancing rules in place.

At NYCPM, 2nd years are currently taking LEAN and I believe there are labs planned to start in late august because it's very important like you mentioned. It would be 2 people per table and 10 tables total. I'm not sure if all this will be mandatory though.

As for the incoming first years, orientation will be online. All large lectures will be online. Will need to come in for small group lectures/recitations, labs and exams.

 

[DPMStudent159]

If labs will be mandatory, then it is possible to socially distance students.

For example, at Scholl, our anatomy lab is pretty big with many tables...so they can easily divide the first years into groups and keep them apart from one another (invite 1/3rd of overall students at a time). Its def more work but is possible, and it all depends on the admin's willingness to help the students out. Gross anatomy is best learned by doing the dissections, esp true for the lower extremity, so I hope the first years will at least get to do this on campus while keeping the social distancing rules in place.

I agree, it really is all school dependent since COVID-19 has hit different parts of this country in different ways. NYCPM may have a tough time holding the in-class labs, so they will require more drastic measures and extra social distancing/smaller anatomy labs since their school is smaller in size and its in NYC. Scholl definitely has an advantage since their anatomy lab is HUGEE. We took our anatomy lab with 1st year MDs as well, and each gross anatomy lab tank was definitely 6+ feet away from each other (even prior to covid last Fall). They could easily fit the whole pod class and social distance, or make it even safer by breaking it into chunks with shorter lab times and smaller lab groups.

 

[pixarlamp]

CSPM will be entirely online now, including labs, until May 2021 🙁

 

[AdrenalineJockie]

Since classes will be starting soon for some of the schools.. Any update from any other schools regarding in-class labs?

 

[Treaty of Dorsi]

Since classes will be starting soon for some of the schools.. Any update from any other schools regarding in-class labs?

All virtual at Temple