THE IMPACTS OF E-LEARNING ON THE EDUCATION OF MEDICAL STUDENTS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced society to live through a period of social isolation. In parallel, the university has reorganized itself to ensure the continuity of education, making room for remote classes mediated by technology. This made it possible for professional training not to be interrupted, especially because courses in the healthcare field were crucial in addressing the pandemic. Digital technologies, in this context, have shown potential in various settings, including higher education. Therefore, the main objective of this article is to analyze the impact of distance learning on the education of medical students during the Covid-19 pandemic. This is a qualitative bibliographic study, based on searches for scientific publications on the websites Scielo, Pubmed and Google Scholar. Using specific keywords, several works were found, and through inclusion and exclusion criteria, 13 articles were selected, with 7 being explored in more depth due to their relevance to the topic. The aspects of the pandemic in the global scenario regarding social distancing measures were contextualized; how this situation led to interruptions in face-to-face and practical classes was analyzed; and it was evident that the adaptation to remote learning was the resource found for maintaining classes. It is possible to afirm that the exploration of new teaching methods using digital technologies contributed to ensuring the continuity of studies for students. However, some disadvantages emerged due to social isolation, such as excessive use of technology, increased screen time, and dependence on internet access.