It would be a vast understatement to say that much has changed since the last issue of InterCOM back in January. My message then dealt with my experience travelling around Nebraska. No one is or should be doing much travelling now. There is little to say at this unique time in the history of the world but thank you.
Thanks to:
- Our first-year medical students who are doing their best to adapt to an all-online curriculum and keep focused on their learning with all of the distractions around them;
- Our second-year medical students who, after just going through the stress of preparing for step one of the USMLE exam, find that their transition to clinical clerkships will be delayed until summer and that they will now be joining other students in a new on-line class experience;
- Our third-year medical students who have been the first group of students to experience each aspect of the roll out of the new curriculum and now find that the expected benefit of more elective clinical time also will be put on hold;
- Our fourth-year medical students who: lost out on the celebration of their residency match; will experience a virtual graduation ceremony in May; and will begin their residency training during a pandemic — hopefully toward its end. Although we could not say it to you in person on Match Day, we are very proud of what you have accomplished;
- All of the medical students who, while adapting to the above, have been working to support our local health care workers with childcare assistance and other means to increase the provider’s ability to provide care;
- The residents and fellows who are on the front line of providing care and modifying their training to meet critical health care delivery needs throughout Omaha and the rest of Nebraska;
- The graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and research staff, who balance their desire to continue their research while keeping themselves safe and at appropriate social distancing;
- Faculty, staff and trainees across the college, who are learning to work effectively from home;
- Individuals who continue to be on premises to keep the buildings clean and safe;
- Security personnel who keep us safe and secure;
- Information technology staff and leadership, who have done an amazing job assisting us all in carrying out virtual meetings, as well as education, research and clinical functions on a scale that we never dreamed of was possible only a few months ago;
- Clinical faculty and staff who put themselves at risk at the forefront of providing care and planning for the pandemic;
- Faculty who are keeping their research moving forward under very challenging times and/or planning how to protect it from irrecoverable setback;
- Faculty who have spent enormous effort converting to and carrying out new and creative online educational programs that permit our medical students to continue their progress toward graduation; and
- Our alumni, who have taken their training at UNMC and are applying it to the care of others across the globe and/or asking how they can help UNMC.
It is truly remarkable that you each are doing the above while having to concern yourself with your own safety and well-being and that of your family and friends. Everyone’s routine is in disarray. Schools are closed and childcare options limited. Decreased access to goods and services and other limitations placed on our personal/recreational activities add further stress. For those with family and children, their well-being and concerns about how to meet their needs is a daily task. For those who live by themselves and are working from home, loneliness and isolation can be an equal challenge. We are all in this together, no matter how long it lasts. If you need help and have questions reach out — we are all here for one another.
I invite you to join me for the weekly virtual College of Medicine town hall each Wednesday at 5 p.m. If you have not joined us to see for yourself, you will note that my beard of 25 years has been among the casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic. I shed it a couple of weeks ago to be able to properly wear the protective mask I need to be safe as I attend on the infectious diseases consult service at the VA.
We still have a long road ahead of this before we can begin to turn our attention away from COVID-19 and return to our core missions and regular lives. I know that with the work and dedication of all of you, we will successfully weather this storm and hopefully, after we are beyond the threat, like my beard, re-emerge better and more robust than ever. Stay safe!