Illinois Medicine

directors quickly adapted their case conferences and lectures for the online environment and developed virtual formats that enabled our M3 and M4 students to work through their clinical cases online. It took tremendous innovation and commitment on the part of the faculty—and resilience on the part of the student body—to keep medical education moving forward." The disruptions DESPITE THE QUICK PIVOT BY ADMINISTRATORS AND FACULTY, the disruptions caused by COVID-19 were seismic. As medical researchers and physicians around the globe struggled to unlock the secrets of the virus—from its mode of transmission to its confounding array of symptoms—medical students were struggling with unknowns of their own, and their stress levels were skyrocketing. In addition to the abrupt changes in the curriculum and the lost opportunities for learning from real patients, many students— including the entire M2 class—were unable to complete the United States Medical Licensing Examinations because test centers across the country were shuttered. When away rotations and in-person residency interviews were canceled due to travel restrictions, M4s wondered if they would have access to the experiences they needed to make crucial decisions about their medical careers. Would the unprecedented changes put in place to keep students safe during the pandemic delay their graduation, compromise their education, endanger their residency opportunities or leave them less equipped to practice medicine? To ensure comprehensive discussions about how all of these issues would be addressed, the College mounted a vigorous communications campaign via Zoom conferences, video addresses, Reimagining Admissions on the Fly Virtual admitted student visits boosted participation, while applications are up 40% for next school year HE STUDENT ADMISSIONS OFFICE HAD TO ADJUST OVERNIGHT like every other aspect of the College of Medicine operations at the outset of the pandemic, and it won't get back to the "old normal" anytime soon, although the office is starting to think about what that will look like. The interview season for 2019-20 had concluded by the time the pandemic hit the Midwest in March, so "we were lucky in that sense," says Trevonne Thompson, MD, associate dean for admissions. But the COM was unable to invite admitted applicants back to campus in April, at the height of the first wave, as would typically have been done. "So we switched to a virtual second look using Zoom and Blackboard and other platforms," he says. "This was a very rapid turnaround going from an in-person event to a virtual format without a lot of initial expertise, but our students were just phenomenal and helped us with the implementation for a virtual second look. It turned out to be a fabulous experience. We were able to interact with many more candidates. Normally everyone can't make it." The admissions office lost the opportunity to highlight what the campus has to offer in person and to present students and faculty face to face, Thompson says. "We lost that piece but gained access [to a wider number] because people did not have to worry about travel, the logistics or expenses, and more people were able to join us for the event and hear lots of information that they might not have, if they could not have made it." For the 2020-21 admissions cycle, interviewing switched to virtual, which led to some early hiccups but by and large has been a success, Thompson says. The admissions office hasn't tried to precisely replicate how interviews work in person but rather has adapted to the Zoom environment, with a main room and breakout rooms, to ensure that applicants can interact with students and learn about the particulars of the COM. This includes, "for example, our campuses and what they have to offer, our different curricular programs such as global medicine and urban medicine and rural medicine," he says. "To learn more about those offerings and more about what to expect after they interview, we were able to create a relatively interactive environment. Seemingly we are not yet running into Zoom fatigue. We do have plenty of breaks throughout the interview day." The bottom line: Applications are up more than 40% over last year, at least partly because of the virtual opportunities, although Thompson notes that some might be applying because they don't have to incur the travel costs, broadening the reach of the COM to applicants. "There does also seem to be a sense that the pandemic has solidified their thoughts about going into medicine among students," he says. "It will take some time for us to sort out precisely what that increase was from." Given that in-person and virtual interviews and visits both have their advantages, the COM is also still figuring out whether to return to in-person activities, remain virtual or consider a hybrid approach once the pandemic wanes. "If there is a way we can reach an applicant who would otherwise not consider us, but for whom we could be a good choice," virtual would be helpful, Thompson says. "On the other hand, we do derive a lot from the in- person process. That is really in the front of our minds for how we proceed when the pandemic is under control." Trevonne Thompson, MD associate dean for admissions T Illinois Medicine | 27

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