INMD 7013: COVID-19 Crisis Innovation Lab A course examining the COVID-19 crisis

PI: Ronda Farah

Overview: Since the Spring of 2020, COVID-19 has rapidly changed the education landscape for medical students. At the same time, patient care and Minnesotan home life has been drastically altered. In this University of Minnesota approved course designed, initiated and mentored by Ronda Farah MD, medical students participate in virtual ongoing COVID related projects already developed by students or develop their own innovative project (research, quality improvement, history, art, etc).   Fueled by medical students, this course has already created the foundation for the COVID M Health Fairview personal protective equipment donation efforts and data collection. Since this time students have developed innovative projects including improving our knowledge of the impact that COVID has had on patients, students and our community. Currently, research and quality improvement projects include the following: telemedicine and breast cancer care, medical student well-being during COVID, blood donation trends during COVID, telemedicine and photography during COVID, language related translation of COVID material, course credit for administrative work related to babysitting and COVID, art during pandemics, impact of COVID-19 on American Indian populations, legal issues surrounding telemedicine during COVID, survey evaluating attitudes of PPE donators during COVID, and medical student journalism during COVID. This is a glimpse into the innovative projects actively running through this course. 

Budget: $10,000

This project is supported by the UMN COVID-19 Medical Education Innovation Grants, which support full-time faculty (educators, investigators or clinical) or P&A educators at the University of Minnesota Medical School to develop education (basic science or clinical) and simulation projects related to COVID-19, more general pandemic-related knowledge and skills, or professional development activities that would be possible during this time of shelter at home.