The global challenge presented by COVID‐19 is unparalleled. Shortages in healthcare staff and manpower bring the practical skills of medical students under the spotlight. However, before they can be placed on hospital frontlines, it is crucial to assess their preparedness for patient interaction. This can be achieved by comparing their behavioral dynamics to those of physicians. An online questionnaire was administered between March 20, 2020 and March 27, 2020. The preventive strategies adopted by medical students and physicians at different ages and levels of education were compared by using chi‐square test where a p value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. We report that the demonstration of preventive behaviors increased with educational attainment and age. Older age groups avoided crowded areas, wore more masks, used disinfectants and did not touch their faces as compared to the younger participants (p < 0.001). Similarly, postgraduate doctors used more masks and disinfectants as compared to graduate doctors and medical students (p < 0.001). Based on our results, the lack of preventive behavior shown by medical students has implications for policy makers. We recommend short‐ and long‐term changes to medical programs and admissions policies to equip medical students with the personal and professional skills to better contribute to the healthcare system in the present pandemic and beyond.

中文翻译：

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比较 COVID ‐19 时代医学生和医生的预防行为：新的医学问​​题需要新的课程干预

COVID-19 带来的全球挑战是无与伦比的。医护人员和人力的短缺使医学生的实践技能成为人们关注的焦点。然而，在他们被安置在医院前线之前，评估他们对患者互动的准备至关重要。这可以通过将他们的行为动态与医生的行为动态进行比较来实现。在 2020 年 3 月 20 日至 2020 年 3 月 27 日期间进行了在线问卷调查。使用卡方检验比较不同年龄和教育水平的医学生和医生采取的预防策略，其中 p 值 <0.05 被认为具有统计学意义. 我们报告说，预防行为的示范随着教育程度和年龄的增加而增加。年龄较大的人群避免拥挤的地方，戴更多的口罩，与年轻的参与者相比，他们使用了消毒剂并且没有触摸他们的脸（p < 0.001）。同样，与研究生医生和医学生相比，研究生医生使用了更多的口罩和消毒剂（p < 0.001）。根据我们的结果，医学生缺乏预防行为对政策制定者有影响。我们建议对医学课程和招生政策进行短期和长期的改变，以使医学生具备个人和专业技能，以便在当前和以后的大流行中更好地为医疗保健系统做出贡献。医学生缺乏预防行为对决策者有影响。我们建议对医学课程和招生政策进行短期和长期的改变，以使医学生具备个人和专业技能，以便在当前和以后的大流行中更好地为医疗保健系统做出贡献。医学生缺乏预防行为对决策者有影响。我们建议对医学课程和招生政策进行短期和长期的改变，以使医学生具备个人和专业技能，以便在当前和以后的大流行中更好地为医疗保健系统做出贡献。