The abrupt and life-altering shifts brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic have stimulated research in fields ranging from social sciences to virology. This study explored perceptions and experiences of COVID-19’s impact on students at Lincoln Memorial University-College of Veterinary Medicine (LMU-CVM), and considered how to respond to these. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 students from LMU-CVM. Thematic analysis elucidated five subthemes that were combined into two main themes based on Bertuccio’s framework of grief in response to uncertainty distress. Uncertainty and disruption of routine were subthemes of ambiguous loss, while lost opportunities, milestones missed, and risk concern came under anticipatory grief. There was overlap and fluidity within these themes, with frustration, stress, and unexpected benefits pervading all categories. Differences were noted between classes, with clinical students expressing concern over graduation and lack of preparedness, and preclinical students with online assessment, lost opportunities for clinical experiences, and the loss of social connections. These results point to mitigation strategies for the adverse effects of COVID-19-related stressors specific to this population that encompass academic, physical, and mental wellbeing concerns. Clear communication, assurance of quality education, flexibility for meeting family needs, financial assistance, and mental health support are the areas evident from the interviews where successful responses might be targeted. This study also highlights areas for future research, including follow-up interviews, given the prolonged timeline of COVID-19, surveys of beliefs and practices across a larger university population, and exploration of the long-term impact on academic and practice success of the affected cohorts.

中文翻译：

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在 COVID-19 大流行的早期阶段，兽医学生对不确定性困扰的悲痛。

COVID-19 大流行带来的突然和改变生活的转变刺激了从社会科学到病毒学等各个领域的研究。本研究探讨了 COVID-19 对林肯纪念大学兽医学院 (LMU-CVM) 学生影响的看法和经验，并考虑了如何应对这些影响。对来自 LMU-CVM 的 20 名学生进行了半结构化访谈。主题分析阐明了五个分主题，这些分主题基于 Bertuccio 对不确定性困扰的悲伤框架组合成两个主要主题。不确定性和常规的中断是模棱两可的损失的副主题，而失去的机会、错过的里程碑和风险担忧则是预期的悲痛。这些主题之间存在重叠和流动性，有挫折、压力、和无处不在的意想不到的好处。班级之间存在差异，临床学生表达了对毕业和准备不足的担忧，而临床前学生则进行了在线评估，失去了临床经验的机会，以及失去了社会联系。这些结果指出了针对特定于该人群的 COVID-19 相关压力源的不利影响的缓解策略，包括学业、身体和心理健康问题。清晰的沟通、优质教育的保证、满足家庭需求的灵活性、经济援助和心理健康支持是访谈中很明显的领域，成功的回应可能是有针对性的。鉴于 COVID-19 的时间延长，本研究还强调了未来研究的领域，包括后续访谈，