The transition to online classes has been an adjustment for both students and professors. Medical students who haven’t completed their clinical hours are having a much tougher time finding ways to do so due to social distancing guidelines. What exactly do clinicals look like during the coronavirus pandemic? The answer varies from school to school. 

For some schools such as Everett Community College, in-person clinicals can proceed as long as strict social distancing rules are followed. Other universities are getting creative with their clinical hours while their campuses remain closed. The University of Missouri – St. Louis, for example, is giving a few students the opportunity to earn hours by making phone calls to residents in nursing homes to check on how they are doing. Being distanced from family and friends can be extremely difficult on mental health and overall well-being, so this approach helps nursing students develop integral communication skills while also providing a wonderful community service. 

Whether or not your college, university or trade school has started allowing in-person clinical hours to proceed with social distancing precautions enforced, rest assured that you’ll have options for how you can complete your required hours. The coronavirus has rocked everyone’s world and has forced us all to adapt in some way, but if this time has proven anything it’s that the career path that you’ve chosen, whether it’s nursing, pharmacy or another health care discipline, is highly valued by your community.