In a recent webinar sponsored by the American Society of Nephrology (@ASNKidney), a panel of renal fellows from across the US and Canada discussed the mental and emotional burden of the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns about patient care, and the different divisional/institutional approaches to managing the pandemic, including distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines.
The ultimate purpose of the roundtable discussion was to give participating fellows a space to speak freely about the good – and possibly bad – experiences they have encountered during the pandemic. WashU Nephrology second-year fellows Sana Shaikh, MD, Gonzalo Matzumura, MD, and Blessing Osondu, MD, were part of the discussion panel.
Audience members were limited to current and incoming nephrology fellows, and the session was not recorded to ensure anonymity. An invited moderator and faculty with expertise in GME behavioral health and COVID-19 response in one of the pandemic hotspots helped facilitate the discussion.
WashU Nephrology Professor of Medicine Anitha Vijayan, MD, FASN, @VijayanMD, says, “As part of the ASN COVID-19 response team, I am extremely grateful to ASN for providing this opportunity to the nephrology trainees. This webinar allowed fellows from all over the country to discuss their shared personal and professional experiences that they witnessed and endured during this devastating pandemic.”
Our fellows were happy to share their opinions about the roundtable:
“The ASN Nephrology Fellows COVID-19 Roundtable was a wonderful initiative. It was humbling to hear testimonials from trainees in different parts of the continent and know that while we have all experienced the pandemic differently, our emotional and mental responses are identical. We truly are all in this together.”
Sana Shaikh, MD, WashU Nephrology Fellow
“This was a fantastic opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences between fellows in different regions affected by COVID-19. Thankfully, the overwhelming majority of fellows have remained healthy, engaged, and well supported while training in the pandemic.”
Gonzalo Matzumura, MD, WashU Nephrology Fellow
I really enjoyed being a participant of the covid round table fellows discussion. Being able to participate as a panel discussant gave me a great idea of what COVID-19 vaccination distribution roll out is for my institution. I also was thrilled to hear from other participants about how they handled the surge of COVID both personally and institution wise. Their coping mechanisms gave me insights to what I could do additionally to ensure a healthy mental state. I hope that vaccine availability is the light at the end of this dark tunnel.
Blessing Osondu, MD, WashU Nephrology Fellow
