Since COVID-19 Impacted Med School, Will It Affect My Job Search?

Betty Cann

Technology Solutions Physicians NEED to Embrace

The COVID-19 pandemic harmed student clinical rotations and moved many classes to online models. This article will explore how COVID-19 impacted medical school for many students in 2020 and early 2021. How will these trends impact the job search for new medical school graduates this year?

How Did COVID-19 Affect Medical School?

Since the coronavirus is ongoing, the data from its impact is still being compiled. However, a few studies have come in that show the pandemic has had a negative or chilling effect on the education of new healthcare providers. For example:

  • One study suggested one-fifth of the surveyed medical students report that the pandemic affected their choice of clinical specialty. Some of the difficulties included the inability to conduct clinical rotations, explore specialties, or even obtain recommendation letters. Still, others experienced indefinite suspensions of clinical learning while their institutions scrambled to instill virtual curricula. The impact on applications for residency is frustrating, especially because the demand for qualified providers is at an all-time high.
  • Another study stated the “pandemic has had a significant impact on the medical community.” This includes students striving to enter the profession. The MCAT aptitude tests were canceled in March 2020 and rescheduled at a later time. This delayed plans for students seeking fall admissions. Too, the costs of applying to medical school have become more difficult for some students, whose income (or parent’s income) has been negatively affected by the economic downturn.

While these trends are impacting the flow of students into the profession, how has COVID-19 affected new graduates looking for employment in the field?

What Can New Healthcare Graduates Expect in the 2021 Job Market?

On the one hand, the demand for new healthcare graduates is reaching urgent levels. On the other, many new graduates are worried about entering a field stretched to its breaking point. Some of the most in-demand jobs in healthcare today include:

  • The demand has soared for both Psychiatrists and Primary Care Physicians.  The need for psychiatric services and devastating outcomes in the absence of services have  become more visible following the crisis. It is clear that a group of medical problems that affect one-fourth of the population cannot be solely treated by specialists. Clinicians will more frequently see mental health problems affect their patients’ overall health. In the absence of access to specialty services, primary care physicians will need to become even more proactive in treating their patients’ uncomplicated psychiatric problems. This necessity may also increase the weight of psychiatric education in medical education curricula. The lack of adequate mental health services will increase the interest in preventive interventions in psychiatry.
  • Nurse practitioners are incredibly in demand, with a 52% job outlook increase to 2029, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS).
  • Medical and health service managers can expect a job outlook that shows a 33% increase in the next eight years or so.


Other highly in-demand jobs include medical assistants, home health, and even more entry-level roles such as food service and housekeeping. The need for care providers for seniors is particularly acute at around seven times the average rate of any other healthcare role.

The healthcare industry is still recession-proof, but during a global pandemic, it also comes with risks. This has left some students wondering what’s next for their career path. For students ready to enter the field, they can expect fast-track hiring that will help them fit a role quickly. Every hospital across the U.S. is experiencing provider shortages in both clinical and non-clinical areas.

For the new healthcare graduate, it is potentially a stressful and tumultuous time to enter the field. That’s why you need a trusted advisor like MedSource Consultants. Our organization works with the top healthcare providers in the nation, matching them to the best candidates on the market today. If you’re looking for a job search partner with real connections and longevity and experience in the field, look no further than MedSource Consultants to start your career.