Introduction:

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mental health of doctors and medical students. There has been plenty of discussion about the lessons learned, in relation to clinical aspects, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. However, doctors are trained in patient care, which involves technique and humanity.

Objective:

Presentation and discussion of lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic for medical interns and newly graduated doctors.

Method:

This is a quali-quantitative study performed in the second half of September 2020 (six months after the start of the pandemic) using a digital platform. All medical internship students and all physicians graduated since 2018 from the three medical schools in Sergipe-NE-Brazil were invited to participate.

Result:

148 forms were obtained, and four of them did not contain answers in the open fields. As regards the university training internship, 36.5% were newly graduated physicians (n=54), of which 90.7% worked on the front line of care for patients with COVID-19. When asked about the main lessons that the pandemic brought, 41 responses referred to patience, unpredictability of the future and resilience in facing the adversities of the pandemic. About 42% (n=62) of the participants knew at least one person who died of COVID-19, and this was associated with the need to enjoy time, life and people (p=0.09). A total of 34 participants (23%) responded with a positive attitude of relearning and hope when asked about how they imagined work and medical education after the pandemic. The need for a cautious return was cited in 34 (23%) responses.

Conclusion:

Newly qualified doctors and medical students reported learnings related to patience and resilience. The loss of family and friends by COVID-19 was associated with the need to seize the moment.

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