# Socioeconomic and academic consequences of COVID-19 pandemic on medical students from the University of Rwanda

## TL;DR

This study examines how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the social, economic, and academic lives of medical students at the University of Rwanda.

## Contribution

It provides insights into the specific impacts on medical students in Sub-Saharan Africa, a region underrepresented in pandemic research.

## Key findings

- Most students experienced disruptions in routine activities and reduced social interactions.
- Financial uncertainty and income loss were common economic consequences.
- Academic progress was significantly affected, with many students facing the risk of repeating their year.

## Abstract

Little is known about the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the life of university students in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA). The objective of this study was to evaluate the socioeconomic and academic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical students studying at the University of Rwanda.

This was a cross-sectional study. An online survey using google form was sent to medical students in clinical training (year 3 till year 5) using convenience sampling followed by snowball sampling method. We collected data on participants’ demographics, general knowledge on the COVID-19 pandemic and perception on mitigation measures, and socio-economic and academic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Descriptive statistics were used in excel 2015 software to calculate participants’ responses and categorical data were presented using frequencies and percentages.

A total 187 participants completed the survey. Most participants described disruption in routine activities (72.7%), reduced travelling (69%), church closing (64.2%), and loss of freedom (57.2%) as examples of negative social consequences. While financial uncertainty (64.7%), decrease in income (49.7%), and increase in poverty rate (42.2%) were the main economic consequences. Issues with academic progress (95.7%), limited social life (56.1%), and repeating the year (42.8%) were examples of negative academic consequences.

The results of this study suggest that the COVID-19 had a negative social, economic, and academic consequences on medical students at the University of Rwanda. These finding may guide the design of interventions to mitigate the consequences of COVID-19 and to protect medical students against future pandemics and crises.