Background The COVID-19 pandemic brought about sudden changes in healthcare demands, requiring additional
healthcare professionals and altering the educational landscape for medical and nursing residents. This study aimedto explore the experiences and impact of the pandemic on the training of family and community medicine as well asfamily and community nursing residents.
Method A participatory qualitative study was conducted using the Photovoice methodology. Seven residents
in family and community medicine and nursing in the Madrid region were purposively sampled. Participants
took photographs and engaged in weekly sessions over five weeks to discuss and analyse their photos, which
were grouped into themes and further categorized. Recommendations for institutions and program leaders were
developed using an adapted logical framework approach.
Results The average age was 27 years, with 86% being female. Participants captured 96 photographs categorized
into five themes (physical and emotional impact; impact on primary care system; hospital care ; social and
environmental impact ; and impact on training). Through critical discussions on impact on training-related photos,
seven emergent themes were identified: 1) COVID-19 monograph, buried knowledge; 2) Changing roles ; 3) Transition from face-to-face to online delivery format ; 4) Supervision; 5) Tutor as educator and caregiver ; 6) Advocacy ; 7) Family and nursing residents as agents of change. Subsequently, participants formulated seven recommendations that should be considered in similar situations.
Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant challenges in implementing medical education
programs. It has had both formative and professional impacts on medical and nursing residents. These findings can
aid in designing coping and educational strategies to navigate exceptional situations such as the one experienced
during the pandemic.
Autores: Elena Polentinos-Castro; Raquel Sánchez-Ruano; Paloma Conde-Espejo; Miguel López-Miguel; Lucía Nuevo-Coello; María Minué-Estirado; Elena Valera-Bermejo; Isabel del Cura-González
BMC Medical Education (2026) 26:489