INSTITUTIONAL CHANGES
In early March 2020, Weill Cornell Medicine suspended all medical student teaching in clinical care settings amidst the continued rise in COVID-19 cases in New York City. This ushered in a transformation of the core clinical curriculum to a remote, online platform for students of all years. Institutional policies also mandated a halt of basic and translational science research in laboratories for experiments considered “nonessential.” Virtual clinical electives within different medical specialties became available for students currently in their clerkship year to participate in the care of COVID-19 patients and remain clinically engaged. These were coupled with independent research electives for students already working on clinical research projects with faculty mentors.