key: cord-0063452-zwfu8uuk
authors: Jayawardena, O; Toh, S; Fowler, H; Fok, M; Clifford, R
title: 667 Virtual Learning During The COVID-19 Pandemic Amongst Medical Students in The United Kingdom
date: 2021-05-04
journal: Br J Surg
DOI: 10.1093/bjs/znab134.160
sha: 93cc31cb053c3c31612be4f8c8658a888008bf2d
doc_id: 63452
cord_uid: zwfu8uuk

INTRODUCTION: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic medical education has predominantly been delivered through virtual learning (VL). This survey was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of VL amongst medical students in the UK. METHOD: An online anonymised SurveyMonkey© survey was distributed through social media amongst UK medical students. RESULTS: There were 142 completed surveys, 96.5% of students engaged in some form of VL during the pandemic, compared to 57.8% prior to the pandemic. The most frequently used method to deliver teaching was interactive online lectures (74.7%). The students perceived small group online teaching sessions to be the most effective delivery method (weighted average 7.4/10) followed by interactive online lectures (7.4/10). The least effective teaching method was online lecture notes (5.3/10). Accessibility to coursework (8.6/10) and enhanced flexibility (8.4/10) were considered to be the biggest advantages of VL. Overall, 44% of students felt VL had a negative impact on their learning, with 23% of students considered to have failed to meet the learning objectives set out in these sessions. CONCLUSIONS: Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic VL will continue to play a role in medical education. However, there is room for improvement in both delivery and engagement to improve student experience and satisfaction.

e increasingly difficult leading to the rise of near-peer teaching. We evaluate the long-term effectiveness of near-peer surgical teaching for junior doctors.

Method: We developed a rolling 12-week trainee-led didactic surgical education programme for Foundation doctors and Core Surgical Trainees. Junior doctors delivered teaching to peers with registrar input; session and supervision feedback was recorded using 5-point scales and free-text responses. Results: 42 junior doctors responded to our end-of-programme feedback surveys covering December 2018 to April 2020. The overall programme (8.8361.08/10), relevance (4.6260.58/5), presentation quality (4.6060.50/5) and supervisor knowledge (4.8160.40/5) were rated highly by respondents. Attendees also reported significant improvements in subject knowledge (3.7260.92/5 to 4.5060.56/5, P < 0.0001), clinical confidence, presentation and teaching skills. Conclusions: Our near-peer teaching programme addressed the educational needs of junior doctors and developed their presentation and organisational skills. Supervision and input from registrars facilitated discussion and reinforced key concepts. The success of this programme highlights the role that trainees can play in designing, developing, and leading an effective surgical teaching programme.

Specific reference was made in free text responses to the quality, convenience, and utility of the learning database. Maintenance of responsible social distancing was also given as a positive aspect of this teaching method. Conclusions: We report a successful transition from traditional teaching to a virtual platform as a result of COVID-19 restrictions. Our experience is that high quality teaching can be delivered virtually while encouraging attendance and maintaining social distancing. Introduction: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic medical education has predominantly been delivered through virtual learning (VL). This survey was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of VL amongst medical students in the UK. Method: An online anonymised SurveyMonkeyV C survey was distributed through social media amongst UK medical students. Results: There were 142 completed surveys, 96.5% of students engaged in some form of VL during the pandemic, compared to 57.8% prior to the pandemic. The most frequently used method to deliver teaching was interactive online lectures (74.7%). The students perceived small group online teaching sessions to be the most effective delivery method (weighted average 7.4/10) followed by interactive online lectures (7.4/10). The least effective teaching method was online lecture notes (5.3/10). Accessibility to coursework (8.6/10) and enhanced flexibility (8.4/10) were considered to be the biggest advantages of VL. Overall, 44% of students felt VL had a negative impact on their learning, with 23% of students considered to have failed to meet the learning objectives set out in these sessions. Conclusions: Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic VL will continue to play a role in medical education. However, there is room for improvement in both delivery and engagement to improve student experience and satisfaction.

Method: We set up a student-led mentorship scheme, pairing 54 medical students with surgeons around London. Students completed questionnaires before, during and after the scheme and mentors completed a post-mentorship scheme feedback questionnaire, with the purpose of measuring the participants' experience on Likert scales from 1 to 5. Quantitative data analysis was performed to assess trends. Results: In the cohort of students who answered all three questionnaires (n ¼ 34) the biggest improvements seen over the duration of the scheme were 'exposure to surgery so far in medical school' and 'understanding the steps required to improve a surgical portfolio', with mean values increasing by 1.653 and 1.733, respectively. The main challenges faced were mainly related to time restraints and communication issues. Conclusions: Mentors and mentees can both benefit from a mentorship scheme, but certain variables, such as time constraints and goalsetting, need to be clearly established for both parties. In the future, the scheme would benefit from more guidance and stricter ruling.

Emergencies in Plastic Surgery -The Impact of a One-Day Conference on Medical Students' Confidence online questionnaires comprising 26 five-step Likert scale questions on knowledge, skills, and career in plastic surgery. Significance of comparisons was established with Wilcoxon signed-rank test using IBM SPSS V26

Understanding of the reconstructive ladder showed largest improvement in knowledge (mean6SD: 1.9661.27 vs 3.8061.08), performing Z-pasty in skills (1.7261.17 vs 3.7261.06) and portfolio development in career category (2.2861.17 vs 4.0861.04). Two more participants declared considering career in plastic surgery after the conference. Conclusions: A two-day student-organised conference significantly improved plastic surgery knowledge and skills of medical students and junior doctors