Accepted Type
Dedicated Poster
Code
LP5 - 03
Acceptance Declaration
Accept
Additional Information
I declare I have no actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to this program.
Was this work accepted for CCME 2020?
no
Category
General Call (Workshop, Oral Presentation, Poster Presentation)
Type
Poster
Sub Type
Education Research
Will the presenter be a:
Student
Affiliation
Title
Initial Impact of COVID-19 on Postgraduate Pediatric Trainees: What We Know So Far.
Length of Presentation
Background/Purpose
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted medical education, including increased reliance on virtual consults and the requirements to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for in-person settings. We sought to understand how the changes brought on by COVID-19 affected the learning environment of postgraduate trainees.
Methods
A web-based questionnaire consisting of 15 questions was sent to postgraduate trainees within the Department of Paediatrics at McMaster University over 6 blocks of clinical rotations. The survey was designed as a quality improvement initiative.
Results
We collected 77 responses. 71.4% of responses were from core paediatric residents, with the remainder a combination of subspecialty fellows, neurology and physiatry residents. The majority of respondents felt their learning goals were either 'definitely met' (48.1%) or 'somewhat met' (48.1%) despite COVID-19 related changes. Common barriers that affected learning were technical issues (49.4%), scheduling challenges (29.9%) and a lack of teaching (27.3%). Many trainees expressed that low patient volumes and lack of physical exam practice hindered their learning. Some trainees found the use of PPE during in-person consults to hinder verbal communication, and that it was challenging not to physically connect with patients.
Conclusion
Most trainees felt their learning goals were met despite abrupt program changes. A number of challenges were identified, and recognition of these may help curriculum developers to adapt educational programs and mitigate disruptions during subsequent 'waves' of COVID-19. These changes may be especially important to implement as the transition to Competency By Design Programs becomes more prominent.
Keyword 1
MedEd
Keyword 2
COVID-19
Level of Training
Post Graduate
Abstract Themes
Postgraduate
Learning Outcomes
- Clinical Skills
- Communication Skills
- Patient Management
Additional Theme (First choice)
Assessment
Additional Theme (Second Choice)
Additional Theme (Third Choice)
Authors
Presenter
Michelle Schneeweiss
Term 1
Yes
Term 2
Yes
Term 3
Yes
Term 4
Yes
Term 5
Yes
