Simulation-based education in neurology: lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Jaime Toro, Universidad El Bosque; Juan Sebastián Rivera, Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá; Jairo Gaitán, Universidad de Los Andes; Daniela Rodríguez, Universidad de Los Andes; Laura Andrea Serna-Corredor, Universidad de Los Andes; Fabián Cortés-Muñoz, Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá; Thomas Medina, Universidad de Los Andes; Manuel Yepes, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2023-11-02
• Publisher: Springer Nature
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2023, The Author(s)
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-023-06605-7
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: BMC Research Notes
• Volume: 16
• Start Page: 307
• Grant/Funding Information: There was no funding for this article.
• Keywords: Simulated hospital; Neurology; Medical education; COVID-19 pandemic
• Research Categories: Education, Health

Abstract

Objectives The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the disruption of all sectors of the economy including education. According to UNESCO over 1.37 million young people including medical students, were affected by the lockdowns in response to COVID-19 and the subsequent closure of the education system. The primary challenge for medical education was to provide clerkships in a biosafety environment. This study aimed to determine the impact of a simulated hospital in a neurology clerkship of 5-year medical students during the coronavirus pandemic and compare their results with a non-pandemic group in Bogotá, Colombia. Results The students in the pandemic group answered a Likert scale survey regarding their satisfaction with the simulated hospital. Both groups were required to perform an oral, mid-term and final examination. From the results, it is clear that students perceived that exposure to a simulated hospital facilitated their learning process (93.1%) and allowed greater interaction with the teacher compared to a face-to-face environment (77.3%). There were no clinically significant differences in test results. This experience indicates that a simulated hospital is a valuable method to acquire clinical skills in trainees, that could be integrated into the curricular milestones of medical education programs regardless of the pandemic.