Background: Eight novel virtual surgery electives (VSEs) were developed and implemented in April–May 2020 for medical students forced to continue their education remotely due to COVID-19. Methods: Each VSE was 1–2 weeks long, contained specialty-specific course objectives, and included a variety of teaching modalities. Students completed a post-course survey to assess changes in their interest and understanding of the specialty. Quantitative methods were employed to analyze the results. Results: Eighty-three students participated in the electives and 67 (80.7%) completed the post-course survey. Forty-six (68.7%) respondents reported “increased” or “greatly increased” interest in the course specialty completed. Survey respondents’ post-course understanding of each specialty increased by a statistically significant amount (p-value = <0.0001). Conclusion: This initial effort demonstrated that VSEs can be an effective tool for increasing medical students’ interest in and understanding of surgical specialties. They should be studied further with more rigorous methods in a larger population.

Background: On March 17, 2020 the Association of American Medical Colleges recommended dismissal of medical students from clinical settings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Third-year (M3) and fourth-year (M4) medical students were at home, M4s were interested in teaching, and residents and faculty had fewer clinical responsibilities due to elective surgery cancellations. To continue M3 access to education, we created a virtual surgery elective (VSE) that aimed to broaden students’ exposure to, and elicit interest in, general surgery (GS). Methods: Faculty, surgical residents, and M4s collaborated to create a 2-wk VSE focusing on self-directed learning and direct interactions with surgery faculty. Each day was dedicated to a specific pathology commonly encountered in GS. A variety of teaching methods were employed including self-directed readings and videos, M4 peer lectures, case-based learning and operative video review with surgery faculty, and weekly surgical conferences. A VSE skills lab was also conducted to teach basic suturing and knot-tying. All lectures and skills labs were via Zoom videoconference (Zoom Video Communications Inc). A post-course anonymous survey sent to all participants assessed changes in their understanding of GS and their interest in GS and surgery overall. Results: Fourteen M3s participated in this elective over two consecutive iterations. The survey response rate was 79%. Ninety-one percent of students believed the course met its learning objectives “well” or “very well.” Prior to the course, 27% reported a “good understanding” and 0% a “very good” understanding of GS. Post-course, 100% reported a “good” or “very good” understanding of GS, a statistically significant increase (P = 0.0003). Eighty-two percent reported increased interest in GS and 64% reported an increase in pursuing GS as a career. Conclusions: As proof of concept, this online course successfully demonstrated virtual medical student education can increase student understanding of GS topics, increase interest in GS, and increase interest in careers in surgery. To broaden student exposure to GS, we plan to integrate archived portions of this course into the regular third-year surgery clerkship and these can also be used to introduce GS in the preclinical years.

OBJECTIVE: To provide a framework for a virtual curriculum during the COVID-19 pandemic for medical student educators that introduces and teaches clinical concepts important in urology and surgical specialties in general. METHODS: We created a 1-week virtual urology course utilizing interactive lectures, case-based exercises, and faculty-proctored surgical video reviews. Students were assigned self-study modules and participated in case-based discussions and presentations on a topic of their choice. Students’ perceptions of urology as a specialty and the utility of the course was evaluated through pre- and postcourse surveys. Understanding of urologic content was evaluated with a multiple-choice exam. RESULTS: A total of nine students were enrolled in the course. All students reported increased understanding of the common urologic diagnoses and of urology as a specialty by an average of 2.5 points on a 10-point Likert scale (Cohen's measure of effect size: 3.2). Additionally, 56% of students reported increased interest, 22% reported no change and 22% reported a decreased interest in pursuing urology as a specialty following the course. Students self-reported increased knowledge of a variety of urologic topics on a 10-point Likert scale. The average exam score on the multiple-choice exam improved from 50% before the course to 89% after the course. CONCLUSIONS: Various teaching techniques can be employed through a virtual platform to introduce medical students to the specialty of urology and increase clinical knowledge surrounding common urologic conditions. As the longevity of the COVID-19 pandemic becomes increasingly apparent and virtual teaching is normalized, these techniques can have far-reaching utility within the traditional medical student surgical curriculum.

Objective To develop and evaluate a virtual otolaryngology medical student elective created during the COVID-19 crisis with the intention of teaching the basic tenets of otolaryngology and increasing exposure to the specialty. Study Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting Emory University School of Medicine. Methods A 1-week virtual otolaryngology curriculum was offered to third- and fourth-year medical students that centered on the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation’s handbook Primary Care in Otolaryngology (fourth edition). The course covered a variety of topics and was conducted remotely via online video conferencing software. We applied multiple teaching modalities and surveyed students regarding the effectiveness of the course. Mixed methods analysis was employed to analyze the course data. Results Twelve students participated; 67% reported their baseline precourse understanding of otolaryngology in the “poor-fair” range. After the course, 92% of students reported increased understanding, with 42% and 58% reporting “good” and “very good” understanding, respectively. Following completion of the course, posttest scores on summative assessments were significantly higher than pretest scores (P < .001). Ninety-two percent of students reported either “increased” or “greatly increased” interest in otolaryngology postcourse. Qualitative survey results revealed students’ appreciation of course organization, formative assessments, and case-based learning. Conclusions An otolaryngology elective administered through a virtual format can be effective at providing an educational experience and garnering interest in the field. Positive exposure to otolaryngology can increase medical students’ interest in pursuing the specialty and expand their general knowledge of consultation, diagnosis, and management in otolaryngology.