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Letter: Changes to neurosurgery resident education following onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.


ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the postponement of a large proportion of neurosurgical cases with an accordant radical change in resident experiences. As residents rely upon operative exposure and in-person didactic lectures for education, the disruptions caused by the pandemic have forced programs to revise how they educate residents. Here we surveyed program directors (PDs) to ascertain how they have altered the education and clinical care responsibilities of residents in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS:Surveys were sent to the PDs of all ACGME-accredited neurosurgery programs. Survey questions targeted changes in resident staffing and coverage, changes in didactic material delivery, and changes in resident wellness initiatives. PD concerns were also elicited. RESULTS:Of the 116 program PDs invited, 57 responded (49.1%). We found that most programs have reduced resident work weeks (65%) and in-hospital resident shift census (95%). Few have redeployed residents and most are increasingly relying on teleconferencing solutions for meetings and resident education. Most commonly programs are using faculty- (91%) or resident-led (65%) lectures, though nearly 75% are supplementing resident education with materials from the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS). Continuing education in spite of decreased case volume and maintaining resident morale are cited as the most common concerns of PDs. CONCLUSION:Here we find that there is great homogeneity in the responses of neurosurgical residency programs to the COVID-19 pandemic. Programs are increasingly incorporating teleconferencing platforms and third-party education materials, most commonly materials from the CNS. Additionally, most respondents indicated that their program has not redeployed residents in the care of COVID-19 positive patients. The results of the present study may assist program directors in developing a uniform resident curriculum and consider wellness initiatives during this time of crisis.

SUBMITTER: Pennington Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7243785 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Letter to the Editor "Changes to Neurosurgery Resident Education Since Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic".

Pennington Zach Z   Lubelski Daniel D   Khalafallah Adham M AM   Ehresman Jeff J   Sciubba Daniel M DM   Witham Timothy F TF   Huang Judy J  

World neurosurgery 20200522


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