Transforming a clerkship with telemedicine

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Public Health
• Telemedicine

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted clinical practices and medical education globally.
• Recommendations were issued to pause in-person clinical experiences for medical students.
• This created an urgent need for adaptive educational strategies in medical schools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt the traditional family medicine clerkship curriculum in response to pandemic-related disruptions.
• To implement a virtual learning model incorporating telemedicine for third-year medical students.
• To ensure continued high-quality medical education despite limitations on in-person clinical activities.

Main Methods:

• Transitioned the Family Medicine clerkship at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine to an online format.
• Integrated telemedicine into the virtual curriculum for practical skill development.
• Facilitated offsite, remote clinical education for a cohort of medical students.

Main Results:

• Successfully delivered a high-quality, virtual education to 44 third-year medical students.
• Enabled students to gain necessary clinical experience and skills through remote learning.
• Demonstrated the feasibility of an online clerkship model during a public health crisis.

Conclusions:

• The transition to an online, telemedicine-integrated family medicine clerkship was effective.
• This innovative model provided valuable education and skill acquisition for medical students.
• The study highlights the adaptability of medical education in the face of unprecedented challenges.