"PEM Pals"-Cultivating a Learning Community During the Pandemic

The current pandemic has pushed medical educators to rethink traditional learning constructs as residents are experiencing fewer patient contacts in the pediatric emergency department (PED). Especially for those bound for a career in pediatric emergency medicine (PEM), we designed a curriculum to proactively address this emerging learning gap, incorporating a wellness "check-in" at the beginning of each session. The objective of this report is to share the themes of this wellness check-ins with those engaged in pediatric emergency medicine education and mentorship. Additionally, we share our curricular approach as we plan to continue PEM Pals after the pandemic restrictions are lifted.

"PEM Pals" is a twice-weekly video conference meeting made up of pediatric residents with an expressed interest in PEM and those residents currently on rotation in the pediatric emergency department. Following a flipped classroom model, participants complete a presession learning activity and then core PEM topics are covered through literature review, case discussions, and telesimulations. Each meeting begins with a wellness "check-in." Themes generated from these check-ins were member checked by our core learning contingent.

Nine residents make up our core learning contingent and we have had 11 "PEM Pals" sessions since March 2020. Three themes emerged from the wellness check-ins. The first was each postgraduate year's unique concern over professional transitions. The second was a pervasive sense of guilt. And the third was a grave concern about their ability to support and be supported from their personal communities.

The goal of our curriculum was to supplement an anticipated knowledge gap. Through use of a wellness "check-in," we elicited important themes for PEM educational leaders to consider as they mentor pediatric residents toward a career in PEM during the pandemic.