National Implementation and Evaluation of a Virtual Subinternship in Urology

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Urology Residency

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the shift to virtual learning environments for medical education.
• Virtual subinternships were implemented nationwide to ensure continuity of urologic education for residency applicants.
• Assessing the effectiveness and perspectives of these virtual programs was crucial for future medical training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate student and program director (PD) perspectives on virtual urology subinternships during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To identify key factors influencing satisfaction and success in virtual subinternship programs.
• To determine the potential for incorporating virtual components into future medical electives.

Main Methods:

• Anonymous surveys were distributed to urology residency applicants and program directors across the United States in December 2020.
• Surveys assessed curriculum, goals, satisfaction, barriers, and future reusability of virtual subinternships.
• Data analysis included descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression to identify predictors of satisfaction.

Main Results:

• High overall satisfaction was reported, with 77% of students and 78% of PDs rating the electives positively.
• Student satisfaction was associated with longer duration (≥3 weeks) and smaller class sizes (≤4 students).
• Program director satisfaction was linked to full-time electives, small class sizes, and the use of a standardized guidebook. Lack of hands-on learning was a significant challenge.

Conclusions:

• Virtual subinternships provided a viable educational solution during the pandemic, with high satisfaction rates.
• Structured virtual programs with longer duration, full-time commitment, and small class sizes were most effective.
• A significant proportion of participants recommended integrating virtual components into future urology electives.