When virtual becomes reality: short term impressions of a two-week virtual urology sub-internship program

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Urology

Background:

• COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted traditional medical student education, particularly in surgical clerkships.
• Restrictions necessitated innovative approaches to maintain educational continuity and student engagement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate a virtual urologic surgery sub-internship program for medical students.
• To assess student impressions and the impact of the virtual rotation on residency application plans.

Main Methods:

• A two-week virtual urology curriculum was developed using interactive videoconferencing.
• Included synchronous/individual learning, virtual clinical experiences, lectures, conferences, suture lab, and reflective writing.
• Student impressions were gathered via an exit survey with 5-point Likert scale responses.

Main Results:

• 18 medical students participated in the virtual sub-internship.
• 87.5% rated the overall experience as "strongly positive"; learning rated 4.75/5.
• The rotation positively influenced residency application plans (mean 4.81/5) and 100% would recommend it.

Conclusions:

• A two-week virtual urology sub-internship can be successfully implemented, offering comprehensive clinical and educational experiences.
• The program was well-received by medical students, demonstrating its value.
• This virtual model is adaptable for other surgical sub-specialty programs.