Designing a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Virtual Curriculum: Assessment of Medical Student Knowledge, Surgical...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Virtual Learning Environments

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a shift from traditional clinical rotations to virtual learning for medical students.
• This transition impacted surgical education, requiring innovative approaches to maintain learning continuity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a virtual curriculum for medical students interested in plastic surgery.
• The curriculum aimed to enhance knowledge, technical skills, and community engagement in the field.

Main Methods:

• A 4-week virtual curriculum was designed using established resources from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
• Educational methods included virtual flipped classroom case discussions and hands-on surgical skills workshops.
• Pre- and post-course surveys assessed student confidence and knowledge acquisition.

Main Results:

• Participants reported significant improvements in confidence regarding plastic surgery case discussions, anatomy, and workup (p < 0.001).
• Surgical skills, including suturing and knot-tying, showed significant improvement among workshop attendees (p < 0.001).
• Students felt better prepared for residency subinternships and more connected to the applicant community (p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

• The virtual curriculum effectively improved medical students' knowledge, surgical skills, and sense of community in plastic surgery.
• This program provides a scalable model for structured virtual learning in surgical specialties.
• The curriculum holds potential for long-term utility in training aspiring plastic surgeons.