OrthoACCESS: Implementing a Sub-Internship Curriculum for MS4s Applying to Orthopaedic Surgery

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Virtual Learning

Background:

• Clinical rotations for orthopedic surgery residency were significantly disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• A need existed for structured orthopedic education for fourth-year medical students (MS4s) due to paused rotations.
• The Ortho Acting-Intern Coordinated Clinical Education and Surgical Skills (OrthoACCESS) curriculum was developed in 2019 to address this gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accessibility and usability of the MS4 virtual orthopedic curriculum, OrthoACCESS.
• To examine the curriculum's impact on learner familiarity with basic orthopedic topics in 2020.
• To assess the effectiveness of a virtual orthopedic curriculum during a period of disrupted medical training.

Main Methods:

• Weekly lectures were delivered via Zoom Webinar from July to October 2020.
• Website content included recorded webinars, external resources, and skills videos.
• Anonymous surveys were administered post-webinar and post-curriculum to assess knowledge, utility, and overall experience.

Main Results:

• OrthoACCESS had 1062 registrants, with 59% being MS4s, and attracted 4528 users from 66 countries.
• Lectures were viewed 3743 times (live and asynchronous), with high engagement and positive feedback on organization, pacing, and content.
• Respondents reported increased knowledge and clinical application ability (p < 0.001), with high recommendations from both students and faculty.

Conclusions:

• OrthoACCESS successfully provided foundational musculoskeletal instruction during a critical period of need.
• The virtual curriculum demonstrated significant international utilization and improved participants' self-reported knowledge and clinical application skills.
• This study highlights the value of virtual educational tools in supplementing traditional medical training, particularly during disruptions.