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Orthopaedic Surgery Training and Education During COVID-19: A Systematic Review
Zachary D Randall1, Aravinda Ganapathy1, Andrew W Kuhn2
1School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri.
JB & JS Open Access
|August 3, 2023
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered orthopaedic surgical training, increasing reliance on virtual education and social media. While virtual formats offered cost savings, trainees and programs preferred in-person interactions for a comprehensive educational experience.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Orthopaedic Surgery
- Public Health Emergencies
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated rapid adaptations in surgical resident training programs.
- Educational requirements faced constraints, leading to significant changes in orthopaedic education delivery.
- These pandemic-induced changes have had a lasting impact on the field of orthopaedic training.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and analyze the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on orthopaedic surgical training and education.
- To identify key themes and shifts in educational practices within orthopaedic residency programs during the pandemic.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.
- Inclusion criteria focused on studies concerning COVID-19, orthopaedic surgical training, and medical education.
- Exclusion of non-peer-reviewed articles, other specialties, and unrelated topics.
Main Results:
- Eighty-three studies were included, revealing five emergent themes: Fellowship Application/Interviews/Match, Social Media Use, Surgical Volume Changes, Trainee Mental Health, and Educational Innovations.
- The pandemic reduced medical student exposure to orthopaedics and increased social media use for program information.
- Virtual interviews saved applicants money but were less preferred than in-person interactions; trainees reported mixed satisfaction with virtual learning due to decreased surgical volume and in-person didactics.
Conclusions:
- The shift to virtual learning impacted how residency programs were evaluated, with increased reliance on virtual rotations and social media.
- The pandemic highlighted diversity and accessibility issues, with potential benefits for lower socioeconomic applicants due to cost savings.
- While some innovations show promise for post-pandemic integration, the long-term role of certain adaptations like virtual interviews remains uncertain.
