A systematic review of virtual elective programmes for medical students

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Global Health
• Digital Learning

Background:

• Clinical electives are integral to medical training, providing exposure to diverse health systems.
• The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of virtual elective programs.
• A limited evidence base previously existed for virtual medical electives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the implementation, advantages, and disadvantages of virtual elective programs for medical students.
• To assess the current state of evidence regarding virtual medical electives.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review conducted following PRISMA guidelines.
• Searched databases for original evaluations of fully virtual electives between medical institutions over the past 10 years.
• Extracted descriptive, quantitative, and qualitative data by two independent reviewers.

Main Results:

• Fourteen articles published between 2020-2023, all from the USA, were included.
• Virtual electives averaged 3 weeks, utilizing formats like virtual clinics and seminars.
• Challenges included varied learning styles, reduced patient interaction, and technological issues.

Conclusions:

• Virtual electives are likely to play a future role, potentially replacing in-person experiences.
• Benefits include increased diversity, high student satisfaction, and environmental advantages.
• Further research is needed to fully evaluate the efficacy of virtual electives in medical education.