I am having trouble keeping up with virtual teaching activities: Reflections in the COVID-19 era

Determining the challenges and opportunities of virtual teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed method study in the north of Iran

The aim of this study was to determine the challenges and opportunities of virtual education during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was conducted in 2022-2023 with a mixed method. During the quantitative phase, we chose 507 students from Mazandaran Province medical universities (both governmental and non-governmental) by stratified random sampling and during the qualitative phase 16 experts were collected by purposive sampling until we reached data saturation. Data collecting tools consisted of questionnaires during the quantitative phase and semi-structured interview during the qualitative phase. Data was analyzed using SPSS21 and MAXQDA10. Mean scores of the total score was 122.28±23.96. We found a significant association between interaction dimension and background variables (P < 0.001). The most important privilege of virtual education is uploading the teaching material in the system so that students can access the material constantly and the most important challenge regarding virtual education is lack of proper network connection and limited bandwidth. Virtual education proved to be a suitable alternate to traditional methods of medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic in theoretical topics, we recommend that educational policymakers would take the necessary actions to provide the requirements and facilities needed to improve the quality of virtual education.

Students at a crossroad: A cross-sectional survey gauging the impact of COVID-19 on medical and biomedical graduates in the United States and Sweden

Graduate programs in medicine and biomedical sciences have been severely impacted by the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic over the last 2 years. Following 2 years since beginning of the pandemic, data on student support, educational and academic performance as well as sentiment on changes to educational programs are starting to emerge. We performed and compared results of two cross-sectional surveys of Swedish and U.S.-based medical and biomedical graduate students on how the pandemic has affected their studies, research productivity and career trajectory. Students were also asked to assess support provided by the university and supervisors. The surveys also captured student demographics and a range of other factors, such as pressures brought on by caretaking and financial responsibilities. We analyzed answers from 264 and 106 students attending graduate programs in universities in Sweden and the United States, respectively. U.S.-based students faced more severe restrictions on their research program compared to students in Sweden, reporting more delays in productivity, scientific output and graduation, and increased worries about their career trajectory. Swedish students had more caretaking responsibilities, although these did not cause any delays in graduation. While support by universities and supervisors was comparable between the countries, financial worries and mental health concerns were particularly prominent in the U.S. cohort. Student performance and outlook was hugely dependent on the breadth of the restrictions and the available support. Besides the governmental and university-led approach to counter the pandemic, societal differences also played a role in how well students were handling effects of the pandemic.

Learning challenges in Physical Therapy, Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, and Occupational Therapy undergraduate programs during the COVID-19 pandemic

PURPOSE

COVID-19 posed numerous challenges to educational programs that had to quickly adapt to remote online learning (ROL) to ensure the continuity of health professional training over the pandemic. We aimed to assess the students' and professors' perceptions of the teaching-learning process in the Physical Therapy, Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, and Occupational Therapy undergraduate programs at a Brazilian public university.

METHODS

We used an electronic self-reported questionnaire with multiple-choice questions on a Likert scale ranged 1-5; higher the score, higher the level of agreement/importance/satisfaction.

RESULTS

Most of undergraduate students and teachers had previous experience using information and communication technologies, and 85% stated their preference for in-person learning. Students expressed their appreciation for more active learning methodologies with clear objectives, accessible content, and visualization of abstract concepts. Regarding benefits and barriers, some similar perceptions were observed between students and teachers with ROL favoring time management, benefits in the teaching-learning process, satisfaction and motivation with the course content, and low attendance rates to general academic activities due to absent or poor access to technological resources.

CONCLUSION

ROL is an alternative learning mode when the in-person classes cannot be carried out, as in the case of the COVID-19 pandemic. ROL is believed to be unfit to replace in-person learning, although it can complement the traditional classroom-based education in a hybrid model, respecting the nature of each program in the field of health that requires in-person practical training.

Effects of students' peer teaching in a new pharmacokinetics teaching format

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this work was to evaluate the impact of a teaching method in pharmacokinetics (PK) in terms of satisfaction and performance in the final test of students.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This method consisted of the development of a practical problem and a peer-tutored solution by small groups of three or four students. Students enrolled in the second year of pharmaceutical studies had to generate a PK practical problem, to propose a solution and to conduct a peer-tutored solution of the practical problem completed by another student group in a learning-connected classroom. Student's performance was assessed by individual semi-structured interviews and by comparing the scores obtained in the final test with those obtained in previous years.

RESULTS

More than 70% of the students were highly satisfied with the new format of the PK course, especially concerning the development and the design of a practical problem. More than 94% of the students considered that the content of the lecture-based teaching was at least adapted and in accordance with the objectives of the PK course. Students reported very constructive discussions and interactions with peers and the teacher. In addition, students significantly increased their score at the final PK test compared to previous years (53.27±19.10% in 2015-2017 vs. 71.30±13.47% in 2018-2019, P<.0001).

CONCLUSION

This new method including peer teaching was applied in PK and allowed to significantly increase the performance and the satisfaction of the students in PK.

What to keep? What to discard? Virtual or in-person learning after the pandemic: Expectations of French neurology residents

ISSUE

To define the relevance of online courses for neurology residents in a post-COVID environment and how to improve existing programs.

EVIDENCE

In total, 99 French neurology residents voluntarily chose to participate in this survey. They were asked about the proportion of online courses they followed before and during the pandemic, the advantages and inconveniences of each format, the type of environment in which they attended online classes, and their preference for either online or in-person learning. Out of the 99 French neurology residents who responded, 65% of them had less than 25% of their course load online before the pandemic, whereas in 2022, 38% of them had more than 75% of their courses in a virtual format. With 56% of students being able to attend online classes from home and another 25% attending from their hospital unit, general access was not an issue. However, only 18% of residents reported that these online courses increased their attendance and 74% of them reported preferring in-person courses to those online. To improve the current offer of online courses, residents suggested a more interactive learning method, such as through clinical cases (49%).

IMPLICATIONS

Although a small portion of students is satisfied with this change toward online learning, most residents seek to go back to in-person courses and conferences. Virtual programs did not increase student attendance and instead highlighted the lack of dedicated time available for specialized education during neurology residency. Returning to in-person training and education could improve residents' focus and help develop a network of health professionals across the country.

Informing a Canadian Skin Science Trainee Program Based on the State of Trainee Programs Offered by International Academic Societies

BACKGROUND

For dermatology to effectively address the ever-growing medical needs, longstanding communication barriers across investigators working in different research pillars and practicing clinicians must be improved. To address this problem, trainee-specific programs are now evolving to align their educational landscape across basic science, translational and clinical research programs.

OBJECTIVES

To establish a Skin Investigation Network of Canada (SkIN Canada) training roadmap for the career and skill development of future clinicians, clinican scientists and basic scientists in Canada. This Working Group aims to strengthen and harmonize collaborations and capacity across the skin research community.

METHODS

The Working Group conducted a search of established international academic societies which offered trainee programs with mandates similar to SkIN Canada. Societies' program items and meetings were evaluated by use of an interview survey and/or the collection of publicly available data. Program logistics, objectives and feedback were assessed for commonalities and factors reported or determined to improve trainee experience.

RESULTS

Through the various factors explored, the Working Group discovered the need for increasing program accessibility, creating opportunities for soft skill development, emphasizing the importance of current challenges, collecting and responding to feedback, and improving knowledge sharing to bridge pillars of skin research.

CONCLUSIONS

Although improvements have been made to trainee education in recent years, a plurality of approaches exist and many of the underlying roadblocks remain unresolved. To establish fundamental clinician-basic scientist collaboration and training efforts, this Working Group highlights important factors to include and consider in building a trainee program and emphasizes the importance of trainee education.

Managing large classes in virtual teaching: experiences of university teachers in Ghana during COVID-19

This research used the qualitative multiple case study and phenomenological designs to explore how, without training, university teachers in Ghana managed large student numbers in the virtual environment during COVID-19. The study examined further the challenges the teachers faced in their virtual instructional delivery. Twelve participants drawn purposively from four large Ghanaian universities participated in individual interviews and follow-up virtual class observations. The findings revealed that the participants employed two management techniques in their virtual teaching-regulating the behaviour of learners and controlling instructional content. The research further uncovered that, although the teachers' complaints generally centred on environmental constraints and inadequate institutional support, those whose difficulties included using virtual tools did not have virtual teaching experience before the COVID period. The study supports the clarion call on university teachers involved in virtual teaching to personally seek a continual update of skills and competency in virtual delivery because it is an approach hinged on evolving technology.

How far has the digitization of medical teaching progressed in times of COVID-19? A multinational survey among medical students and lecturers in German-speaking central Europe

BACKGROUND

To ensure successful medical education despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for online instruction has substantially increased. Fast and efficient teaching in a digital format poses a great challenge for medical students and lecturers as well as the universities.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to capture the readiness of medical students and faculty members to participate in rapidly- evolving online education.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study is based on two questionnaires distributed among medical students and associate deans for education in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Questions included decision- making questions, categorical questions, and open-ended questions, all addressing the frequency and format of the digital education offered, the perceived quality of digital education, and medical student satisfaction with digital education. Questions about missing content and areas for improvement from the perspectives of medical students were included. The associate deans were asked for their opinions about the impact of the pandemic on teaching, the organizational setup and implementation of digital education by universities, and plans for future initiatives.

RESULTS

Three thousand and thirty medical students (m = 752 and f = 2245) from 53 universities participated in the study. The study showed that 92% of students were affected by the pandemic, and 19% of the students viewed the changes as entirely negative. 97% of the medical students were able to participate in digital courses, but only 4% were able to learn exclusively online. For 77% of the medical students, digital offerings accounted for over 80% of the education offered. In terms of content, medical students complained about a lack of practical teaching, such as contact with patients, lecturers, fellow medical students, and a poor perceived quality of teaching due to dubbing, frequent changeover of seminars, problem-oriented learning groups and in-person teaching, a lack of interaction possibilities and a lack of technical equipment, such as lecturers' knowledge and server capacities, at the universities. Overall, almost half of the medical students (42%) rated the implementation of digital teaching at their universities as good or very good. Forty-one of the 53 associate deans responded to the questionnaire, and 35 felt medical education was influenced by the pandemic. The associate deans (80%; 33/41) felt that the digitalization of medical education was negatively influenced by the pandemic. Only 44% (18/41) felt that their universities were well or very well positioned for digital teaching. All the associate deans believe that digital teaching in medicine will continue after the pandemic.

CONCLUSIONS

In the German-speaking world, the rapid conversion of medical teaching to a digital format has been well implemented in many cases. The perceived quality of the implementation of digital education still lacks practical relevance and the use of new digital media, such as learning games, VR, and online question time. The digital format of medical education will likely continue beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

Open Science, open access: literature review of the scientific communication about Covid-19 on the SciELO platform (2020)

ABSTRACT From the perspective of Open Science by means of open access, the study analyzes the scientific communication about Covid-19, made available by the SciELO platform, until February 19, 2021. With a qualitative approach, content analysis is used for data collection and interpretation. The research is divided into two steps: the first presents the general results on publications, the journals that mostly disseminated the studies, the types of scientific communication used, the citation indexes, and the distribution of articles by thematic areas. The second step shows the aspects listed above and presents a ranking of the 50 most accessed and cited articles. Conclusions show that SciELO made 3,165 publica- tions available, of which 2,042 are scientific articles. The 30 most productive journals are responsible for 43% of the publications. 2,296 documents are from the Health Sciences area and have been identified on 52 different topics related to Covid-19. Among the 42 most accessed and cited studies, three main axes were found: 1) Scientific protagonism: the contribution of science in the fight against Covid-19 - public actions and policies; 2) Protocols and diagnostics for health professionals and spaces; 3) Social, political, and economic issues in the pandemic.

Ciência Aberta, acesso aberto: revisão de literatura da comunicação científica sobre Covid-19 na plataforma SciELO (2020)

RESUMO A partir da perspectiva da Ciência Aberta por meio do acesso aberto, o estudo analisou a comunicação científica sobre Covid-19, disponibilizada pela plataforma SciELO, até 19 de fevereiro de 2021. De abordagem qualitativa, utilizou para coleta e interpretação de dados a análise de conteúdo. A pesquisa dividiu-se em dois movimentos. O primeiro apresentou os resultados gerais sobre as publicações, os periódicos que mais divulgaram estudos, os tipos de comunicação científica utilizados, os índices de citação, a distribuição dos artigos por áreas temáticas. O segundo movimento apontou aspectos elenca- dos acima e apresentou um ranking dos 50 artigos mais acessados e citados. Concluiu-se que a SciELO disponibilizou 3.165 publicações, das quais 2.042 são artigos científicos. Os 30 periódicos mais produtivos foram responsáveis por 43% das publicações. Ademais, 2.296 documentos são pertencentes às ciências da saúde e foram identificados em 52 temas diferentes relacionados com a Covid-19. Entre os 42 estudos mais acessados e citados, encontraram-se três eixos principais: 1) protagonismo científico: a contribuição da ciência no combate à Covid-19 - ações e políticas públicas; 2) protocolos e diagnósticos para profissionais e espaços de saúde; e 3) questões sociais, políticas e econômicas na pandemia.

Impact of lockdown and COVID-19 on the learning status of postgraduate students during the pandemic in India: A questionnaire-based study

Observations have suggested that during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, because of lockdown students who are in process of doing their thesis related work exhibit responses related to stress due to the fear of spread contagion and because of various limitations in performing thesis work, especially patient-oriented collection of data and clinical work. The present study aimed to determine various problems faced by the students in postgraduate courses for completing their thesis during pandemic. This was a prospective and cross-sectional study based on a questionnaire. This study was comprised of a total sample size of 300 postgraduate students of different disciplines in the health stream. The study was conducted between June 2021 and December 2021. The prepared study questionnaire was sent to postgraduates by use of electronic mail. Of the total selected students, 280 had responded with complete answers to the questionnaire. Collected data were entered into a Microsoft Excel sheet and analyzed for percentage distribution. 50.7% of postgraduates were found in the age range of 26-30 years, 73.1% were female and 35.6% were in their final year of postgraduation. It was seen that 6.5% were unable to procure ethical approval due to the pandemic, and 43.1% were not able to get permission from the board due to the sudden pandemic. 64.9% were unable to collect data for their thesis, and 18% were unable to report to supervisors. 86.9% of postgraduates suffered from anxiety due to the inability to perform thesis work. 78.9% of postgraduate students had a decrease in motivation for a thesis and 89.1% suffered from anxiety. Due to the ongoing pandemic, postgraduate students are facing many problems in completing their thesis work. This resulted in anxiety and stress themselves.

Self-regulated learning perception of undergraduate dental students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A nationwide survey in Brazil

Background

This study aimed to evaluate the perception of self-regulated learning of Brazilian undergraduate dental students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Material and Methods

A nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted. Data were collected in 2020, through an anonymous self-administered virtual questionnaire, which comprised an initial section related to the students' sociodemographic data, category of educational institution where they enrolled, and the possible impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on family income, teaching activities (maintained remotely or totally suspended), and self-perception of academic performance during e-learning. The second part comprising 31 questions related to the adapted Self-Regulated Learning Perception Scale (SRLPS). For statistical analysis, Student's t-test of independent samples, Kruskal-Wallis, and Mann-Whitney U test were used, considering a significance of 5%.

Results

From 779 students, 425 (54.6%) reported distance learning activities during the pandemic, and 354 (45.4%) experienced complete interruption of teaching activities. Students with good performance during e-learning were more skilled in self-regulated learning when compared to those who reported regular (p = 0.026), bad (p = 0.000), and very bad (p = 0.000) performance. In addition, students who stated a good performance during e-learning were more skilled in self-regulated learning than those with fully suspended teaching activities (p = 0.000).

Conclusions

E-learning performance of undergraduate dental students during COVID-19 pandemic influenced the self-regulated learning perception. In addition, the pandemic negatively impacted the self-regulated learning of students who experimented full suspension of teaching activities. Changes in family's income did not affect their self-regulated learning. Key words:Dental education, community health, e-learning, learning, pandemics.

Challenges in PhD education due to COVID-19 - disrupted supervision or business as usual: a cross-sectional survey of Swedish biomedical sciences graduate students

BACKGROUND

It remains unclear to what extent the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the normal progression of biomedical and medical science graduate programs and if there was a lasting impact on the quality and quantity of supervision of PhD-students. To date, multiple editorials and commentaries indicate the severity of the disruption without providing sufficient evidence with quantifiable data.

METHODS

An online survey was submitted to the administrative offices of biomedical and medical PhD-programs at eight major universities in Sweden to gauge the impact of the pandemic on the students. It consisted of multiple-choice and open-ended questions where students could provide examples of positive and/or negative supervision strategies. Open answered questions were coded as either examples of positive or negative support.

RESULTS

PhD students were divided into two groups: those with improved or unchanged supervision during the pandemic (group 1, n = 185), versus those whose supervision worsened (group 2, n = 69). Group 1 received more help from supervisors and more frequent supervision via both online and alternative platforms (email/messages and telephone). There was no significant difference in educational-stage, gender or caretaking responsibilities between the groups.

CONCLUSIONS

It is important for the scientific community to learn how to provide the best possible supervision for PhD students during the pandemic. Our data suggests that more frequent supervision, and using a diverse array of meeting platforms is helpful. In addition, it is important for the students to feel that they have their supervisor's emotional support. Several students also expressed that they would benefit from an extension of their PhD programs due to delays caused by the pandemic.

Effects of realistic e-learning cases on students' learning motivation during COVID-19

Background

Keeping up motivation to learn when socially isolated during a pandemic can be challenging. In medical schools, the COVID-19 pandemic required a complete switch to e-learning without any direct patient contact despite early reports showing that medical students preferred face-to-face teaching in clinical setting. We designed close to real-life patient e-learning modules to transmit competency-based learning contents to medical students and evaluated their responses about their experience.

Methods

Weekly e-learning cases covering a 10-week leading symptom-based curriculum were designed by a team of medical students and physicians. The internal medicine curriculum (HeiCuMed) at the Heidelberg University Medical School is a mandatory part of clinical medical education in the 6^th or 7^th semester. Case-design was based on routine patient encounters and covered different clinical settings: preclinical emergency medicine, in-patient and out-patient care and follow-up. Individual cases were evaluated online immediately after finishing the respective case. The whole module was assessed at the end of the semester. Free-text answers were analyzed with MaxQDa following Mayring`s principles of qualitative content analyses.

Results

N = 198 students (57.6% female, 42.4% male) participated and 1252 individual case evaluations (between 49.5% and 82.5% per case) and 51 end-of-term evaluations (25.8% of students) were collected. Students highly appreciated the offer to apply their clinical knowledge in presented patient cases. Aspects of clinical context, interactivity, game-like interface and embedded learning opportunities of the cases motivated students to engage with the asynchronously presented learning materials and work through the cases.

Conclusions

Solving and interpreting e-learning cases close to real-life settings promoted students’ motivation during the COVID-19 pandemic and may partially have compensated for missing bedside teaching opportunities.

Medical faculty perception toward digital teaching methods during COVID-19 pandemic: Experience from India

BACKGROUND

Videoconferencing has been used as a modality of online medical teaching by various institutes. There is a paucity of studies reporting the perception of medical teachers toward teaching using teleconferencing platforms. The objective of this survey was to evaluate the perception of medical teachers toward teaching using videoconferencing platforms such as Zoom meet, Google meet, and Google classroom during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our hypothesis was teaching faculty would have a positive perception and experience toward web-based teaching modalities.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Medical teachers of a medical college were invited to participate in a prospective observational cross-sectional online survey. The faculty demographic information, perception, experience, and satisfaction were noted. Perception data were presented as proportion and percentage.

RESULTS

104 out of 160 faculty members participated in the study (response rate = 65%). 61 male (58.7%) and 43 female (41.3%) faculty members participated in the study. The mean age of the faculty members was 39.3 years ± 13 (range: 27-69 years). Laptop (n = 73 [70.2%]) was the most commonly used electronic device by the faculty members for conducting e-teaching sessions followed by smartphone (n = 25 [24%]). Google meet was the most preferred videoconference tool for online teaching. Ninety-six faculties (92.2%) were satisfied with the e-teaching method adopted by the institute. Eighty-three faculty (79.8%) perceived the e-teaching method to be very useful and quite useful as a modality for teaching during the lockdown period.

CONCLUSIONS

The teaching faculties had a positive perception toward digital education methods adopted for teaching of undergraduate medical students at our institute.

Medical Student and Resident Dermatology Education in Canada During the COVID-19 Pandemic [Formula: see text]

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and subsequent physical distancing recommendations created major gaps in traditional dermatologic undergraduate and postgraduate medical education delivery. Nevertheless, the educational consequences of various public health restrictions have indirectly set aside the inertia, resistance, and risk averse approach to pedagogical change in medicine. In Canada, rapid collaboration and innovation in dermatologic education has led to novel programs including the implementation of a range of internet-facilitated group learning activities and a dramatic expansion of digital telehealth and virtual care. Going forward, three key issues arising from these developments will need to be addressed: the ongoing assessment of these innovations for efficacy; sustaining the momentum and creativity that has been achieved; and, determining which of these activities are worth maintaining when traditional “tried and true” learning activities can be resumed.

Transferring face-to-face sessions to virtual sessions in surgical education: a survey-based assessment of a single academic general surgery program

Background

The purpose of this survey-based study was to evaluate the implementation of virtual learning in a single academic general surgery program, compared with the well-established face-to-face academic curriculum used before.

Methods

From April 2020 to the present, virtual sessions were created via Zoom Videos Communications, Inc. (San Jose, CA, USA). A survey composed of 15 questions about the perceived quality and utility of the virtual sessions was developed. The survey was sent out to all general surgery residents of a general surgery program in November of 2020.

Results

All residents enrolled in the program answered the survey, i.e., 22 (73.3%) men and 8 (26.7%) women with 6 (20.2%) residents per year (PGY 1–PGY 5). Over half of residents (n = 17, 56.7%) felt similar academic performance during online sessions when compared to the older model. Perceptions of the level of organization of academic sessions increased during the online model (n = 20, 66.7%). Twenty (66.7%) residents agreed it was easier to attend sessions during the online model. Fourteen (46.7%) residents reported their attendance to the sessions increased, and 14 (46.7%) residents would prefer this modality after the pandemic is over, with 8 (26.7%) being neutral about it.

Conclusion

This study, to our knowledge, is the first to survey general surgery residents about the transition from a face-to-face curriculum to an e‑learning curriculum. The demonstrated effectiveness of the transition from face-to-face academic activities to virtual activities makes it a feasible tool for graduate medical education programs to adjust to a virtual model.

Transition From a Standard to a Hybrid On-Site and Remote Anatomic Pathology Training Model During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic

CONTEXT.—

As teaching hospitals institute social distancing and defer nonemergent procedures to cope with the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the need for daily on-site presence, unless necessary, has been reduced for all medical staff, including trainees. Pathology training programs must adapt to these changes to ensure overall safety without significantly compromising training and the educational mission of the institution.

OBJECTIVE.—

To describe the hybrid on-site and remote anatomic pathology training model in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic that was implemented in our pathology department and report the clinical fellows' responses to the survey about their experiences.

DESIGN.—

The hybrid model was implemented March 25, 2020. Fellows alternate weekly between working on site and working remotely. On site, fellows wear personal protective equipment and maintain social distancing. Remotely, fellows use digital pathology to review cases and supplement with online educational activities. Virtual "coffee breaks," meditation, and exercise are part of the curriculum. Online platforms, including WebEx, Google Classroom, and Canvas, are used to continue educational activities. The survey was open May 19 through June 8, 2020.

RESULTS.—

Twenty-eight of the 29 clinical fellows (96%) responded. Many of the respondents indicated substantial increase in their skill with using digital pathology and online platforms during the pandemic. The top most helpful resources were the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology interactive microscopy courses (found very or somewhat helpful by 22 of 23 clinical fellows; 96%), ExpertPath (19 of 23; 82%), the College of American Pathologists virtual learning series (18 of 23; 78%), the World Health Organization Blue Books (16 of 23; 70%), the American Society of Cytopathology webinars (14 of 23; 61%), and our institutional digital slide collection (12 of 23; 52%).

CONCLUSIONS.—

Hybrid on-site and remote training can maximize anatomic pathology learning opportunities while maintaining the safety of trainees, hospital personnel, and the community.

Effectiveness of Virtual Medical Teaching During the COVID-19 Crisis: Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

In December 2019, COVID-19 emerged and rapidly spread worldwide. Transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is high; as a result, countries worldwide have imposed rigorous public health measures, such as quarantine. This has involved the suspension of medical school classes globally. Medical school attachments are vital to aid the progression of students' confidence and competencies as future physicians. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, medical schools have sought ways to replace medical placements with virtual clinical teaching.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to review the advantages and disadvantages of virtual medical teaching for medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic based on the current emerging literature.

METHODS

A brief qualitative review based on the application and effectiveness of virtual teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic was conducted by referencing keywords, including medical student virtual teaching COVID-19, virtual undergraduate medical education, and virtual medical education COVID-19, in the electronic databases of PubMed and Google Scholar. A total of 201 articles were found, of which 34 were included in the study. Manual searches of the reference lists of the included articles yielded 5 additional articles. The findings were tabulated and assessed under the following headings: summary of virtual teaching offered, strengths of virtual teaching, and weaknesses of virtual teaching.

RESULTS

The strengths of virtual teaching included the variety of web-based resources available. New interactive forms of virtual teaching are being developed to enable students to interact with patients from their homes. Open-access teaching with medical experts has enabled students to remain abreast of the latest medical advancements and to reclaim knowledge lost by the suspension of university classes and clinical attachments. Peer mentoring has been proven to be a valuable tool for medical students with aims of increasing knowledge and providing psychological support. Weaknesses of virtual teaching included technical challenges, confidentiality issues, reduced student engagement, and loss of assessments. The mental well-being of students was found to be negatively affected during the pandemic. Inequalities of virtual teaching services worldwide were also noted to cause differences in medical education.

CONCLUSIONS

In the unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic, medical schools have a duty to provide ongoing education to medical students. The continuation of teaching is crucial to enable the graduation of future physicians into society. The evidence suggests that virtual teaching is effective, and institutions are working to further develop these resources to improve student engagement and interactivity. Moving forward, medical faculties must adopt a more holistic approach to student education and consider the mental impact of COVID-19 on students as well as improve the security and technology of virtual platforms.