The Impact of COVID-19 on Surgical Education

BACKGROUND

At the onset of social distancing, our general surgery residency transitioned its educational curriculum to an entirely virtual format with no gaps in conference offerings. The aim of this study is to examine the feasibility of our evolution to a virtual format and report program attitudes toward the changes.

METHODS

On March 15, 2020, due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) our institution restricted mass gatherings. We immediately transitioned all lectures to a virtual platform. The cancellation of elective surgeries in April 2020 then created the need for augmented resident education opportunities. We responded by creating additional lectures and implementing a daily conference itinerary. To evaluate the success of the changes and inform the development of future curriculum, we surveyed residents and faculty regarding the changes. Classes and faculty answers were compared for perception of value of the online format.

RESULTS

Pre-COVID-19, residency-wide educational offerings were concentrated to one half-day per week. Once restrictions were in place, our educational opportunities were expanded to a daily schedule and averaged 16.5 hours/week during April. Overall, 41/63 residents and 25/94 faculty completed the survey. The majority of residents reported an increased ability (56%) or similar ability (34.1%) to attend virtual conferences while 9.9% indicated a decrease. Faculty responses indicated similar effects (64% increased, 32% similar, 4% decreased). PGY-1 residents rated the changes negatively compared to other trainees and faculty. PGY-2 residents reported neutral views and all other trainees and faculty believed the changes positively affected educational value. Comments from PGY1 and 2 residents revealed they could not focus on virtual conferences as it was not "protected time" in a classroom and that they felt responsible for patient care during virtual lectures. A majority of both residents (61%) and faculty (84%) reported they would prefer to continue virtual conferences in the future.

CONCLUSIONS

The necessity for adapting our academic offerings during the COVID-19 era has afforded our program the opportunity to recognize the feasibility of virtual platforms and expand our educational offerings. The majority of participants report stable to improved attendance and educational value. Virtual lectures should still be considered protected time in order to maximize the experience for junior residents.

Faculty Emotional Intelligence Matters for Resident Education

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine the emotional intelligence (EI) of surgical faculty and evaluate its relationship with resident evaluations of faculty behaviors.

DESIGN

This study retrospectively collected faculty EI scores as well as general surgery resident evaluations of faculty. Parametric and nonparametric tests were used for statistical analysis.

SETTING

The study was conducted at the University of Texas Southwestern in the Department of Surgery in Dallas, Texas. This is an academic, tertiary care center.

PARTICIPANTS

Surgical faculty members at a single institution in 2018 completed the Emotional Intelligence Appraisal, a 28-item, electronic assessment with possible scores ranging from zero to 100. Aggregate, anonymous resident evaluations of faculty members were collected from the program director's office. Faculty with fewer than 8 resident evaluations were excluded.

RESULTS

In total, 59 faculty members participated (89%). The sample was mostly white (69.2%), male (63.5%), with an average of 47 ± 10 years of age, 12.2 ± 10 years in practice, and 44 ± 24 evaluations per faculty member. The group's mean EI score was 76 ± 7.7. Faculty EI scores were found to have a moderate, positive correlation with resident rotational evaluations of faculty (r(51) = 0.52, p < 0.001). Faculty EI scores did not significantly correlate with resident evaluations of faculty intraoperative behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study suggest that a majority of our faculty are competent with regard to EI. Furthermore, faculty EI is an important factor in the clinical learning environment and correlates with resident rotational evaluations of teaching behaviors.

Psychological considerations in maxillofacial prosthetics

An attempt has been made to integrate information from psychological principles and clinical research which is relevant to maxillofacial prosthetics. Attention was given to the role of body parts in the human experience, with particular consideration of facial aspects. The importance of the maxillofacial region in early development, personality dynamics, and day-to-day interpersonal relationships was reviewed together with several specific problems which often accompany maxillofacial changes in structure or function. The dentist must be concerned with the patient's expectations, personality characteristics, and ability to accept and integrate the prosthesis. Several implications for clinical practice were presented. The dentist's understanding and utilization of psychological considerations should result in increased effectiveness in treatment and rehabilitation of maxillofacial patients.

Attention, learning, and personality during ketamine emergence: a pilot study

To analyze the memory, learning, attention, and personality effects associated with emergence from partial ketamine induction, 11 resident physicians were tested. Ketamine was found to be truly dissociative in that it seemed to impair learning of and memory for unusual word associations, at least in young physicians.

Effects of N2O on responses of divers to personality tests

30 Navy divers were studied in a repeated-measures design to determine the personality effects of breathing N2O, simulating air at approximately 210 feet below sea level. The Hand Test was used to measure personality changes. The number of interpersonal responses made on N2O was initially high and stable. Concern about the environment decreased on N2O. The major findings of less environmental attention, increased interpersonal responsiveness, and withdrawal were discussed in relationship to divers' personalities and to the procedures necessary to diving safety.