ABSTRACT
Background and/or Objectives: The Patient Experience Program (PEP) provides vital clinical exposure for 1st-year medical students. The 9-month PEP course involves a multidisciplinary approach at multiple clinical sites and is historically entirely in-person. Students actively engage with patients, learning effective communication with both the patient and clinical team. By assisting patients with their care, students learn how to navigate complex aspects of the healthcare system. The Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) Department modified its curriculum to combat the barriers of the evolving pandemic guidelines, with the goal of maintaining positive student engagement and therapeutic relationships between clinical team members. Design(s): Exploratory Setting: PEP curriculum at PM&R site Participants: 60 students over 2 years Interventions: PPE and COVID-19 screening allow for safe in-person encounters. Several didactic sessions are in-person, including the adapted driving, disability simulations, and social work panel. Decreasing cohort size and modifying rotation hours permit students to appropriately social distance while still gaining diverse exposure to the healthcare setting. The curriculum has a strong virtual component as well. Certain rotations now take place virtually, including weekly interdisciplinary team conferences and group huddle sessions to maintain patient interaction and to foster a group collaborative atmosphere and dialogue. Main Outcome Measure(s): End-of-year surveys Results: End-of-year surveys are overwhelmingly positive. Students note adjustments to the program allow for ongoing beneficial clinical encounters and meaningful engagement with patients in this hybrid format. Both students and faculty members report ease with implementation and maintenance of adjustments. Faculty have noted the hybrid format allows for successful relationships between student, patients, and staff. In order to maintain this valuable 1st-year medical student program, PM&R faculty unanimously support these modifications to the curriculum. Conclusion(s): This novel curriculum provides an example of a successful hybrid learning format that other departments can implement to enhance student-patient interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic.