Assessment of virtual teaching for obstetric and gynaecology postgraduate trainees in Northern Ireland

ABSTRACT

BackgroundObstetrics and Gynaecology trainees in Northern Ireland attend bi-monthly postgraduate continued medical education (CME). COVID-19 restrictions meant these teaching sessions could not occur. Collaborating with senior trainees we developed a virtual postgraduate teaching series via ZOOM, delivered over two months focusing on key areas of the new Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) curriculum.AimsTo assess whether virtual teaching is an effective platform to deliver CME for obstetrics and gynaecology trainees in Northern Ireland.MethodsSurvey monkey sent to participants, non-participants and consultants exploring experiences and attitudes towards this teaching series.Results33 trainees completed the participant survey, with the majority attending 1–2 sessions. Over 50% were first time users of video conference based teaching. 66% felt confident using video-conferencing for learning. 27 participants agreed the pre session reading enhanced learning. All participants agreed CME should be mapped to the RCOG curriculum. 87% of participants agreed that video-conferencing from a location of choosing improves accessibility.15 trainees completed the non-participant survey, with 93% stating work commitments as the non-attendance reason. Interestingly 2 trainees were unable to work ZOOM. 73% of non-participants agreed that video-conferencing improved accessibility, with 80% stating they would access recorded sessions if unable to attend.41 consultants completed the survey. 67% had never used video-conferencing to teach doctors. 40% were not confident in sharing presentations and 92% in managing break-out sessions. 34 consultants would deliver CME virtually with 82% having no objections to recording of sessions.ConclusionsVirtual teaching is an appropriate method to provide the necessary volume and quality of postgraduate medical education. Consultants are keen to provide virtual teaching but would benefit from focused training.