Migration of an Interactive Global Health Conference to a Virtual Platform: Engaging Learners During the Pandemic.
Cureus
; 14(6): e25601, 2022 Jun.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1897144
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has halted many large gatherings, and research conferences are no exception. Large conferences, once attended in-person, have primarily switched to a virtual format, utilizing online platforms. Every January, Medical Students Providing Across Continents (MedPACt), the University of Central Florida College of Medicine's global health interest group, hosts a student-run Global Health Conference that features a keynote speaker, discussion panel, and research presentations, and workshops for participants to engage in. Though planning this event is always challenging, organizing the 2021 conference was particularly strenuous as accommodations had to be made to optimize the conference to fit a never-attempted virtual format. This drastic shift warrants further investigation into the efficacy and audience engagement of the virtual format. Using a post-conference survey with specific questions geared towards each component of the conference along with registration data, the virtual conference in 2021 was compared to the in-person conference in 2020. This study found that the virtual format was comparably efficacious in creating relevant and global health-oriented programming for the 2020 in-person conference. Additionally, the 2021 virtual conference received more registrants and cost less to plan, meaning the virtual model is a cost-effective way to deliver quality conference content.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Type of study:
Observational study
Language:
English
Journal:
Cureus
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Cureus.25601
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