Medical Hematology/Oncology Fellows' Perceptions of Online Medical Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
J Cancer Educ
; 35(5): 1034-1040, 2020 10.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-743777
ABSTRACT
In response to the COVID-19 social distancing guidelines, residency and fellowship programs transitioned to virtual instruction to deliver didactics and continue with medical education. The efficacy of such a fully online learning environment, however, remains unknown. To investigate its impact on medical education, this study surveyed hematology/oncology fellows at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center on their attitudes regarding the online-based lecture program. Fellows were emailed a 19-question survey with questions on demographics, ease of technical access to the online platform, level of comfort with participation, knowledge acquisition, wellness, and COVID-19-specific coverage. A free-text question soliciting ways to improve upon online learning was also included. The response rate was 71% (30/42). Most respondents reported easy/very easy accessibility to the online environment. Seventy-seven percent of the participants did not experience a technical issue. Seventy percent felt comfortable/very comfortable with participating in the conference. Thirty-seven percent felt comfortable/very comfortable with actively offering an answer to questions during the interactive board review session. Eighty-seven percent would have been more willing to offer an answer during the board review session if an anonymous poll format was utilized. Sixty-three percent felt they learned the same amount as they typically do during an in-person session. Thirty-three percent reported they were less focused as compared with an in-person session. One hundred percent of the participants had their questions answered, either at all times (87%) or sometimes (13%). Sixty percent experienced a change in social interactions as compared with an in-person session. Fifty-four percent reported that it was easy/very to balance online attendance despite personal/family commitments. One hundred percent appreciated the flexibility of the online learning environment. Ninety percent felt safer at home attending these lectures compared with receiving these lectures in-person during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, most fellows felt comfortable with the transition to a fully online learning environment. Strategies to encourage active participation, enhance social interaction, and provide additional flexibility are still needed.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pneumonia, Viral
/
Coronavirus Infections
/
Education, Distance
/
Education, Medical, Graduate
/
Fellowships and Scholarships
/
Pandemics
/
Hematology
/
Medical Oncology
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
North America
Language:
English
Journal:
J Cancer Educ
Journal subject:
Education
/
Neoplasms
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
S13187-020-01863-6
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