Abstract 11108: Association of a Virtual Career Development Forum with Confidence and Presentation Performance in Early-Career Academic Cardiologists During Covid-19

Abstract

Introduction: Academic cardiology continues to face significant challenges in retaining physician-scientists with attrition occurring at key steps in career development progression, particularly in the transition from fellow to faculty. Available data demonstrate that factors that may promote retention and support success for early-stage investigators (ESIs) include structured mentorship, networking and peer collaboration, and didactics on scientific writing. However, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on career development activities, such as the Northwestern Cardiovascular Young Investigators’ Forum (NCYIF), is not known. Hypothesis: An adaptive, virtual NCYIF format, delivered on a remote basis, can still achieve important educational and career development outcomes metrics, including confidence and performance by ESIs. Methods: In 2020, the NCYIF pivoted its in-person content to an online, virtual delivery using the following elements: pre-meeting technical skills and Zoom trainings, virtual presentation coaching sessions, interactive Zoom breakouts for mentoring (including near-peer alumni mentoring), and a downloadable mobile app. We conducted a pre- and post-meeting survey-based analysis to examine outcomes for ESIs who attended the virtual NCYIF meeting, including confidence in presentation skills and responding to questions by meeting judges (5-point Likert scale). All participants had an opportunity to meet 1:1 with a pre-meeting public speaking coach. Results: Of 31 attendees, 44% were fellows, 20% were women, and 61% were non-White. From pre- to post-meeting assessment, change in confidence increased significantly for presentation skills (3.07 vs. 3.46, p=0.009) and for ability to respond to questions and comments during the judging session (2.76 vs. 3.17, p=0.025). 68% of individuals completed pre-meeting coaching. Performance improvements were significant regardless of use of pre-meeting coaching support. Conclusions: Online-based delivery of a multi-day professional skills and career development forum for ESIs in academic cardiology resulted in significant improvements in confidence and presentation performance and supports the scalability of future content through a virtual platform.