EP.TU.207Maintaining High Quality Surgical Teaching during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Abstract Aims The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many changes to the delivery of undergraduate surgical education. Formal teaching is now online and exposure to the many different aspects of General Surgery is greatly reduced. We explored how the changes made to the 4-week General Surgery rotation at a district general hospital have impacted on students and their learning. Methods Online survey was used to collect feedback from the students and was compared to data collected prior to the pandemic. Results A total of 10 survey responses were received. Despite the timetable changes, 80% of students rated the placement as Good-Excellent. The students received more registrar/consultant level teaching than previously and rated the teaching to be of a good standard. They logged more clinical procedures and clerked more patients than previously, but clinic attendance remained poor and operating theatre sessions static. Conclusion Despite the added pressures of the pandemic, undergraduate surgical education has been maintained to a high standard. The struggles experienced with the decrease in elective operating lists and fewer surgical clinics does not appear to have impacted significantly when compared to pre-pandemic data. However, this is certainly an area that needs to be improved upon to ensure adequate exposure to surgery. The increase in procedural and clerking experience is perhaps a reflection of greater time spent on the wards. This is certainly of benefit in preparation for foundation training and any missed opportunities for exposure to surgical pathologies have been alleviated by the increase in formal senior-level teaching.