TP8.2.5 Taking the virtual plunge: delivering an intensive curriculum at the 'St Thomas' MRCS course' in the COVID era
Abstract Aims The Covid-19 global pandemic changed the world. Disruption to teaching and training has been felt across medicine, but more acutely in craft specialities such as surgery. The Royal College of Surgeons has raised concerns and started a campaign: ‘no training today, no surgeons tomorrow’. Innovation and adaptation are required in this new normal. We assess the effectiveness of adapting an intensive face-to-face revision course covering essential skills and knowledge required for the Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) examination to the virtual world. Methods Over five days interactive lectures, small-group teaching (clinical examination, communication, procedural skills), and a complete mock examination were delivered by a faculty of expert lecturers, consultants and actors live over Zoom. Feedback was collected on all aspects of the course by online survey. Sessions were marked for presentation, clarity, relevance and overall quality. Results 19 participants attended 35 sessions and six mock stations, with a total of 597 candidate sessions and 108 candidate mock stations. 94% of ratings were at least very good; 63% were excellent. Participants reported significantly improved levels of skill and knowledge (p < 0.001). Most felt skills improved from fair to very good. All candidates felt the course was well organised and allowed full participation. Conclusion Increasingly, medical education is occurring in the virtual world. Whilst this poses difficulty in craft specialities, particularly for skill acquisition, our data demonstrate high participant satisfaction. Moreover, significant improvements were seen in self-assessment of skills and knowledge as a consequence of this unique course.