Journal of surgical education
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In response to ongoing concerns regarding transmission of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), surgical practice has changed for the foreseeable future. Practice guidelines recommend only urgent or emergent surgical procedures be performed to minimize viral transmission. This effectively limits standard training and practice for surgical residents. The purpose of this article is to describe opportunities in surgical simulation, and highlights the challenges associated with training in the COVID-19 era. ⋯ This manuscript concisely discusses simulation options available to training programs, including the novel concept of "surgical kits." These kits include all instruments necessary to simulate a procedure at home, effectively pairing safety and utility.
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To evaluate the effect of COVID-19 on the costs of the surgical fellowship interview process. ⋯ The COVID-19 public health crisis has had a significant impact on surgical education, including how selection is conducted. Virtual recruitment has the potential for cost savings but should continue to be refined. This is an opportune time to innovate and rethink how to recruit prospective surgical residency and fellowship candidates during the current and forthcoming interview seasons.
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To describe the modified operational plan we implemented for residents and faculty in our orthopedic surgery department to allow continuation of resident education and other core activities during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. ⋯ We have been proactive and deliberate in implementing these operational changes, without compromise of our workforce. This experience provides residents exposure to real-life systems-based practice. We hope that our early experience will provide a framework for other surgical residency programs facing this crisis.