Investigating the successes of surgical teaching over the internet during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: Face to face teaching has been significantly restricted during the Covid-19 pandemic. In order to satisfy this gap in educational resources for junior doctors applying to sit their MRCS Part A exams, a foundation surgical society was established with assistance from the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh to offer free online lectures to candidates. We investigate the success of this initiative. Methods: In Autumn 2020, a 12 lecture series based on the MRCS Part A curriculum was developed. Surgeons from various specialties were invited to present each one of these topics live over ZOOM to an audience of junior doctors. Educational managers at various NHS trusts were contacted to publicise the events to junior doctors. These live lectures were recorded and remained accessible online. Attendees were asked to complete a feedback form. Results: 224 viewers attended our live lectures. There was an average of 19 viewers per lecture, with a high of 41 and a low of 7. Attendance was highest for the initial lectures and then fell away. 11 of the lectures were recorded and available to be watched at a later date. A total of 70 feedback forms were completed. On average 34% of attendees completed a feedback form per lecture. The qualitative feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Conclusion: There is an appetite amongst junior doctors for surgical teaching over the internet. Live lectures are a welcomed method of teaching. Sustaining interest and gaining feedback remains a challenge. Further work is needed to see if this teaching translates into success in MRCS Part A exams.