Abstract
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic caused an abrupt disruption in fellowship training, with most in-person teaching ceasing in mid-March 2020. An online lecture series was quickly initiated named the Fellows Online COVID-19 AAHKS Learning (FOCAL) initiative. This study will summarize the results of that initiative.
Methods
Beginning March 31, 2020, an online teaching program was initiated. Adult reconstruction fellows and senior residents with interest in adult reconstruction were invited to participate in the free, live, online education sessions. Faculty from well-respected training institutions from around the country volunteered their time to host the initiative, choosing topics to present, ranging from hip (13 lectures) and knee (9), to practice management/miscellaneous (12). All sessions were recorded and posted on the society website for viewing. Attendee registrations were tracked via the online platform and the maximum number of attendees per session was recorded. A survey was administered to attendees for feedback.
Results
Thirty-four one-hour virtual lectures were delivered in real-time by 79 different faculty members from 20 different institutions. A total of 4746 registrations for the 34 lectures were received, with 2768 registrants (58%) attending. The average attendance was 81 viewers per session (range: 21–143), with attendance peaking mid-April 2020, and a gradual decline was observed as the ban on elective surgery was lifted in May 2020. A survey administered to residents and fellows showed that 93/109 (85%) watched recorded sessions, ranging from 1–3 sessions viewed (32%), 4–6 (24%), 7–9 (12%), 10–12 (7%), 13 or more (9%). 90% of attendees responded that they wanted the lectures to continue after the pandemic ends.
Conclusion
Amid a pandemic with cessation of in-person training, US adult reconstruction faculty delivered a robust virtual training alternative, exposing fellows to a variety of renowned faculty and topics. Attendance and satisfaction with the program were very high. This initiative may lead to future opportunities in virtual fellowship education.
