The Resource Costs of Maintaining Learner Utilization of a Simulation Center During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Despite advances in online education during the COVID-19 pandemic, its impact on surgical simulation remains unclear. The aim of this study was to compare the costs and resources required to maintain simulation training in the pandemic and to evaluate how it affected exposure of medical students to simulation during their surgical clerkship. METHODS: The number of learners, contact hours, staff hours, and costs were collected from a multi-departmental simulation center of a single academic institution in a retrospective fashion. Utilization and expenditure metrics were compared between the first quarter of academic years 2018-2020. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate potential differences between overall resource utilization before and during the pandemic, and subgroup analysis was performed for the resources required for the training of the third-year medical students. RESULTS: The overall number of learners and contact hours decreased during the first quarter of the academic year 2020 in comparison with 2019 and 2018. However, the staff hours increased. In addition, the costs for PPE increased for the same periods of time. In the subgroup analysis of the third-year medical students, there was an increase in the number of learners, as well as in the staff hours and in the space required to perform the simulation training. DISCUSSION: Despite an increase in costs and resources spent on surgical simulation during the pandemic, the utilization by academic entities has remained unaffected. Further studies are required to identify potential solutions to lower simulation resources without a negative impact on the quality of surgical simulation.

Evaluation of a Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Workshop in the Family Medicine Clerkship.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The family medicine (FM) clerkship is appropriate for incorporating musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSKUS) education, as many outpatient visits in primary care occur for musculoskeletal (MSK) concerns. Despite rising popularity of point-of-care imaging in primary care, ultrasound (US) training in medical education is limited due to lack of resources and time. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of an MSKUS workshop in the FM clerkship through student self-evaluations. METHODS: Seventy-five medical students enrolled in the FM clerkship during the 2019-2020 academic year participated in hands-on MSKUS workshops staffed by faculty, residents, and a fellow. Workshops coincided with FM residency didactic teaching, allowing for protected time to host US training. Of workshop participants, 98.6% completed both pre- and postworkshop evaluations assessing confidence and acceptability of the workshop (rated on a 0-10 Likert scale, where higher scores represent more confidence or greater benefit, respectively). RESULTS: Students noted increased confidence with use of ultrasound, recognition of MSK structures, and performance of landmark-guided procedures (preworkshop 2.6±1.6; postworkshop 7.4±1.1). Students endorsed high levels of agreement in the benefit of the workshop to their education (9.4±1.3) and MSK understanding (9.4±1.2). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the benefit of an MSKUS workshop as part of the FM clerkship and addresses previously identified challenges to providing US education. Results suggest a short-term benefit from an MSKUS workshop in confidence in MSKUS knowledge and satisfaction with the curriculum.