Anaesthetic National Teaching Programme for Students (ANTPS).

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly undermined undergraduate anaesthetic teaching in spite of the vital role of the specialty against the pandemic. Anaesthetic National Teaching Programme for Students (ANTPS) was designed to meet the evolving needs of undergraduates and tomorrow's doctor by standardising anaesthetic training, preparing for final exams and equipping competencies vital for doctors of all grades and specialties. Our Royal College of Surgeons England-accredited University-College-Hospital-affiliated programme consisted of six-biweekly sessions were delivered online by anaesthetic trainees. Prerandomised and postrandomised session-specific multiple-choice questions (MCQs) assessed students' improvement in knowledge. Anonymous feedback forms were provided to students after each session and 2 months following the programme. 3743 student feedback forms (92.2% of attendees) across 35 medical-schools were recorded. There was a mean improvement in test score (0.94±1.27, p<0.001). 313 students completed all six sessions. Based on 5-point Likert scale, students who completed the programme showed an improvement in their confidence in knowledge and skills to face common foundation challenges (1.59±1.12, p<0.001) and thus felt better prepared for life as junior doctors (1.60±1.14, p<0.001). With an increase in confidence in students to pass their MCQs, Observed Structured Clinical Examinations and case-based discussion assessments, 3525 students stated they would recommend ANTPS to other students. Unprecedented COVID-19 factors impacting training, positive student feedback and extensive recruitment, demonstrate that our programme is an indispensable learning resource which standardises anaesthetic undergraduate education nationally, prepares undergraduates for their anaesthetic and perioperative exams and lays strong foundations for implementation of clinical skills required by all doctors, to optimise training and patient care.

Evaluation of National Anaesthetics Teaching in Undergraduate Medicine (ENATUM).

BACKGROUND: During a global pandemic where anaesthetists play a pertinent role in treating coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), it is crucial to inspire medical students to consider a career in anaesthetics and perioperative care. Where anaesthetic skills are vital for all surgical foundation doctors, regardless of whether they have a rotation in anaesthetics, this study seeks to establish the current level of exposure to anaesthetics in the UK medical schools' curriculum and evaluate if the current anaesthetic undergraduate curriculum is sufficient to prepare students to pass their exams and perform the duties expected of them as future junior doctors. METHODS: A 35-item structured questionnaire, registered at University College London Hospital Research & Development (R&D), was distributed amongst foundation doctors who had graduated from UK universities within the previous 3 years between August and October 2020. RESULTS: In total, 239 participants completed the questionnaire from 34 UK medical schools. Despite 90.0% of participants being allocated an 'anaesthesia' placement, 54.0% spent <15 hours shadowing an anaesthetist throughout their medical school. Of participants, 38.5% agreed that their anaesthetic teaching was sufficient compared to teaching of other specialities, with 48.6% of students not satisfied with the teaching provided to meet anaesthetic learning outcomes set by The Royal College of Surgeons of England; 72.4% said they would have benefited from additional anaesthetic teaching, with 80.7% stating it would have increased understanding into the speciality; and 71.5% stated a short course in anaesthetics alongside undergraduate training would have been beneficial. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that there is a lack of standardization in undergraduate anaesthetics teaching nationally and an additional undergraduate anaesthetic teaching programme is required to increase understanding and provide further insight into anaesthetics. Key messages:  The emergence of the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has halted undergraduate medical education, in particular perioperative medicine and surgery.Exposure to anaesthesia is already limited in the medical undergraduate curriculum, with a limited number of anaesthesia-themed foundation rotations available for junior doctors.Recent UK graduates feel that undergraduate anaesthetics education is inadequate at medical school, reporting a lack of confidence in applying undergraduate anaesthesia learning outcomes.Additional anaesthetic teaching and online teaching methods are suggested ways of improving the delivery of undergraduate anaesthetic education.Can a national, standardized anaesthetics teaching curriculum improve the undergraduate knowledge base of anaesthesia?