SurgeryU: The Power of Virtual Learning
What a year! The SurgeryU Editorial Board and I had many plans for 2020. When we met at the 2019 Annual Congress, we laid out detailed plans for our vision for SurgeryU. We discussed new projects and functionalities that would make the site a better resource for our members. Unfortunately, COVID-19 forced us to change course and reevaluate our strategy for the coming months. I am saddened that many initiatives were placed on hold, but in retrospect, we emerged as a stronger SurgeryU with lots of valuable information to guide us in the coming years. As we begin to emerge from this pandemic, we will return to some of our original projects, but the pandemic has also shown us how we can leverage the platform to better educate and disseminate information.
“The power of virtual learning” sums up the greatest lesson I have learned from this pandemic. As Editor-In-Chief, I thought I understood the power of virtual learning. For years, SurgeryU’s videos have been a resource for myself and countless members of our community. Our live events allowed acclaimed surgeons to show us the latest techniques and mastery of pelvic surgery. The Fellows’ video curriculum enhanced what our learners observed in the OR with additional material to augment their education. COVID-19 forced us to take this existing virtual learning platform and adapt it to our new normal.
Our first “win” was leveraging all our content to help residents and medical students. With in-person learning put on hold or severely limited, SurgeryU and AAGL stepped up and made access to SurgeryU free to all medical students, residents, and fellows. Numerous programs around the country took advantage of this opportunity and allowed their learners to continue their education without placing themselves at risk. The Residents’ Curriculum (aka SurgeryU-ACOG Curriculum) was endorsed by ACOG and used by many programs to supplement learning when clinical experience was curtailed.
SurgeryU continued the FMIGS Bootcamp webinars, but also hosted weekly webinars on the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding the needs of our members and realizing that our worldwide reach is our strength, these webinars brought together an international cast of experts to disseminate the latest information regarding the disease but also practical information on managing our patients and our practices. The weekly nature of the webinars allowed for the distribution of current and accurate information, mirroring the quickly changing environment of our practices.
All of this experience with virtual learning culminated in the Annual Congress going on-line/virtual this year for the first time. I sorely missed seeing my colleagues in person, but I was amazed at the level of engagement and the ability to interact and share information. Participants were able to take advantage of the fact that much of the content was posted before the meeting and view it at their leisure. They then had the ability to ask questions and further their knowledge through on-line questions and live “in-person” sessions. The virtual format allowed for additional Live Tele-Surgeries compared to previous years and the feedback thus far has been overwhelmingly positive.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues on the SurgeryU Board of Directors and especially recognize our two members who are leaving the board this year, Dr. Samar Nahas and Dr. Himabindu G. Reddy.
As we move forward into 2021, I hope and pray that things return to “normal” but acknowledge that 2020 has taught us resilience, perseverance, and adaptation. I look forward to working on our projects that have been placed on hold but also think the experiences from this past year will make SurgeryU a better resource for our community. I look forward to the progress and challenges ahead, and I wish you all a happy and safe Holiday season.
