Sustaining a national surgical training programme during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted all segments of daily life, with the healthcare sector being at the forefront of this upheaval. Unprecedented efforts have been taken worldwide to curb this ongoing global catastrophe that has already resulted in many fatalities. One of the areas that has received little attention amid this turmoil is the disruption to trainee education, particularly in specialties that involve acquisition of procedural skills. Hand surgery in Singapore is a standalone combined programme that relies heavily on dedicated cross-hospital rotations, an extensive didactic curriculum and supervised hands-on training of increasing complexity. All aspects of this training programme have been affected because of the cancellation of elective surgical procedures, suspension of cross-hospital rotations, redeployment of residents, and an unsustainable duty roster. There is a real concern that trainees will not be able to meet their training requirements and suffer serious issues like burnout and depression. The long-term impact of suspending training indefinitely is a severe disruption of essential medical services. This article examines the impact of a global pandemic on trainee education in a demanding surgical speciality. We have outlined strategies to maintain trainee competencies based on the following considerations: 1) the safety and wellbeing of trainees is paramount; 2) resource utilization must be thoroughly rationalized; 3) technology and innovative learning methods must supplant traditional teaching methods; and 4) the changes implemented must be sustainable. We hope that these lessons will be valuable to other training programs struggling to deliver quality education to their trainees, even as we work together to battle this global catastrophe.

Evolution of hand surgery as an independent speciality over three decades: the Singapore model

“…Hand surgery training programmes should make better use of rigorous pedagogy and educational technology to optimize teaching and learning. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has also forced us to reconsider the traditional modes of delivering teaching (Das De et al., 2020). Simulation training is now widely accepted as having an important role in the acquisition of technical skills (Elnikety et al., 2021; Fitzgerald et al., 2012).…”

“…2021). A similar approach should be taken to teach other surgical skills and less common procedures in a safe environment (Das De et al., 2020; Sirisena et al., 2018).…”

Latin American Residents’ Surgical Education After the Pandemic: What Strategies Have Emerged for Adapting to This New Era?

“…Multiple options were reported regarding the manufacture of laparoscopic simulators, where homemade ones had a cost between US$4 and 300, while commercial ones between US$85 and 6,000 14,33,38,39,56 . Notably, 55% of home simulators were included in validated studies, compared to 92% of commercial ones.…”