The COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on medical teaching in obstetrics and gynecology—A nationwide expert survey among teaching coordinators at German university hospitals

Abstract

Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed severe challenges on medical education at German university hospitals. In this first German nationwide expert survey, we addressed the responsible university teaching coordinators in obstetrics and gynecology departments and investigated their experiences during the pandemic as well as their opinions on future developments, especially with regard to the broader implementation of e-learning in the standard curriculum. Methods The questionnaire included 42 items and was disseminated among teaching coordinators at all 41 departments of obstetrics and gynecology at German university hospitals via an email that included a weblink to the online survey provider. Responses were collected between 19 April and 7 June 2021. Results In total, 30 responses were collected from 41 departments across Germany and their respective teaching coordinators in obstetrics and gynecology. The general opinion of the medical teaching provided during the pandemic was positive, whereas the teaching quality in practical skills was considered inferior and not equivalent to the standard face-to-face curriculum. Lectures and seminars had to be substituted by remote-learning alternatives, while clinical clerkships were reduced in length and provided less patient contact. Students in their final year experienced only a few differences in the clinical and teaching routine. Teaching coordinators in obstetrics and gynecology stated that they intend to incorporate more e-learning into the curriculum in the future. Conclusion The medical educators’ views presented here may help to complement the already-thoroughly investigated experiences of students under the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Medical educators in obstetrics and gynecology at German university hospitals have successfully established online and hybrid teaching alternatives to their standard face-to-face courses. Building on recent experiences, digitalization could help to improve future medical education.

ChatGPT’s performance in German OB/GYN exams – paving the way for AI-enhanced medical education and clinical practice

“…The COVID-19 pandemic has shed a light on the lack of digitalization in medical education and training both in Germany and worldwide. New initiatives have focused on moving away from the conventional lecture-based teaching model and instead prioritize self-directed learning methods that cater to the individual needs that students have ( 31 ). Additionally, these endeavors incorporate the use of innovative (online) technologies for enhancing overall educational success ( 32 , 33 ).…”

Students' and lecturers' perspectives on the implementation of online learning in medical education due to COVID-19 in Germany: a cross-sectional pilot study

“…Due to the ongoing pandemic status, the digital ad hoc teaching formats established at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic have been established in everyday teaching in the last three pandemic years. Both the students and the lecturers have become accustomed to the new circumstances of knowledge transfer and digital teaching formats at medical universities as they are regularly established as a result ( 20 ). This can have advantages as well as disadvantages for both the students and the lecturers.…”

“…This can have advantages as well as disadvantages for both the students and the lecturers. With digital teaching formats, sick students can follow the teaching material from home and sick lecturers can teach from home without quarantine or other people (groups) being infected or endangered ( 20 ).…”

Exploring the current state of clinical and practical teaching in obstetrics and gynecology in the era of competency-based education: a nationwide survey among German teaching coordinators

“…The second part was implemented in order to capture experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and specifically focused on the influences that the pandemic had had on teaching, the shift to online learning, and digitization in medical education in general. Due to the volume of the data and the lack of thematic overlap, the results of the COVID-19-specific second part of the survey were published separately in 2022 [ 3 ].…”

“…Moreover, along with other teaching coordinators from various departments, these coordinators often serve as members of the central decision-making body when it comes to coordinating medical teaching. Teaching coordinators usually also participate in teaching during lectures, seminars, and hands-on courses together with the teaching staff [ 3 ].…”