Virtually Speaking: The Impact of a Nationwide Synchronous and Asynchronous Learning Forum

Abstract

Objective To address significant disruptions in didactic education precipitated by the COVID‐19 pandemic, a group of rheumatology program directors collaborated with the American College of Rheumatology to create a virtual fellows‐in‐training (V‐FIT) program. Methods A working group was composed to develop the virtual didactic program comprising live virtual sessions of core curricular rheumatology topics that were recorded to permit asynchronous learning. Nationally recognized educators were invited to lead sessions to fill the void in didactic education occurring on a broad scale across US rheumatology fellowship training programs. Demographic information, live and asynchronous participation data, and feedback surveys were collected from participants in the program. Results There were 3 components to V‐FIT: the Virtual Rheumatology Learning (ViRL) series, the Virtual Rheumatology Practicum (ViP), and the Virtual Rheumatology Teaching Lessons (ViTLs). The ViRL program had global impact with more than 2,000 learners from more than 55 countries. ViP provided a standardized curriculum of rheumatology topics for incoming first‐year fellows. ViTLs addressed advanced and interdisciplinary rheumatic disease topics for learners at all stages. Conclusion With collaboration, adaptation, and innovation, the V‐FIT program not only maintained but also enhanced education for rheumatology trainees, was enriched by national and international participation, and provided standardized, broadly accessible content with interdisciplinary learning.

The Impact of COVID‐19 on Education and Training in Rheumatology: A Narrative Review

“…This program reached nearly 2000 registered users, spanning from 55 countries across the world, and reached learners at a time when in-person teaching activities had largely ceased. 41 ViRL was followed by two recurrent programs titled Virtual Rheumatology Practicums (ViP), which was designed for new rheumatology adult and pediatric fellows, and Virtual Rheumatology Teaching Lessons (ViTLs), which were interdisciplinary, interactive, case-based discussions involving complex care scenarios. These programs were extremely popular among trainees, with 489 fellows registering for the first ViP program in the summer of 2020, and nearly 800 registered users (trainees and other learners) of ViTLs in the spring of 2021.…”

“…The first installment of this series was the Virtual Rheumatology Learning Collaborative (ViRL) program, released shortly after the pandemic in April of 2020. This program reached nearly 2000 registered users, spanning from 55 countries across the world, and reached learners at a time when in‐person teaching activities had largely ceased 41 . ViRL was followed by two recurrent programs titled Virtual Rheumatology Practicums (ViP), which was designed for new rheumatology adult and pediatric fellows, and Virtual Rheumatology Teaching Lessons (ViTLs), which were interdisciplinary, interactive, case‐based discussions involving complex care scenarios.…”

Human resources challenges in global health organizations: Managing a diverse and dispersed workforce

“…Moreover, Huppert et al (2020) provide insights into evidence-based best practices for virtual interviews in graduate medical education training programs, which can be extrapolated to the broader context of tailoring content for global teams.In the realm of mentorship initiatives, the challenges of virtual settings are addressed byGaniyu et al (2022) and(Rosen et al, 2006), who underscore the need for innovative approaches to overcome these challenges. Additionally, the study byBracq et al (2019) on VR simulation in nontechnical skills training is relevant, as it highlights the potential for building cross-cultural mentorship programs using immersive training experiences.In the domain of performance evaluation systems, the work ofGaniyu et al (2022) andDua et al (2022) provides valuable insights into the metrics and best practices for evaluating the effectiveness of virtual training programs. Furthermore, Huppert et al (2020) offer evidence-based best practices for virtual interviews, which can be adapted to develop performance evaluation systems that balance objectivity and cultural sensitivity in virtual settings.…”