Left: Emily Schehlein, M.D., works with EyeSi, a cataract surgery simulator. Right: Bradford Tannen, M.D., J.D., led the transition to virtual lectures for the Kellogg residents.
Training Tomorrow’s Leaders Virtually Even before COVID-19 transformed the way we interact,
done in a physical lab, including suture and incision techniques
Kellogg was enhancing the way we teach our residents with
as well as surgical skills performed on a model, cadaver or
our “flipped classroom.” In this model, learners review online
animal eye. They can now participate in an online Q&A session
materials, such as lectures, prior to an in-person discussion.
with an instructor.
This method proved to be so popular that our faculty worked
Tools like a virtual simulator allow residents to practice
“
to move more education online, making it accessible
cataract surgery, says third-year resident Emily
to a wider audience. When COVID-19 state these efforts allowed us to quickly adapt while still giving residents a top-notch education.
“COVID-19 changed the way
we interact with one another, but our teaching approach enabled us to have more robust discussions with larger class sizes, guided by faculty and virtual visiting profes-
cataract surgeries, were canceled during the spring — and we needed to find ways to
WE NOW HAVE THE ABILITY
continue our surgical training during
TO GIVE RESIDENTS ROBUST CLINICAL
Fortunately, we have an excel-
AND SURGICAL TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES IF
lent wet lab and the EyeSi, which
WE EXPERIENCE A FUTURE REDUCTION IN LIVE
surgery and what it’s like to be in
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES AS WE DID DURING
sors,” notes Bradford Tannen, M.D., J.D., program director of the Kellogg residency. “Our faculty helped
THE EARLY MONTHS OF COVID-19. — Bradford Tannen, M.D., J.D.
create more complex training content focused on surrogate surgical rounds, patient care and even surgical training.”
this critical period in our residency.
“
mandates limited in-person meetings,
Schehlein, M.D. “All elective cases, including
Adopting a virtual wet lab curriculum has enabled
allows us to simulate cataract the eye.” “More and more we’re using virtual training as an effective method of teaching surgeons when we can’t do live instruction. We’ve learned this is helpful in creating an increasingly
structured curriculum,” says Dr. Tannen.
“Our newly developed content is better than
what we had before,” he says. “We now have the ability to
learners to continue to expand their surgical competencies while
give residents robust clinical and surgical training opportunities
maintaining safe, physical distancing in a cost-effective format.
if we ever again experience a future reduction in live training
Residents are able to practice skills and techniques traditionally
opportunities as we did during the early months of COVID-19.”
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