Implementation and Evaluation of a Formal Virtual Medical Student Away Rotation in Orthopaedic Surgery During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Single Institution Pilot Experience.

Away rotations are a valuable experience for medical students when applying for residency. In light of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, there has been significant interest in the development of virtually based substitutes. This study evaluates the utility of a formal virtual fourth-year medical student away rotation in orthopaedic surgery by surveying participants and provides recommendations for success.

methodsA 2-week virtual orthopaedic elective was offered to fourth-year medical students in lieu of traditional in-person away rotations. The course consisted of multiple components such as subspecialty case-based didactics, "happy hours" with residents, assigned resident mentors, student case presentations, and observation of resident lectures. After course completion, anonymous surveys were administered to participants to evaluate the rotation.

resultsTwenty-three of 24 participating students (96%) completed the student survey, and 22 of 24 participating faculty and residents (82%) completed the resident/faculty survey. Most students were very (87%) or somewhat (9%) satisfied with their experience and found the rotation to be a very (35%) or somewhat useful (61%) substitute for an in-person rotation. Students indicated that the rotation very (91%) or somewhat positively (9%) influenced their perception of the program. All students indicated that the rotation was very educational. Most students (91%) reported that the rotation was very useful for learning about the program and culture, with subspecialty didactics and happy hours most useful. Faculty and residents indicated that the rotation was useful for getting to know the students (17% "very useful" and 83% "somewhat useful") and for assessing student characteristics, such as knowledge base and communication skills.

conclusionsA formal virtual orthopaedic surgery away rotation can be a valuable experience for medical students which provides educational value, insight into program culture, and an opportunity to demonstrate interest in the program. The curriculum and recommendations presented in this study can be used as a preliminary template for others interested in creating successful virtual rotations.