9 Tactics to Strengthen Residency Education During COVID-19 and Beyond

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The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.

–Marcus Aurelius

As health systems and universities face unprecedented change, budget cuts, and the transition to distance learning during coronavirus (COVID-19), medical educators are finding ways to not only survive but thrive in a digital environment.

High-quality, comprehensive, online educational content is a natural resource for residency programs transitioning to distance learning, and Rosh Review has worked hard to fit this niche. Equally important to the content are the tools that help program leaders consolidate expensive resources and time-intensive tasks into one platform. We’ve had hundreds of new programs and thousands of new learners join Rosh Review in the past month, so we’ve learned what matters most to program leaders across the country.

Whether or not you subscribe to Rosh Review, we’d like to share the 9 most successful strategies and tactics used by program leaders who turned pandemic lemons into lemonade by adjusting their training programs. We hope you’ll find inspiration for your residency program.

1. Spend precious nonclinical time on high-yield education activities

Streamline the creation of assessments, mock exams, and remediation content.

Use Rosh Review’s prebuilt assessments and mock in-training exams, or build custom assessments to target residents’ weak areas.

2. Consolidate board review materials and Qbanks if you have more than one

Choose the resource that gives you the most value, and be sure to choose one that is frequently updated.

If you’re a Rosh Review subscriber, your content is continuously updated and refreshed.

3. Review library site licenses to medical education and board review content

Look for resources that are underused by residents. You should choose a resource that your residents love and recommend to their colleagues.

4. Use tools that easily capture key metrics and allow for simplified review

This adds efficiency to organizing accreditation data.

Download detailed data files for self-study and assessments from your Rosh Review dashboard.

5. Cut spending on audience response systems

Replace it with online heat maps to identify group performance.

Use Rosh Review’s heat maps to boost resident engagement.

6. Reallocate funds used for travel to regional and national conferences

7. Repurpose funds allocated to in-person conference expenses

Take funds geared toward food, drinks, and speaker travel and honoraria and tap into institutional web collaboration tools (e.g., Zoom, Webex, Hangouts) for distance learning.

8. Consider secure digital alternatives for important evaluations

Many of the secure in-person assessments are postponed, canceled, or too expensive.

Use Rosh Review assessments as an alternative to these important medical knowledge checks.

9. Look for technology platforms that support synchronous and asynchronous activities

Identify tools that allow educators to tailor assessments to reinforce concepts presented at web conferences or operate as a stand-in for canceled educational activities.

Try custom building your own assessments with the Assessment Builder.

As residents experience disruptions in their didactic and clinical education, program leaders are focused even more on delivering high-quality content that meets ACGME and specialty society recommendations and requirements.

Now is the time to double down on evidence-based education design. These challenges may feel like obstacles, but they can be opportunities to reassess and reevaluate what matters most. “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”

Learn more about how Rosh Review is helping programs with distance learning.

By Mike Sanders

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Mike is a technology executive with experience in sales, digital marketing, operations, and building strong culture. Sanders, a UW Madison graduate, is a snow plow clearing the path for customers and teams through major market transitions caused by disruptive technologies. He led sales, marketing, customer service and development teams at Rosh Review as COO for 6 years and currently serves as board member for Blueprint Test Prep.