Student Survey Results of a Virtual Medical Student Course Developed as a Platform for Neurosurgical Education During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic

BACKGROUND: Before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, medical students training in neurosurgery relied on external subinternships at institutions nationwide for immersive educational experiences and to increase their odds of matching. However, external rotations for the 2020-2021 cycle were suspended given concerns of spreading COVID-19. Our objective was to provide foundational neurosurgical knowledge expected of interns, bootcamp-style instruction in basic procedures, and preinterview networking opportunities for students in an accessible, virtual format. METHODS: The virtual neurosurgery course consisted of 16 biweekly 1-hour seminars over a 2-month period. Participants completed comprehensive precourse and postcourse surveys assessing their backgrounds, confidence in diverse neurosurgical concepts, and opinions of the qualities of the seminars. Responses from students completing both precourse and postcourse surveys were included. RESULTS: An average of 82 students participated live in each weekly lecture (range, 41-150). Thirty-two participants completed both surveys. On a 1-10 scale selfassessing baseline confidence in neurosurgical concepts, participants were most confident in neuroendocrinology (6.79 +/- 0.31) and least confident in spine oncology (4.24 +/- 0.44), with an average of 5.05 +/- 0.32 across all topics. Quality ratings for all seminars were favorable. The mean postcourse confidence was 7.79 +/- 0.19, representing an improvement of 3.13 +/- 0.38 (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Feedback on seminar quality and improvements in confidence in neurosurgical topics suggest that an interactive virtual course may be an effective means of improving students' foundational neurosurgical knowledge and providing networking opportunities before application cycles. Comparison with in-person rotations when these are reestablished may help define roles for these tools.

Automated summary

The virtual neurosurgery course, consisting of 16 biweekly 1-hour seminars, aimed to improve students' confidence in neurosurgical concepts. The feedback on seminar quality was positive, with students showing an average improvement of 3.13 points in confidence, suggesting that interactive virtual courses may be effective in enhancing foundational neurosurgical knowledge and providing networking opportunities. Further comparisons with in-person rotations can help determine the role of these tools in medical education.