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. 2022 Jan 19;6(1):e21.00151.
doi: 10.5435/JAAOSGlobal-D-21-00151.

Selecting the Next Class: The "Virtual Orthopaedic Rotation"

Joseph L Yellin  1 , Laura Y Lu, Andrea S Bauer, Jennifer Duane, Paul T Appleton, Eric M Berkson, Eric M Bluman, Christopher M Bono, Jacob M Drew, Kaitlin Duffy, Harold A Fogel, Collin May, John E Ready, Michael J Weaver, Bertram Zarins, George S M Dyer; Virtual Rotation Education Committee
Affiliations

Selecting the Next Class: The "Virtual Orthopaedic Rotation"

Joseph L Yellin et al. J Am Acad Orthop Surg Glob Res Rev. .

Abstract

Introduction: When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of visiting subinternships, we pivoted to create a virtual orthopaedic rotation (VOR). The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of the VOR on the residency selection process and determine the role of such a rotation in the future.

Methods: A committee was convened to create a VOR to replace visiting orthopaedic rotations for medical students who are interested in pursuing a career in orthopaedic surgery. The VOR was reviewed and sanctioned by our medical school, but no academic credit was granted. We conducted three 3-week VOR sessions. During each session, virtual rotators participated in regularly scheduled educational conferences and attended an invitation-only daily conference in the evenings that was designed for a medical student audience. In addition, students were paired with faculty and resident mentors in a structured mentorship program. Students' orthopaedic knowledge was assessed using prerotation and postrotation tests.

Results: From July to September 2020, 61 students from 37 distinct medical schools participated in the VOR. Notable improvements were observed in prerotation and postrotation orthopaedic knowledge test scores. In postrotation surveys, both students and faculty expressed high satisfaction with the curriculum but less certainty about how well they got to know each other. In the subsequent residency application cycle, 27.9% of the students who participated in the VOR were selected to interview, compared with 8.7% of the total application pool.

Discussion: The VOR was a valuable substitute for in-person clinical rotations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although not likely to be a replacement for conventional away rotations, the VOR is a possible adjunct to in-person clinical rotations in the future.

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Conflict of interest statement

Dr. Bauer or an immediate family member has received royalties from Springer. Dr. Bluman or an immediate family member has stock or stock options held in EDC; serves as a board member, owner, officer, or committee member of American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society. Dr. Bono or an immediate family member has North American Spine Society, stipend for The Spine Journal, United Health Care Consulting, Wolters Kluwer, and Elsevier royalties for edited books (not relevant to this manuscript). Dr. Drew or an immediate family member is a member of a speakers' bureau or has made paid presentations on behalf of Depuy (not relevant to this manuscript). Dr. May or an immediate family member serves as a paid consultant to Orthopediatrics (not relevant to this manuscript). Dr. Weaver or an immediate family member has received royalties from OsteoCentric (not relevant to this manuscript). Dr. Dyer or an immediate family member serves as a board member, owner, officer, or committee member of American Orthopaedic Association. None of the following authors or any immediate family member has received anything of value from or has stock or stock options held in a commercial company or institution related directly or indirectly to the subject of this article: Dr. Yellin, Dr. Lu, Ms. Duane, Dr. Appleton, Dr. Berkson, Ms. Duffy, Dr. Fogel, Dr. Ready, and Dr. Zarins.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Graph showing pre-VOR and post-VOR test scores—students participating in the VOR were administered a prerotation and postrotation JBJS Clinical Classroom examination covering a wide array of orthopaedic topics. This shows the aggregate of all pre-VOR and post-VOR test scores compared using the Student t-test. *Statistically significant (P < 0.05). VOR = virtual orthopaedic rotation
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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