Early adaptation of urology residency educational programs during COVID-19 clinical and gathering restrictions

摘要

COVID-19 has profoundly disrupted healthcare systems worldwide. Changes to clinical care, including cancellation of elective surgeries and near wholesale shift of outpatient visits to tele- or e-consults, have impaired experiential learning. In-person didactic or small-group sessions, housestaff rotation, and licensing exams have been cancelled or made impossible, with necessary shifts to remote education. This crisis uniquely affects surgery programs, as trainees must develop operative skills alongside clinical expertise. Urology training programs have had to quickly adapt to pandemic regulations, which indirectly mandate reduced clinical duties and operating room (OR) exposure.1,2 As a result, there has been reduced OR access to assist in limiting personal protective equipment (PPE) use, cancelled off-site rotations, modified call duties, and limited outpatient contact.