756 Improving the Experiences of Surgical Specialties and Career Choices for Trainees. Can We Use a Virtual Platform for Surgical Taster Days?
B Davies, M Gaddah- Surgery
Abstract
Aim
Exploring surgical specialities is not something easily achieved as a trainee. With foundation trainees having only five taster days to explore specialities, and COVID-19 causing disruption within surgical training, the opportunities to explore potential career options have further diminished. Inadequate knowledge or experience of the different surgical sub-specialities, alongside increasing competition ratios and portfolio requirements, can make career decisions difficult for trainees.
Method
One-hour insight into surgical specialities (OISS) is a teaching series aimed to bridge the gap and allow future surgeons to experience surgical sub-specialities from behind their computers, i.e., virtually. This voluntary series runs on the platform; Medall, an online organisation that helps to run medical events. Through structured sessions, trainees explore a specialty, gaining insight into the daily job, commitments, potential cases, and portfolio tips.
Results
Over 70 trainees have registered since the series began, with over 40 trainees attending the latest session and over 20 of them being international. The use of a virtual platform, videoconferences, and telemedicine has helped to bridge the gap in hands-on experience, as well as, providing a platform for international trainees and physicians to gain an insight into UK surgical practices.
Conclusions
The series highlights that there is a place for virtual taster days and although, not completely replacing surgical opportunities, the use of technology can be used much more widely in surgical training.