Prioritizing resident and patient safety while maintaining educational value: emergency restructuring of a Canadian surgical residency program during COVID19.

We describe the experience of the Division of General Surgery at the University of Ottawa in Ontario, Canada. The residency program was restructured to feature alternating "on" and "off" weeks, maintaining a healthy resident cohort in case of exposure. Teams were restructured and subdivided to maximize physical distancing and minimize resident exposure to pathogens. Educational initiatives doubled, with virtual sessions targeting every resident year and incorporating intraoperative teaching. The divisional research day and oral exams proceeded uninterrupted, virtually. A small leadership team enabled fast and flexible restructuring of a system for patient care while prioritizing resident safety and maintaining a commitment to resident education in a pandemic. PMID: 32449850 [PubMed - in process]
Source: Canadian Journal of Surgery - Category: Surgery Authors: Tags: Can J Surg Source Type: research