In light of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic, the ACGME has recognized that institutions and their participating sites are operating at one of the following three stages:

• Stage 1 – Preparation
• Stage 2 – Increased Clinical Demands
• Stage 3 – Pandemic Emergency Status

The following is a guide to approaching resident education for each stage. We will update this page regularly—if you have any resources or ideas to share, please email us. You can also check out our more general list of Provider Care resources.

Stage 1: Preparation

At this stage, there is reduced clinical work as clinics switch to video or telephone visits and elective procedures are cancelled. Many residents and faculty will be struggling with the stress of increased childcare and worry for their own or others’ safety in the weeks to come.

Formal Curriculum

• Weekly teaching conferences to continue, held virtually (Zoom)
• Small group activities utilizing faculty who may be “stood down” from clinical activities but not yet redeployed—for example:
  • Case based learning
  • Oral board review
  • Radiology sessions
• Question Prep
  • TrueLearn
  • SESAP
• Important Considerations:
  • Some residents may be dealing with childcare concerns—exercise caution with making anything mandatory.
  • If possible, record sessions to archive in a library that can become an enduring resource for the program.

Wellness Resources

Model a healthy lifestyle, social interactions and support.

Example activities:

• Daily Wellness Challenge
• Mindfulness and Meditation
  • Calm.com breathing exercises
  • Headspace
• Exercise or yoga classes

Stage 2: Increased Clinical Demands

Trainees are likely asked to shift patient care duties. They may be redeployed to units that they are less familiar with, and they are increasingly evaluating or treating COVID+ patients. At this stage, there are still likely more people off clinical responsibilities than usual, as providers rotate weekly to “preserve the workforce.”

Curriculum

Education focuses on pandemic preparedness, ventilator and ICU management, and pulmonary physiology.

COVID-19 Education

• CDC PPE Guidelines 
• AMA COVID-19 Resource Center
• Donning and doffing PPE:

Ventilator Management

• Online vent simulator
• Society for Hospital Medicine mechanical ventilation review curriculum (free, requires registration)

Critical Care Review

• ACLS Megacode Scenario Simulator
• Society for Critical Care Medicine Online Course: Critical Care for the Non-ICU Clinician (free, requires registration)

Wellness Resources

Focus on dealing with anxiety and acute stress.

• Frequent check-ins with small groups
• Mindfulness and Meditation
  • Headspace
  • Talkspace

Stage 3: Pandemic Emergency Status

Trainees shift to clinical care duties and majority of educational activities are suspended. The focus on this stage is ensuring wellness and having formal processes to check in on everyone in the program.

Wellness Resources

Focus on dealing with anxiety and acute stress.

• Frequent check-ins with small groups
• Mindfulness and Meditation
  • Headspace
  • Talkspace

Online Resources for Medical Education During Quarantine

In the “calm before the storm” setting (prior to anticipated COVID-19 surge), many programs have shifted to teams or rotating schedules to keep some providers at home in the effort to preserve the workforce. Educational activities can continue virtually and there are many resources already available.

General Surgery:

• #SurgEdVidz: created by MGH resident, Doug Cassidy (@DJCSurgEd), these are brief videos pertaining to a particular topic that are easy to pair with questions on TrueLearn.
• #QuarantineSurgEd: brought to you by the RASACS (@quarantinesurg1)
• SAGES Video Library
• SCORE Curriculum

Internal Medicine:

• Society for Hospital Medicine Clinical Topics 
• Harvard-based curriculum for Geriatrics 

Radiology:

• Johns Hopkins Radiology Website (multiple modules and real patient annotated imaging)