PC3043: Pivoting in a Pandemic: The Creation of a Pediatric Disaster Medicine Elective

Background: COVID-19 altered the landscape of graduate medical education (GME) globally. Pediatric programs that were responsible for ensuring their learners achieve competency were also required to account for social distancing, fluctuating clinical opportunities and possible service-oriented redeployment into non-pediatric areas. Additionally, the call for learning opportunities within the field of pediatric disaster medicine (PDM) was amplified. Prior to the pandemic, surveys of pediatric residents found that most respondents believed PDM education to be important, useful in their future careers and were motivated to increase their PDM knowledge. (Boggs et al, Cicero et al)

Methods: When rotations were unable to transition to a virtual format, gaps in education emerged. To capitalize on increase in learner availability, we created a virtual rotation that was capable of serving as a replacement. In line with Knowles’ Principle of Andragogy, we expected that our learners would be intrinsically motivated and therefore thrive in an elective that allowed them room for creativity and self-direction.

Utilizing Dick & Carey’s Instructional Model, a 3-week elective was created and applied to ACGME’s 6 core competencies. The elective is broken into 3 parts: 1) an introduction to disaster preparedness, 2) pediatric disaster medicine, and 3) a final project. (Figure 1) The final project is a time for the learner to explore how knowledge in PDM can be impactful in their self-identified future career.

The elective became available to all 2nd thru 4th year pediatric and medicine-pediatric residents at the start of the 2020-2021 academic year. The two course directors give written constructive feedback to the learners at the completion of the course and only after this do residents receive a link to an anonymous survey tool to submit their feedback on the elective with the goal of continuous improvements within the rotation.

Results: In its first 2 years has seen 28 residents enroll (AY 20-21, 11% of residents; AY 21-22, 13% of residents) making it one of the most popular electives. The results have been compiled from the first academic year, 2021-2022. Of the 13 residents that completed the elective, 10 (77%) completed the post-elective survey. Utilizing a 5-point Linkert scale from very poor to excellent, residents evaluated the elective at an average 4.7 for the quality of the rotation as a learning experience. (Figure 2) Most commented on was the positive influence including a self-directed final project had on the elective.

Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic created gaps within resident education. Building off the research of others that identified a desire and motivation for PDM education within pediatric residency, we created this elective. Satisfaction was high and interest in enrollment is increasing year to year. Anecdotally, we have been thrilled to see the number of scholarly projects stemmed from this elective.