Utility of a webinar to educate trainees on UK core surgical training (CST) selection – A cross sectional study and future implications amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background

The application process for Core Surgical Training (CST) in the United Kingdom (UK) is competitive and hence, careful preparation is required for trainees to obtain their posts of choice. There are multiple resources for preparation for selection including face-to-face courses and online question banks, however there is a paucity of webinars to educate trainees. With the cancellation of such courses due to social distancing restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, this cross-sectional study aims to evaluate the usefulness of a webinar to educate trainees on CST selection in the UK.

Materials and methods

A free online webinar was held on a single day by a second year core surgical trainee and was attended by 111 junior doctors. Beforehand, all attendees were invited to complete a survey on Google Forms (Google, USA) to ascertain their level of experience with webinars, obtain demographic information and elicit their level of knowledge about CST selection using a 1–5 Likert scale.

Results

Most attendees were in Foundation Year 2 (38.7%) and many had not previously attended a webinar as part of CST application preparation (93.7%). Over half of respondents (55.0%) preferred a webinar over a face-to-face tutorial, appreciating the flexibility, convenience and zero financial cost associated. Many candidates received minimal advice on CST application by their Foundation School (47.7%) and 50.5% of respondents rated their confidence on the application process at ‘3 out of 5.‘

Conclusion

Our study suggests webinars have been underused in preparation for CST applications. Traditional courses and advice from colleagues are more popular ways in which applicants prepare for selection. However, given the degree of uncertainty surrounding the return of face-to-face courses due to the Covid-19 pandemic, preparation for CST application may become increasingly reliant on online materials, which may result in an increased demand for high quality, engaging and informative webinars.

Highlights

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  Core Surgical Training (CST) is the first step of a surgical career in the United Kingdom (UK).

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  Entry to the 24 month programme is competitive and there are numerous resources available to help prepare.

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  Webinars are currently underused in medical education but are seeing a rise in popularity due to the cancellation of face-to-face courses caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

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  Prospective applicants favour the zero financial cost and the flexibility with which they can attend a webinar to prepare for CST applications.

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  Webinars should be considered as a regular means of preparation for CST applications, especially if face-to-face courses remain cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic and rules on social distancing.