Urology Training even after COVID Time

Dear All,

This is a timely article as to how to pursue Urological Teaching and Training during this era of COVID19.

Most of the centres involved in Urology Training are indeed suffering because of various factors mentioned in this article.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/2051415820950109

The Efforts put in by USI-ISU will have to be lauded in their efforts to keep Urology Learning afloat during this trying time. They have with considerable difficulty brought out several well meaning programmes to sustain Urological education for the benefit of all. These programmes have aimed at every section of Urologists, be it be consultants at various levels or for trainees. Many Pharmaceutical Companies along with Corporate Sectors are conducting Programmes apart from their help rendered to USI and ISU. But the questions that arise are whether we are overdosing ourselves. Many of the trainees and Urologists appear to be getting a bit tired as well in trying to attend these proliferations of such Exercises however good it may be.

These collective exercises do not help our trainees unless we develop local (institutional) training which is one on one. I am sure many of the institutions have begun this though the volume of teaching and training materials have come down. There are centres with the inputs of trainee’s too large (thanks to MCI) where the numbers of trainees are too large for comfort. With paucity of clinical materials during this time, it is probably necessary to consider centres grouping themselves and pursue clinical teaching among the group by organizing programmes among them by the web conferencing platforms that we have now. This will enable trainees to be exposed better.

During this Pandemic and probably later also, it is likely that the Exit Exams will be conducted online and such exercises within the group will help the trainees better prepared to the nuances of online exam.

Suddenly I find that our teacher population has mushroomed and every programme there is teachers who are contributing to the efforts by contributing. It is really a wonder where they were before such programmes commenced. My plea is that such teachers who have surfaced to continue in teaching even after this pandemic is over and when they find themselves immersed in work. Collectively the training of the next generation can be made more fruitful. Unfortunately in India, the teaching responsibility is solely the work of the faculty in teaching centres but this pandemic has proven many of us wrong. The quality of teaching among those not attached to training centres are to be considered when fashioning programmes and by that all benefit

I am also posting the article for those who may not be able to open the link.

I am sure this article and my brief soliloquy will open the Pandora’s Box as to our way of training our next generation to become better Urologists than the previous one.

Learning and teaching are continuous processes and there is no end for this.

With warm regards,

Venu

 

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Comments(1)

  • Ravindra Sabnis
    Ravindra Sabnis
    27 Aug 2020 10:32:59 PM

    Covid era has brought out some changes which we never thought will come. In normal course, we would have opposed those changes tooth & nail. But in pandemic we have not only accepted, adopted but we are recommending some of them as permanent changes. 

    When we talk of training the residents, Webinars, teaching classes, online mock exams, cases discussion, ...etc are ok to some extent. But these can't be substitute to a strong clinical load. Even with pathetic living conditions, why high ranking students, still prefer to take seats in govt hospitals, is only because of work load. If it was not important, posh, 7 star hospitals would have been preferred by all. Same way, online teaching is important to some extent but can't be substitute. Sir once you only said, that Amrit in high doses is poison. We need to strike the balance & keep these webinars, teaching activities as Amrit & not make it as poison. 

    However, one thing covid has brought out is that, those students, who lacked structured teaching activities, are immensely benefited. They got opportunity to attend classes of some of the best teachers of the country that too sitting at home. This I am sure will continue post covid as well.

     

    I agree with you, that so many “new entrants” of teaching should continue even in post covid time. Or else they may disappear, which is not fair

    As regards to exam, covid has brought out some changes in exam pattern, many principles which we observed for so many years while examining students, are now violated – due to covid. However, I feel, they should not remain post covid. Everything in life can’t be online. How candidate takes, history, examines, interprets history, reacts instantly to questions of examiner – are also important. That can’t be tested by sitting in front of computer.

    So I feel covid has brought out some changes, some should continue But many things we are doing presently should disappear post covid. Trainees have to perform surgery, They have to sit in OPD, Thay have to follow up pts, Or else we will be producing theoretically top students but practically zero.

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