Coronavirus Disease 2019 and the Yale Response: A Semistructured Interview Study on Plastic Surgery Resident Education and Departmental Adaptation to the Lockdown

Abstract

Background: Sooner-than-expected progression to statewide lockdown at the height of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic left minimal time for medical specialty boards, including The American Board of Plastic Surgery, to issue guidance for their respective programs. As a result, programs were tasked with developing creative alternatives to their standard resident curricula and department schedules. Objective: To capture attending and resident experience of the coronavirus disease 2019 lockdown in narrative form and to understand what specific changes enacted to maintain adequate education should be considered for continuation after the pandemic’s conclusion. Methods: Qualitative, semistructured interviews of residents, fellows, and faculty of the Section of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery during 2019 to 2020 academic year were conducted on the following topics: (1) general reflection on lockdown, (2) resident maintenance of daily logs, (3) multi-institutional collaborative lectures, (4) modified didactic curriculum, (5) virtual 3-dimensional craniofacial planning sessions, (6) maintenance of department camaraderie, and (7) effect on preparation to become a surgeon. Results: Twenty interviews (response rate 77%) were conducted between October 2020 and February 2021. Of residents, 100% felt observing the craniofacial planning sessions was beneficial, with many explicitly noting it provided a unique perspective into the surgeon’s thought process behind planned manipulations, to which they usually are not privy. Of residents, 100% felt confident at the time of the interview that the lockdown would have no lasting effects on their preparation to become a surgeon. Conclusions: Rapid changes enacted at Yale enabled resident training to advance, and documentation of the success of these changes can inform future curriculum design.