Objective: Arising from the 2020 pandemic, virtual platforms are increasingly used as a mechanism to increase access for students and educators. As a result, ACOG converted the traditional in person medical student program to a virtual platform and successfully hosted more than 1000 medical students (2021). In 2022, the return to an in-person ACOG Annual Meeting the program attendance was only 400 students. As educators looking to increase access to professional development and advising opportunities for students, ACOG’s medical student directors collected data to assess student needs for guidance in choosing a career in OBGYN. A survey of ACOG medical student members and a qualitative analysis of student submitted questions during virtual webinars and panel discussions provide insight into student needs and concerns. This ultimately provides scaffolding for additional virtual strategies to support students as they embark on the journey in choosing their career path and applying to residency. This framework will provide the basis for an interactive workshop where attendees will help create a virtual library of career, professional, and residency application resources for students.
Methods: Questions for the ACOG Medical Student seminars in 2021 were submitted at the time of registration as well as submitted live ( in the chat function) during the webinars. A qualitative analysis of student submitted questions during virtual webinars and panel discussions was performed.
Results: The data from the ACOG medical student questions included 80 questions at registration and 200 questions submitted in the chat during the Gibbons Lecture webinar and 30 questions at registration for the Selecting a Residency Webinar. From this list, we created a summary of key areas of questions and concerns to medical students considering a career in OBGYN and highlighted some specific questions posed by students applying to OBGYN residency. A summary of this information will be presented and used to guide discussions during the interactive session.
Conclusion/ Discussion: Medical students continue to have questions and to seek advice about the specialty of OBGYN. The COVID-19 Pandemic provided the need and opportunity to transition traditional in person presentations to virtual format, which in essence increased access to career guidance and advising for OBGYN medical students. Ultimately, creating a combination of in-person and virtual formats can be used in the future to address these deficits and maximize medical student guidance in OBGYN career guidance. In essence, creating more equity in advising opportunities.
Topics: Faculty Development Seminar, 2023, Student, Faculty, Clerkship Director, Clerkship Coordinator, Residency Director, UME,
