The use of Virtual Media in Postgraduate Medical Training during the COVID‑19 Pandemic: Experience from a Resource‑Constrained Setting

Abstract

Context: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19) pandemic brought about public health safety measures of social distancing and avoidance of crowded gatherings. These led to widespread disruptions in activities of daily living, as well as routine health‑care services and learning activities. There has been a noticeable move to the online domain as the platform for teaching and learning.

Aims: The present study aimed to describe the online learning and teaching experiences of postgraduate medical doctors in Nigerian hospitals.

Subjects and Methods: The study was a cross‑sectional online survey sent to medical doctors across social media platforms, and it sought to find out the current number of hours utilized and modalities of their online educational media use.

Results: A total of 116 doctors responded and completed the survey, with 74 (63.8%) and 104 (89.6%) of them having some webinar experience before and during the pandemic, respectively. At least 82 (70.4%) had 1–5 h of online learning activities each week, and an overwhelming 114 (98.2%) used a personal Internet data subscription to access online educational material. In addition, 56 (48.3%) felt that online learning was less rewarding than in‑person interactions even though 93 (80.2%) found the online learning activities to be quite convenient. Poor Internet connectivity was cited as a major challenge to a successful online learning experience in 80 (68.9%).

Conclusion: Although the COVID‑19 pandemic restricted face‑to‑face human contact including learning activities, postgraduate medical education has filled the void by increasing online learning activities, resulting in an admixture of experiences and reactions.