P24
TAKING THE VIVA VIRTUAL. IMPROVING ACCESS TO PAEDIATRIC EXAM PREPARATION FOR THE FINAL FRCA VIVA DURING THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC
C. Stevens1, R. Chapman2, C. Honstvet2, E. Hare2, M. Robson2, T. Carter2, S. Crabtree2
1Evelina Children's Hospital, London, UK
2St George's NHS Trust, London, UK
The COVID-19 pandemic led to the loss of many of the usual opportunities for (in-person) examination preparation placing additional stress on anaesthetic trainees preparing for exams. Paediatric anaesthesia remains one of the cornerstones of the FRCA examination. With candidates expected to recognise the complexities that come with anaesthetising neonates, infants, and older children with complex medical and social needs.
In response to the loss of in person examination preparation, St George’s Anaesthetic Department developed and delivered an online viva course for the Final FRCA. This course is free and open to trainees within St George’s school of anaesthesia. As a tertiary paediatric centre, the department was able to offer knowledge and expertise to ensure paediatric questions were prepared to a high standard.
Each course comprises 8 biweekly sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings using the Zoom online platform. Candidates are paired with a consultant or senior registrar examiner and provided with high fidelity exam practice. Questions developed by our faculty are provided to examiners in advance. All questions were written using the Royal College of Anaesthetists, Final examination curriculum. Paediatric content was covered broadly and on a weekly basis, covering a wide range of the paediatric requirements as laid out by the college.
Since November 2021 candidates and examiners have been surveyed using an online form to gather their opinions about the experience and accessibility of online exam practice.
Since 2020 the course has been delivered 9 times, supporting almost 100 candidates through exams. Of survey respondents 39% of candidates and 41% of examiners would not have been able to attend an “in-person'' course. The most common reason cited was candidates based at another hospital and childcare commitments. 87% of candidates stated they were able to attend more sessions because the course was online. 76% of examiners were more likely to volunteer for online examination sessions. 95% of candidates and 94% examiners agreed that online examination practice was more convenient.
These results demonstrate that online delivery enhances the accessibility of teaching for trainees whilst maximising the opportunity for consultants to participate. This is a regional teaching initiative that maximises inclusion and access for all trainees to a Tertiary paediatric anaesthetic team.