Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on United States Emergency Medicine Education: A Council of Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine (CORD) Task Force Survey-Based Analysis

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic presented unpredicted challenges to Emergency Medicine (EM) education. The rapid onset of the pandemic created clinical, operational, administrative, and home-life challenges for virtually every member of the medical education community, demanding an educational and professional response at all levels including undergraduate medical education (UME), graduate medical education (GME), and faculty. The Council of Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine (CORD) COVID-19 Educational Impact Task Force was established in 2021 to examine these effects and the response of the EM educational community. Methods The Task Force utilized consensus methodology to develop the survey instruments, which were revised using a modified Delphi process. Both open- and closed-answer questions were included in the survey, which was initially distributed electronically to attendees of the 2021 Virtual Academic Assembly. Results were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Results Sixty-three individuals responded to the first part of the survey (which addressed issues related to UME and GME) and 41 individuals responded to the second part of the survey (which addressed faculty and wellness). The pandemic’s influence on EM education was viewed in both a positive and negative light. The transition to virtual platforms had various impacts, including innovation and engagement via technology. Remote technology improved participation in didactics and allowed individuals to more easily participate in departmental meetings. However, this also led to a decreased sense of connection with peers and colleagues resulting in a mixed picture for overall engagement and effectiveness. The Task Force has developed a list of recommendations for best practices for EM programs and for EM organizations. Conclusion The survey results articulated the educational benefits and challenges faced by EM educators during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the challenging times of the pandemic, many institutional and program-based innovations were developed and implemented to address the new educational environment. These approaches will provide invaluable educational tools for future training. This will also prepare the EM academic community to respond to future educational disruptions.