The emergence of virtual education during the COVID-19 pandemic: The past, present, and future of the plastic surgery education

BACKGROUND: Since the global outbreak of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), plastic surgeons were forced to transition from traditional didactics to virtual lectures to practice “social distancing.” As this method of education continues to be widely used, understanding the current trend of its usage is critical. In this study, we performed a survey study of virtual lecture attendees and presenters to determine current usage and general consensus on virtual lectures in plastic surgery education. METHODS: An electronic survey was sent to attendees and presenters of virtual lectures using Google Forms. Demographic data, webinar usage patterns, and views on virtual lectures were collected. RESULTS: A total of 417 surveys were received. Prior to the COVID-19 era, 39.1percent of attendees did not use virtual lectures and 45.6percent of presenters did not give webinars at all. Both groups reported that the lack of opportunities and need were the most common cause of no use of lectures or webinars. After the outbreak, 35.4percent of attendees now use virtual lectures daily and 51.4percent of presenters give lectures weekly. Over 90percent of the study population reported a positive experience with the virtual lectures due to increased interaction, convenience, outreach, and usability. Finally, over 75percent stated that virtual lectures might replace classroom lectures in the future. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that a majority of plastic surgeons have begun to use and give virtual lectures daily after the COVID-19 outbreak. Virtual education is a powerful and versatile tool that has great potentials, and it may continue to serve as a part of surgical training in the future.