Development and Evaluation of a Multi-Institutional Virtual Urology Course for Medical Students

Abstract

OBJECTIVE

Urological education has been declining in medical schools, leaving many students without adequate exposure to the fundamentals of the field. We aimed to create a virtual urology course for medical students preparing for subinternships.

DESIGN

We created a 4-week curriculum of case-based urology modules with sections on hematuria, bladder cancer, kidney stones, vesicoureteral reflux, prostate cancer, urinary incontinence, and erectile dysfunction. Students completed precourse and postcourse surveys assessing confidence in content knowledge and 4 educational competencies. Faculty completed postcourse surveys. Confidence was scored on a 5-point Likert scale (0-4).

SETTING

We offered the course in May 2022 and May 2023. The course was fully virtual and was offered at medical schools across the United States.

PARTICIPANTS

The course included 157 medical students from 60 institutions and 44 faculty instructors from 30 institutions. All instructors were urologists representing a range of urological subspecialties.

RESULTS

Surveys were completed by 61/157 students (39%) and 33/44 faculty (75%). Median student confidence in content knowledge increased across all disease processes: hematuria (3 vs. 2), bladder cancer (3 vs. 1), kidney stones (3 vs. 2), vesicoureteral reflux (3 vs. 1), prostate cancer (3 vs. 1), urinary incontinence (3 vs. 2), and erectile dysfunction (3 vs. 2) (all p < 0.001). Median confidence scores also increased across all 4 educational competencies: patient evaluation (3 vs. 2), pathophysiology (3 vs. 2), literature appraisal (3 vs. 2), and patient counseling (3 vs. 1) (all p < 0.001). Confidence increases in all areas were maintained at 7-month follow-up. Most students (85%) and faculty (91%) rated the course “excellent” or “very good.”

CONCLUSIONS

A multi-institutional virtual urology course for medical students led to a durable increase in confidence pertaining to content knowledge and various educational competencies.