Managing resident workforce and residency training amid COVID-19 pandemic: Scoping review of adaptive approaches

Abstract Introduction: The impact of Covid-19 on the healthcare system and training is tremendous and unpredictable. In addition to service re-organization, teaching institutions will have to devise adaptive mechanisms to cope up with the disruption in medical education and residency training.Objective: to review available adaptive residency training approaches and management of resident work force in different residency programs amid Covid-19 pandemicMethods and materials: We searched for websites of different professional associations and international or national specialty accreditation institutions. We looked for English studies (any form), reviews or editorials, perspectives, short or special communications, and position papers on residency education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, we searched: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Google Scholar using keywords. Data extraction was done by two independent reviewers using a customized tool that was developed to record the key information of the source that’s relevant to the review question. The difference between the two authors on data extraction was resolved by discussion.Results: We identified 13 documents reporting on residency education during pandemics. Three were articles,5 short or special communications, and the rest editorials and perspectives. We divided the data obtained into six thematic areas: resident staffing, clinical education, surgical education, didactic teaching, research activity, and accreditation process.Conclusions: Residency programs must reorganize the resident's staffing and provide appropriate training to ensure the health and safety of residents during the pandemics. There are feasible adaptive approaches of maintaining residency trainings in the domains of didactic teaching, clinical education and some research activities. Although some innovative virtual surgical skills training methods are implemented in limited surgical residency disciplines, their effectiveness is not well examined. Guidance and flexibility of the accreditation bodies in ensuring competency of residents is one component of the response to the Covid-19 pandemic.