267 - A Pediatrics-focused COVID-19 Class: Just-In-Time Learning for Trainees

Poster Number: 267
Publication Number: 267.331

Jack J. Scala, Stanford University School of Medicine, Califon, NJ, United States; Nathaniel J. Braun, Stanford University School of Medicine, Bowling Green, OH, United States; Emma R. Rashes, Stanford University School of Medicine, Newton, MA, United States; Kiarash Shamardani, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States; Rishi P. Mediratta, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on medical education. Trainees require current information from trustworthy sources and seek to meaningfully engage with peers and experts to discuss recent events using critical, evidence-based thinking approaches.

Objective: We describe the development, implementation, and outcomes of a novel virtual COVID-19 course highlighting the intersection of pediatrics, medicine, and public health.

Design/Methods: In March 2020, medical students at Stanford University partnered with a pediatric hospitalist to develop a course within the Department of Pediatrics to learn about the COVID-19 pandemic in real time. Topics were selected based on knowledge gaps at different stages of the pandemic. Lecturers represented diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, and gender identities. The course has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and the Stanford Daily.

Results: Lecturers have discussed the impact of COVID-19 on children in low- and middle-income countries, schools and COVID-19, the mental health impact of the pandemic on adolescents, health disparities in pediatric population during the pandemic, pediatric COVID-19 vaccination, equitable vaccine distribution, and the social determinants of mental health and LGBTQ+ health disparities of adolescents. The course has resonated with over 550 undergraduate and graduate students and trainees, including medical students and pediatrics fellows. Almost all evaluators (95%, n=307, 55% response rate) recommend the course. Through mentorship from an interdisciplinary teaching team and diverse community partners, students created a range of projects to address the paucity of information about pediatrics and COVID-19. Projects included the creation and launch of a children’s book addressing vaccine hesitancy in English and Spanish, a toolkit for adolescents living with chronic illnesses to ease the transition to college during COVID-19, a video highlighting the importance of COVID-19 vaccines in children, an educational board game to teach children personal hygiene practices in the context of the pandemic, and the development of a mental health survey for migrant adolescents in Mexico.Conclusion(s): Our class provides timely education on pediatrics COVID-19 topics and equips students to use the power of community-oriented public health work to mitigate the negative impacts of the pandemic on children. This educational curriculum serves as a proof of concept and can be used beyond the current pandemic, at other institutions, and for other emergent global health threats.