Reply To the Editor:
We thank Luc and Antonoff1 for their thoughtful comments on our study.2 The true silver lining of COVID-19 is the rapid realization that much of what has become dogmatic in cardiothoracic surgical training has been uprooted and redefined during this unprecedented time. The pandemic has required that we as surgeons and educators step back and take a thoughtful look and approach to how we are training our trainees, both from a fund of knowledge and technical standpoint.
Previous reliance on spending hours on the wards and in the operating room has become challenging in many training programs as a result of COVID-19. This has pushed our trainees into realizing the utility of the multiple online platforms that are available to them as described by Luc and Antonoff.1 As the authors imply, taking this to the next level allows for the bridging of geography and institutional boundaries through the use of multimedia platforms. Multiple examples of this have been implemented on a small scale; for example the training program at MD Anderson is broadcasting their “debate style” journal club electronically for increased participation outside of the home institution. This concept of educational open access across cardiothoracic training programs can only strengthen the depth and breadth of experiences to which our trainees are exposed. Additionally an added bonus of these experiences is the ability of our trainees to “virtually meet” each other across the country, providing important networking opportunities that will only enhance their careers moving forward.
The vision of the Thoracic Educational Cooperative Group is that with multiinstitutional collaborative efforts we can accomplish more, and the critical importance of this type of educational strategy has never been more important. We agree with the Thoracic Educational Cooperative Group, Luc, and Anfonoff: Through every storm there is a silver lining. COVID-19 has shown us that as a specialty we can be stronger and more impactful with our educational efforts through collaborative efforts built out of necessity in the setting of a global pandemic. The ability to bridge geography, institutional boundaries, and previously held surgical educational dogma is now.
References
- 1.Luc J.G.Y., Antonoff M.B. Necessity is the mother of innovation—the time to collaborate is now (letter) Ann Thorac Surg. 2020;110:2107. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2020.05.011. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 2.Lewis E.E., Taylor L.J., Hermsen J.L., McCarthy D.P., Fiedler A.G. Cardiothoracic education in the time of COVID-19: how I teach it. Ann Thorac Surg. 2020;110:362–363. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2020.04.002. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]