SP3.01 CRAMSURG – creating an online educational resource and virtual community of practice focused on critical appraisal and research methodology

Aims Surgeons and those in training, are expected to appraise research papers and apply relevant findings to clinical practice. There is little formal teaching and training on this during medical school and surgical training. CRAMSURG was created to modernise the concept of “Journal Club” and create a Virtual Community of Practice supporting ongoing surgical education. This report presents the work of CRAMSURG and outcomes resulting from this work. Methods Online ‘journal club’ sessions are organised over zoom on a monthly basis. A pair of trainees (one junior and one senior/mentor) present a paper; followed by a discussion moderated by a consultant and teaching on an aspect of appraisal or research methodology. Presenters have access to an e-learning platform to support preparation. Sessions are recorded and published on www.cramsurg.org adopting multiple online platforms (Youtube/Spotify/iTunes). If appropriate, a letter to the editor is drafted and submitted to the respective journal. Results To date 50 live sessions have been conducted, resulting in 182 YouTube videos and 25 published letters to the editors. We have had over 8000 YouTube views resulting in 557.2 hours of watch time. The website has had 5586 visits, with 7364 page views. We collected 124 feedback forms from attendees, the mean rating was 4.8/5 (SD 0.4). Conclusions CRAMSURG offers trainees the ability to participate in a journal club remotely. It has also become a valuable resource used online via YouTube and the website.