Virtual Teaching of Preventive Cardiology: A Student Experience

Hays, Sara; Mankala, Vikas; Paternostro, Kevin; Pawar, Deepraj; Ward, Edward; Raymond, Lauren

Preventive cardiology is a subspecialty of Internal Medicine focused on reducing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk through medical management of known risk factors and identification of genetic predispositions. Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) provides a preventive cardiology course designed to engage students in targeted, multidisciplinary care to address the increasing ASCVD prevalence. Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, OHSU transitioned this course to a virtual platform to allow students to continue their medical education. Course adaptations include utilization of video-conferencing platforms and cloud-based storage websites, allowing students access to didactic materials, instructional sessions, and engage with patients in a telehealth setting. As the first cohort of students to complete this course, we share our experience with the virtual platform, including the virtual course structure, student role, and benefits and limitations of this model. Through our experience, we have found that adaptation to a virtual platform provides a feasible and effective means through which to continue preventive cardiology education during the COVID-19 pandemic.