CRAMsurg: Teaching Evidence Based Practice Through a VCoP Model

ABSTRACT

Background
There is little formal training on critical appraisal of published research during medical school and surgical training. Surgeons and trainees, however, are expected to read and appraise papers in order to practise evidence‐based medicine. The CRAMsurg Community of Practice and educational charity was created to address this gap in surgical education.


Approach

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
and on multiple online platforms (YouTube/Spotify/iTunes). The project supports a mentoring programme for medical students and for surgical trainees.



Evaluation
To date, 55 live sessions have been conducted, resulting in 184 YouTube videos (8000 views, 557.2 h of watch time) and 34 published letters to the editors. Six medical students and 45 surgical trainees have participated in the mentoring programme. The website had over 7000 pageviews. We collected 124 feedback forms from attendees, and the mean rating was 4.8/5 (SD 0.4).


Implications
CRAMsurg has modernised the concept of ‘journal club’ and developed programmes designed to introduce medical students and surgical trainees to critical appraisal and scientific writing. The CRAMsurg website is the largest freely available surgery‐related evidence‐based medicine and critical appraisal resource on the Internet.