Many test-takers look for an opportunity for the classroom experience when they prepare for a national board exam. They yearn for personal answers from the highest-level expert at the front of the classroom and the experience of a community sharing struggles to achieve a similar goal.  The end desire, though, is truly efficiency in preparation. Students want a maintained focus on the USMLE as well as an effective way to review and recall clinically relevant information. In these uncertain times more students are moving toward using virtual classrooms, and it is up to faculty to provide a well-rounded approach. This gives us, as educators, many opportunities to create a unique experience which truly prepares each individual student.

Accessibility is the largest benefit attributed to the online learning platforms―virtual classrooms are usable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week as needed, and students can participate from anywhere in the world. We as faculty members, however, must create a classroom that truly is efficient and provides the comradery that students are looking for as they work to achieve success on the USMLE.

Personalizing Lessons Based on Classroom Feedback

Also, in an online environment, the playing field is leveled a bit for all students. The internet provides a certain measure of anonymity, and students are less leery of trying to answer a question or ask for help they are not subjected to the same fear of public ridicule. Poll feedback allows a faculty member to adapt immediately― I use the responses to determine just how much time I will allot to a particular topic, and a review of questions from the students allows me to change my discussion next time to prevent the same distractors. I also look to questions that come in about topics we have not covered. They allow me to plan each day independently to create efficient lessons.  Each lesson feels new, and, by the end of the lecture series, the discussions have focused on the students’ needs as relevant to the USMLE rather than just a checklist of important topics―time is spent where it is needed while continuing to connect concepts.

Achieving Effective Facilitation in the Online World

Teaching outside a traditional classroom creates unique problems for educators, and we as faculty must develop the necessary online qualities to compensate for the lack of a physical presence.  

• Effective faculty connect to students through the camera. Looking directly into the camera puts you in the room with the student. Even something as simple as a yellow post-it note on your camera reminding you to “look here” can make all the difference.
• Effective faculty are true tech experts in their virtual classroom world.  Testing their abilities in a “sandbox” and obtaining feedback about approaches creates control of the room.
• Effective faculty trust each other. Teamwork becomes essential; we must depend on our fellow experts to work behind the scenes to answer questions in real-time.   
• Effective faculty adapt as needed. Using instantaneous feedback that comes from anonymous students and other faculty members can allow us to shape each day as needed.  

Successful preparation for the USMLE using a virtual classroom is a reality, and adaptable faculty members are the beginning step. By preparing as faculty to command an online environment and translate our knowledge using modern techniques, we can continue to prepare our students effectively for board exams.

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