The Past, Present, and Future of Orthopaedic Education: Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 global pandemic has upended nearly every medical discipline, dramatically impacted patient care, and has had far-reaching effects on surgeon education. In many areas of the country, elective orthopaedic surgery has completely stopped to ensure that resources are available for the critically ill and to minimize the spread of disease. COVID-19 is forcing many around the world to reevaluate existing processes and organizations and adapt to carry out business, of which medicine and education are not immune. The majority of national and international orthopaedic conferences, training programs, and workshops have been postponed or canceled, and we are now critically evaluating the delivery of education to our colleagues as well as residents and fellows. This manuscript describes the evolution of orthopaedic education and significant paradigm shifts necessary to continue to teach ourselves and the future leaders of our noble profession.