2658 - Evolving Role of Virtual Education in Radiation Oncology: Insights from the ROVER Initiative
Presenter(s)
K. Ragland1, R. Mulherkar2, Y. R. Wuu3, J. M. Kahn4, J. Runnels5, E. L. Pollom6, N. Sandhu7, and R. Hutten8; 1University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Radiation Oncology, Birmingham, AL, 2Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 3Northwell, New Hyde Park, NY, 4Department of Radiation Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 5Department of Radiation Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 6Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 7Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, 8University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Human Oncology, Madison, WI
Purpose/Objective(s): The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated virtual education adoption, prompting the creation of the Radiation Oncology Virtual Education Rotation (ROVER) in 2020 to provide centralized, freely accessible resources for medical students and residents. Initially offering webinars and virtual clerkship (VC) postings, ROVER has evolved to support resident education and recruitment. This study evaluates engagement trends from May 2020 to December 2024, hypothesizing that virtual educational platforms remain vital post-pandemic for trainee connection and supplementing traditional didactics.
Materials/Methods: Squarespace website analytics tracked annual visits and user engagement by page from May 2020 to December 2024. The Meet & Greet (M&G) page advertises residency program sessions for interested medical students, the VC page advertises VCs for 4th year medical students, the ROVER page links to webinar recordings that initially targeted medical students and shifted to resident-level material, and the Resident and Medical Student Resources pages compile educational material from various sources. Monthly engagement trends and page popularity were analyzed to assess evolving needs as pandemic restrictions eased.
Results: From 2020 to 2024, ROVER received 52,420 visits, distributed annually as follows: 13,483, 11,049, 8,343, 7,917, and 11,628. The most common access methods were direct (35,277), search engine (11,591), and social media (3,735). Visits consistently peaked between July-September (ANOVA, p=0.01) with high M&G page engagement. Early engagement centered on the M&G and VC pages, targeted to medical students, totaling 9,131 and 8,595 engagements respectively in the first two years. Recently, M&G engagement remained high (4,580) and the Resident Resource page gained attention (5,923) in the last two years.
Conclusion: ROVER’s engagement trends reflect its enduring relevance as a virtual educational tool. Initially addressing pandemic-driven needs for medical students, ROVER now fosters resident recruitment and advanced education in radiation oncology. Peak engagement aligns with residency application cycles. Curated resources and webinars facilitate institutional connections and supplement traditional curricula, emphasizing a continued need for centralized, accessible educational tools. Future efforts should expand ROVER’s reach and tailor content to evolving trainee needs.