Last year, Prof. Hafezi wrote about why he felt it was important to travel to national and international congresses to educate, and the pros and cons of spending many weekends away from home – in other words “Education without Borders”. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic changed the situation completely. Travel became incredibly difficult, and almost every conference since early March has been canceled, postponed, or moved online.
However, presenting from a “virtual” podium can bring many benefits: people who would ordinarily never have been able to attend the conference in person, now have the chance to attend online, and not only see the presentation “live” and ask questions there and then (from the comfort of their own home or office desk). This is particularly important, not only to those who come from countries where obtaining travel visas might be problematic but also for those who simply for family, financial, or scheduling reasons cannot attend these congresses in person. It makes “education without borders” a reality.
The trade journal The Ophthalmologist asked Prof. Hafezi to contribute an Editorial on this topic. He did, and it covers all of his observations and insight into how this “new normal” has changed how we educate our peers in Ophthalmology. This ranged from the advantages (working from home [and no jet-lag!] and not travelling, more questions being asked by less shy colleagues, reduced costs and a lower carbon footprint) to the major disadvantages (moderators have to not only listen to the talk to ask questions at the end, but have to screen and prioritise viewers’ questions too; a lack of networking and in-person discussions at the end where all of the most important conversations seem to happen”).
Prof. Hafezi also looked at how this “new normal” of live web-based participation in presentations might remain part of future congresses even if the threat from COVID-19 subsides. A hybrid of live and online might represent the future of medical education.