PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Prisca, Singh
AU  - Shihabul, Hassan
AU  - Haroon, Ali Shah
TI  - 53 Running a leadership society during the Covid-19 pandemic - the switch to a virtual platform
AID  - 10.1136/leader-2021-FMLM.53
DP  - 2021 Nov 01
TA  - BMJ Leader
PG  - A20--A20
VI  - 5
IP  - Suppl 1
4099  - http://bmjleader.bmj.com/content/5/Suppl_1/A20.1.short
4100  - http://bmjleader.bmj.com/content/5/Suppl_1/A20.1.full
SO  - BMJ Leader2021 Nov 01; 5
AB  - Aims Birmingham Medical Leadership Society (BMLS) is a society that aims to promote leadership within healthcare to students at the University’s Medical and Dental School. We have worked to convert our usual events to an online format, so that we can continue to provide leadership-oriented events during the Covid-19 pandemic. This abstract highlights key considerations for conversion to an online platform, and shows the outcomes of BMLS’ approach.Methods The events were analysed according to results from the online feedback forms collected post-event. This data was analysed using Microsoft Excel 2016.Results The feedback has shown that the majority of students are satisfied with our virtual events, with an average rating 4.63 out of 5 for the usefulness of the session, and 4.71 for how interesting it was. Additionally, the average score for relevance of the event to the viewer was 4.67. This demonstrates that online delivery of events can be effective at engaging medical students with leadership topics.Conclusions Delivering leadership events during a pandemic has its challenges, but by switching to online platforms it’s possible to engage an audience in numerous events. Both Zoom, a more traditional option, and also Instagram Live are valuable tools. When hosting an event on either platform, it’s crucial to plan adequate promotion of the event beforehand, as well as getting all members of the committee comfortable with the platform that will be used and doing run through sessions to ensure all links are appropriate. Feedback forms should also be designed for each session. By preparing for a virtual event this way, societies can make a smooth transition to online event provision. In this way, leadership can continue to be promoted to medical students in the UK.