Download PDF
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Journal of Academic Ophthalmology 2023; 15(01): e119-e125
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1769463
Research Article

Perspectives of U.S. Ophthalmology Residents and Medical Students on Ophthalmology Exposure during Medical School

Hailey Robles-Holmes 
1   Department of Ophthalmology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
,
Ajay Kolli
2   Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
,
Victor Cox
3   Department of Ophthalmology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, District of Columbia
,
Anne Xuan-Lan Nguyen
4   Faculty of Medicine and Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
,
Arjun Watane
5   Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
,
David Portney
6   Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
,
Dena Ballouz
6   Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
,
Jayanth Sridhar
7   Department of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
› Author Affiliations Funding This study is supported by NIH Center Core Grant P30EY014801, Research to Prevent Blindness Unrestricted Grant. This funding source was not involved in the design, collection, analysis, interpretation, writing, or submission of the data.
› Further Information
   Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

Introduction In recent decades, ophthalmology exposure in medical school has been increasingly reduced. In turn, medical students have expressed concern over their ophthalmic skills. Research investigating the status of ophthalmology education in U.S. undergraduate medical curricula is limited to institutional data devoid of the student or resident perspective. This study seeks to gain a better understanding of current ophthalmology education for U.S. medical students from the trainee point of view.

Methods A cross-sectional survey was distributed to current U.S. medical students interested in ophthalmology and U.S. ophthalmology residents. Demographic data, ophthalmology curriculum information, respondent learning preferences, and personal reflections were recorded. Thematic analysis and chi-square tests were utilized.

Results In total, 387/4,482 (8.6%) surveys were completed by respondents from 75 U.S. medical institutions. Most respondents were exposed to formal ophthalmology curriculum (63%), research (89%), mentorship (84%), and clinical experiences (87%) during medical school, and medical school curriculum was ranked the third most helpful resource for students to learn about ophthalmology. Yet, 29% of residents (n = 55) did not feel confident in their diagnostic ophthalmology skills based on their medical school exposure. Student and resident recommendations for improving ophthalmology education delivery commonly referenced nontraditional ophthalmology resources such as online videos (n = 83) to supplement traditional learning materials such as lectures (n = 56).

Discussion These findings suggest that primary ophthalmology exposure in medical school has shifted toward extracurricular activities such as research and clinical observation. Considering the increasing time demands placed on the medical education system, utilizing nontraditional educational materials to supplement current undergraduate medical education in ophthalmology may provide educators with a resource to improve learner confidence and resident preparedness.

Keywords

ophthalmology undergraduate medical education - ophthalmology exposure - student perspectives - trainee perspectives

Supplementary Material



Publication History

Received: 29 September 2022

Accepted: 24 April 2023

Article published online:
22 May 2023

© 2023. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.
333 Seventh Avenue, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10001, USA

 

  • References

  • 1 Kalina RE, Van Dyk HJ, Weinstein GW. Ophthalmology teaching in medical schools. J Med Educ 1981; 56 (02) 143-145
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 2 Quillen DA, Harper RA, Haik BG. Medical student education in ophthalmology: crisis and opportunity. Ophthalmology 2005; 112 (11) 1867-1868
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 3 Yamane MLM, Kassotis AS, De Moraes CG, Dagi Glass LR. Correlating ophthalmology exposure in medical school to applying and matching into an ophthalmology residency. Acad Med 2020; 95 (11) 1770-1776
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 4 Moxon NR, Goyal A, Giaconi JA. et al. The state of ophthalmology medical student education in the United States: an update. Ophthalmology 2020; 127 (11) 1451-1453
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 5 Shah M, Knoch D, Waxman E. The state of ophthalmology medical student education in the United States and Canada, 2012 through 2013. Ophthalmology 2014; 121 (06) 1160-1163
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 6 Cobbs L, Tsui E, Haberman I. et al. Student perceptions of the ophthalmology curriculum in medical school. J Acad Ophthalmol 2018; 10: e79-e82
    Article in Thieme ConnectPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 7 Duong AT, Van Tassel SH, Alzaga Fernandez AG. et al. Medical education and path to residency in ophthalmology in the COVID-19 era: perspective from medical student educators. Ophthalmology 2020; 127 (11) e95-e98
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 8 Kiger ME, Varpio L. Thematic analysis of qualitative data: AMEE Guide No. 131. Med Teach 2020; 42 (08) 846-854
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 9 Kim Y, Kassam AF, McElroy IE. et al. The current status of the diversity pipeline in surgical training. Am J Surg 2022; 224 (1 Pt B): 250-256
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 10 Aguwa UT, Srikumaran D, Canner J. et al. Trends in racial and ethnic diversity of ophthalmology residents and residency applicants. Am J Ophthalmol 2022; 240: 260-264
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar