Download PDF
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Journal of Academic Ophthalmology 2023; 15(02): e300-e307
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1777431
Research Article

Self-Reported Perceptions of Preparedness among Incoming Ophthalmology Residents

Benjamin R. Lin 
1   Department of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Miami, Florida
,
Geoffrey Nguyen
2   Department of Ophthalmology, Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut
,
Jayanth Sridhar
1   Department of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Miami, Florida
,
Kara Cavuoto
1   Department of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Miami, Florida
› Author Affiliations Funding The funding is provided by the NIH Center Core Grant P30EY014801.
› Further Information
   Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess the self-perceived preparedness of incoming postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) and postgraduate year 2 (PGY2) ophthalmology interns/residents to carry out core competencies in ophthalmology.

Methods An online survey was created using the Survey Monkey survey platform and distributed to all ophthalmology resident applicants to the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute from the 2021 to 2022 and 2022 to 2023 application cycles. The survey contained questions pertaining to demographics, prior ophthalmic experience, online resources that were used to prepare for ophthalmology, and self-perceived preparedness to carry out key clinical skills in ophthalmology.

Results A total of 170 responses were obtained (16.1% response rate). Of those, 119 (70%) were incoming PGY1 interns and 51 (30%) were incoming PGY2 residents for the 2022 to 2023 academic year. Most respondents (90.6%, n = 154) reported that their ophthalmology residency was affiliated with an integrated ophthalmology intern year. Incoming PGY2s moderately agreed with the statement that they felt as prepared to see patients in ophthalmology as they do in other surgical subspecialties, whereas incoming PGY1s only mildly agreed with that statement (p = 0.003). Both incoming PGY1s and PGY2s felt most prepared to obtain histories relating to basic ophthalmic complaints and felt least prepared to read and interpret ophthalmic imaging studies. The most popular online resources used by respondents in order of popularity were EyeGuru (35.2%, n = 60), EyeWiki (32.9%, n = 56), Tim Root/OphthoBook (26.5%, n = 45), American Academy of Ophthalmology (13.5%, n = 23), and EyeRounds/University of Iowa (13.5%, n = 23).

Conclusion A major challenge in integrating ophthalmic education into the medical school curricula is the gradual shift toward shorter preclinical curricula. However, having a core foundation of ophthalmic knowledge is critical for incoming ophthalmology residents to be able to maximize their specialty-specific training. Integrated ophthalmology intern years likely play a significant role in the increased self-efficacy of incoming PGY2s compared with incoming PGY1s. Adopting nontraditional teaching methods like flipped classroom learning, utilizing online medical education resources, and continuing to increase ophthalmology exposure during PGY1 year may better prepare incoming PGY2s to operate independently in ophthalmology settings.

Keywords

preparedness - ophthalmology intern year - online education - self-assessment - self-assessed - self-reported

Note

B.R.L. serves as the Co-Founder and Executive Director of EyeGuru, a nonprofit organization, with no financial relationship involved.


Supplementary Material



Publication History

Received: 10 September 2023

Accepted: 09 November 2023

Article published online:
19 December 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 Flexner A. Medical education in the United States and Canada. From the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Bulletin Number Four, 1910. Bull World Health Organ 2002; 80 (07) 594-602
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 2 Duffy TP. The Flexner Report–100 years later. Yale J Biol Med 2011; 84 (03) 269-276
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 3 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
  • 4 Schwartz CC, Ajjarapu AS, Stamy CD, Schwinn DA. Comprehensive history of 3-year and accelerated US medical school programs: a century in review. Med Educ Online 2018; 23 (01) 1530557
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 5 Bell SG, Kobernik EK, Burk-Rafel J. et al. Trainees' perceptions of the transition from medical school to residency. J Grad Med Educ 2020; 12 (05) 611-614
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 6 Blackmore C, Austin J, Lopushinsky SR, Donnon T. Effects of postgraduate medical education “boot camps” on clinical skills, knowledge, and confidence: a meta-analysis. J Grad Med Educ 2014; 6 (04) 643-652
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 7 Lauer A, Quinn-Leering K. Memorandum - Ophthalmology Program Requirements Effective. July 1, 2021. Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) 2020; 1-10
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 8 Densen P. Challenges and opportunities facing medical education. Trans Am Clin Climatol Assoc 2011; 122: 48-58
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 9 Tang F, Chen C, Zhu Y. et al. Comparison between flipped classroom and lecture-based classroom in ophthalmology clerkship. Med Educ Online 2017; 22 (01) 1395679
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 10 Alabiad CR, Moore KJ, Green DP, Kofoed M, Mechaber AJ, Karp CL. The flipped classroom: an innovative approach to medical education in ophthalmology. J Acad Ophthalmol 2020; 12 (02) e96-e103
    Article in Thieme ConnectPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 11 Cohen SA, Pershing S. Geographic trends in the ophthalmology residency match: influence of program and applicant characteristics. J Acad Ophthalmol 2022; 14 (01) e81-e92
    Article in Thieme ConnectPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 12 Frenk J, Chen L, Bhutta ZA. et al. Health professionals for a new century: transforming education to strengthen health systems in an interdependent world. Lancet 2010; 376 (9756) 1923-1958
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 13 Lee AG, Golnik KC, Tso MO, Spivey B, Miller K, Gauthier TM. The international council of ophthalmology: vision for ophthalmic education in an interdependent world. Am J Ophthalmol 2012; 154 (04) 620-624.e2
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 14 Taylor DC, Hamdy H. Adult learning theories: implications for learning and teaching in medical education: AMEE Guide No. 83. Med Teach 2013; 35 (11) e1561-e1572
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 15 De Gagne JC, Park HK, Hall K, Woodward A, Yamane S, Kim SS. Microlearning in health professions education: scoping review. JMIR Med Educ 2019; 5 (02) e13997
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 16 Schwartz AC, Cotes RO, Kim J, Ward MC, Manning KD. Bite-sized teaching: engaging the modern learner in psychiatry. Acad Psychiatry 2019; 43 (03) 315-318
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 17 Manning KD, Spicer JO, Golub L, Akbashev M, Klein R. The micro revolution: effect of Bite-Sized Teaching (BST) on learner engagement and learning in postgraduate medical education. BMC Med Educ 2021; 21 (01) 69
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 18 Will EM, Altchek CL, Shukla HP, Ratan RB. AuduBon-Bons: bite-sized learning for residents in the ambulatory obstetrics and gynecology clinic. J Grad Med Educ 2022; 14 (03) 326-331
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 19 Aakre CA, Pencille LJ, Sorensen KJ. et al. Electronic knowledge resources and point-of-care learning: a scoping review. Acad Med 2018 ;93(11S Association of American Medical Colleges Learn Serve Lead: Proceedings of the 57th Annual Research in Medical Education Sessions): S60-S67
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 20 Kruger J, Dunning D. Unskilled and unaware of it: how difficulties in recognizing one's own incompetence lead to inflated self-assessments. J Pers Soc Psychol 1999; 77 (06) 1121-1134
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar