Abstract
This article was migrated. The article was not marked as recommended. Introduction: Conditions of the eye and vision seen in ophthalmology constitute some of the largest disease burdens in the world. Evidence from other parts of the world indicate that exposure to ophthalmology in medical school can be lacking. We aimed to conduct a pilot study assessing students' exposure to, and confidence in treating, common ophthalmic conditions. We hoped to see how this compares to a global cohort and whether there are indications that the nature of ophthalmology teaching in Slovakia necessitates change. This will further inform the need to expand the study nationally to more accurately distinguish areas of improvement. Methods: A single-centre cross-sectional survey was conducted at Univerzita Pavla Jozefa Šafárika v Košiciach, Slovakia. A 24-item questionnaire was distributed to final year medical students via a web-based platform and was available to complete for a period of 1 week. Results: A total of 25 responses were collected from approximately 100 students (25% response rate). 7/25 (28%) respondents declared an interest in ophthalmology as a future career option, with males predominating [8% of females vs. 50% of males, OR = 0.09, CI = 0.009-0.0943, P=0.045]. 40% of individuals, however, reported a lack of adequate exposure to make an informed decision. Average hours of clinical placement and classroom teaching equated to 1.5 ± 0.6 weeks (mean ± SD) and 18 ± 13 hours, respectively. 13/25 (52%) students reported adequate teaching in direct ophthalmoscopy and slit lamp examination. 15/25 (60%) of respondents reported inadequate clinical exposure. 7/25 (28%) of participants reported having witnessed cataract surgery, whereas 14 (56%) reported having not seen any ophthalmic surgery. 9/25 (36%), 15/25 (60%), 7/25 (28%), 7/25 (28%) and 13/25 (52%) of students felt competent in managing cataract, conjunctivitis, glaucoma, diabetic eye disease and dry eye, respectively. Conclusions: From this pilot study we have identified that there is a relative lack of confidence in managing common eye conditions among this select cohort of students and this may stem from a lack of clinical exposure or classroom teaching hours. This warrants further evaluation with a larger, national cohort.
Highlights
Conditions of the eye and vision seen in ophthalmology constitute some of the largest disease burdens in the world
A 24-item questionnaire was distributed to final year medical students via a web-based platform and was available to complete for a period of 1 week
A total of 25 responses were collected from approximately 100 students (25% response rate). 7/25 (28%) respondents declared an interest in ophthalmology as a future career option, with males predominating [8% of females vs. 50% of males, OR = 0.09, CI = 0.009-0.0943, P=0.045]. 40% of individuals, reported a lack of adequate exposure to make an informed decision
Summary
Conditions of the eye and vision seen in ophthalmology constitute some of the largest disease burdens in the world. We hoped to see how this compares to a global cohort and whether there are indications that the nature of ophthalmology teaching in Slovakia necessitates change This will further inform the need to expand the study nationally to more accurately distinguish areas of improvement. Medical school curricula have seen a decline in the emphasis on ophthalmology training with the levels of exposure decreasing (Ah-Chan et al, 2001; Sherwin and Colville, 2008; Baylis, Murray and Dayan, 2011). This limits the number of students who develop an interest in pursuing ophthalmology as a career. Does this affect the numbers of students entering the field, but it deprives students of the chance to recognise and manage common ophthalmic complaints that can be encountered in numerous specialities beyond that of just ophthalmology
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