Extracapsular cataract extraction training: junior ophthalmology residents’ self-reported satisfaction level with their proficiency and initial learning barrier

Ophthalmology Residency in the United States: The Case for a National Curriculum

To identify strategies for effective curriculum development and implementation in United States (US) ophthalmology residency training programs. A literature review was conducted for all English-language PubMed/Medline articles relating to ophthalmology residency education or curriculum/curricula. Despite ACGME-defined program requirements outlining curricular goals for US ophthalmology residency training programs, there is no comprehensive, national curriculum with detailed plans for instruction of necessary topics within the 36-month residency training period. Several articles identify a need for detailed curricula on various topics, propose ideas on how residency programs could create curricula, and explore ways of assessing resident competence. There is a paucity of literature evaluating how ophthalmology residents best learn various ophthalmology topics. We need to develop an intentional, comprehensive, and timely national curriculum for ophthalmology residency programs in the US, with detailed plans on how to meet curricular objectives and consideration of the most effective teaching strategies for different ophthalmology concepts.

Video recording in ophthalmic surgery

Video recording in ophthalmic surgery has immense potential to drive quality improvement in patient care, ophthalmology training, and research. Not only do surgical videos permit introspective and critical analyses of surgical technique, they also allow for objective assessment, allow for more informative audits, and are an invaluable medium for surgical education. Unfortunately, medical-grade video recording equipment is often costly. Various novel methods of video recording that utilize commercially available products offer adequate alternatives. Certain ethical and legal issues also need to be considered before the commencement of video recording in the operating room to protect both the patient and surgeon. We review the current applications and methods of video recording in ophthalmic surgery described in the literature, as well as the potential ethical and legal issues surrounding video recording.