Document Detail


An analysis of undergraduate ophthalmology training in Canada.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  19789584     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the adequacy of undergraduate ophthalmology education in Canada in comparison with the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) guidelines. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. PARTICIPANTS: First-year residents who had graduated from Canadian medical schools. METHODS: Eligible residents were invited to participate in an online survey in 2007. Data were categorized by demographic variables, and basic statistics were done. RESULTS: Responses were obtained from 386 of the 1425 individuals (27.0%) contacted. The majority (64.0%) stated they had "too little" or "no exposure" to ophthalmology in medical school. The majority (76.2%) of respondents stated that they had had 1 week or less of overall exposure to ophthalmology. Sufficient exposure to several ICO core subspecialty areas was reported, including lens/cataract (81.1%) and cornea/external diseases (81.6%); however, some areas did not receive adequate time allocation, such as vitreoretinal disease (41.9%). Similarly, competency was obtained in certain ICO examination skills, including assessment of visual acuity (83.3%) and pupillary reflexes (90.7%) but was not achieved for other skills, such as fundoscopy (52.3%), slit-lamp examination (44.8%), and intraocular pressure assessment (19.9%). When asked whether sufficient ophthalmology knowledge and skills had been obtained during medical school, only 42.9% and 25.9% agreed, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Undergraduate ophthalmology training in Canada contains gaps in certain key areas. Developing a national, standardized curriculum could ensure that medical students acquire competency in the ophthalmology knowledge and skills required for future clinical practice.
Authors:
Jason Noble; Kirandeep Somal; Harmeet S Gill; Wai-Ching Lam
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Canadian journal of ophthalmology. Journal canadien d'ophtalmologie     Volume:  44     ISSN:  0008-4182     ISO Abbreviation:  Can. J. Ophthalmol.     Publication Date:  2009 Oct 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2009-09-30     Completed Date:  2009-10-22     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0045312     Medline TA:  Can J Ophthalmol     Country:  Canada    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  513-8     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont, Canada.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adult
Canada
Clinical Competence / standards*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Curriculum / standards*
Education, Medical, Undergraduate / standards*
Female
Guidelines as Topic
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Ophthalmology / education*
Questionnaires
Schools, Medical / standards*
Societies, Medical
Comments/Corrections
Comment In:
Can J Ophthalmol. 2009 Oct;44(5):499-501   [PMID:  19789578 ]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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