Abstract
Purpose:
Evaluate the Ophthalmology knowledge of Internal Medicine (IM) and Emergency Department(ED) Residents. Our hypothesis is that residents that have had a prior rotation in Ophthalmology, during medical school or residency, will score higher compared to residents not having a prior ophthalmolgoy rotation.
Methods:
Ten question survey of basic ophthalmology given to Boston University Medical students was given to IM and ED residents at Boston Medical Center. Analysis of scoring was done based on PGY level, previous ophthalmology rotation (medical school, residency, or both), and length of rotation: <1 week, 1-2 weeks, > 2 weeks.
Results:
Among IM residents, 41% were PGY-1, 38% were PGY-2, 21% were PGY-3, and their average (avg) survey scores were 68%, 51%, 49% respectively. Half (47%) of the residents had prior ophthalmology exposure, in medical school or residency, averaging a 62%score. Residents without an ophthalmology rotation avg a score of 54%. Among residents with prior rotations, the majority completed the rotation during medical school (81%), whereas the remainder completed the rotation in residency (6%), and/or both residency and medical school (13%). Rotation length varied: 12.5% <1 week, 15.6% 1-2 weeks, and 18.8% 2-4 weeks. Average survey scores increased with length of rotation (53%, 66%, and 65% respectively). Among ED residents, 23% were PGY-1, 12% were PGY-2, 24% were PGY-3, 41% were PGY-4 with avg scores of 55%, 55%, 80%, and 63% respectively. More than three-fourths (82%) of residents had prior ophthalmology exposure and averaged 68%; those without a rotation averaged 47%. Among ED residents having prior ophthalmology exposure, half completed this during residency and half in both residency and medical school. No ED resident had an ophthalmology rotation solely in medical school. Residents having a rotation in residency averaged 74%, whereas those with a rotation in both residency and medical school averaged 64%. The ophthalmology rotation length varied: 24% had 1-2 weeks and 59% had 2-4 weeks and resident scores averaged 53% and 74%, respectively.
Conclusions:
Among IM residents, the avg survey score decreased as PGY level increased. The avg survey score was approximately the same regardless of length of ophthalmology elective. Among ED residents, the avg survey score increased as PGY level increased. Those having a longer ophthalmology rotation scored higher.
Keywords: 497 development