ABSTRACT #32

Development And Evaluation Of A Novel Hybrid Ophthalmology Elective Course For Preclinical Medical Students

Jason J. Jo, Amina Avril, Jessica H. Tran, Claire Ufongene, Nisha Chadha

PURPOSE AND GOALS: In the last few decades, ophthalmology education in the undergraduate medical education curriculum has declined (Shah 2014, Moxon 2020). Extracurricular experiences can be a strategy to increase exposure to ophthalmology. We developed and piloted a novel hybrid (virtual and in-person) ophthalmology elective course for preclinical medical students to address this educational need.

METHODS: In Fall of 2022, first- and second-year students from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai were invited to enroll in the “Introduction to Medical and Surgical Ophthalmology” (IMSO) Nexus Learning elective course. The course included 8 didactic sessions, with 6 conducted virtually and 2 in-person. Each virtual session focused on a subspecialty of ophthalmology and consisted of a case review utilizing cases on 20/20 SIM (2020sim.com), followed by an interactive discussion with departmental faculty on their experience practicing in that particular subspecialty. In- person sessions focused on skills transfer and consisted of a slit lamp and external eye examination tutorial as well as a microsurgical lab.

EVALUATION PLAN: Participants were invited to take an anonymous pre-test and survey assessing knowledge and interest in the field, respectively. A post-test and survey evaluating similar metrics was administered at the conclusion of the course. Pre- and post-test and survey score differences were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. 5- point Likert scale questions were converted to mean score and standard deviation (SD).

SUMMARY OF RESULTS: Of 20 participants, 14 (70.0%) completed both pre- and post-course tests and surveys. 10 (71.4%) were first-year and 4 (28.6%) were second-year medical students. Respondents on average attended 6.54 of 8 sessions (SD = 1.33). Participant scores on knowledge questions increased from 79.0% to 93.7% from pre- to post- test (p = 0.003). Eleven of the 14 surveyed participants (78.6%) found the skills sessions to be the most useful part of this course. On a 5-point Likert scale, interest in ophthalmology following the course was 3.67 (SD = 0.94). 6 students (42.9%) reported increased interest citing reasons related to “diverse subspecialty and career possibilities”, “surgical procedures”, and “more knowledge and understanding” of ophthalmology and physical exam techniques. In contrast, 3 students (21.4%) reported decreased interest, citing reasons related to the field being “too specialized”. When asked about other specialties they were considering following the course, students most often mentioned otolaryngology (28.6%), anesthesiology (28.6%), and internal medicine (14.3%).

REFLECTIVE CRITIQUE: In our pilot of IMSO, participants demonstrated increased knowledge with ophthalmic conditions and found the skill sessions most useful. Many participants reported an increased interest in ophthalmology following the course. Further studies should explore the longitudinal impact of such an elective course on ophthalmology interest.