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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Journal of Academic Ophthalmology 2021; 13(01): e5-e10
DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1722740
Research Article

Effect of COVID-19 on Canadian Medical Student Attitudes toward Ophthalmology Residency Application

Cody Lo
1   Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
,
Amandeep Rai
2   Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
3   Kensington Vision and Research Centre, Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences at the University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
,
Jonathan A. Micieli
2   Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
3   Kensington Vision and Research Centre, Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences at the University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Abstract

Objective This study aims to survey medical students interested in ophthalmology about how changes in electives and Canadian Residency Matching Service (CaRMS) due to the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have affected their attitudes toward applying to ophthalmology residency.

Design This is a cross-sectional survey.

Participants A total of 32 Canadian medical students interested in ophthalmology responded to the survey.

Methods A 32-question survey tool used was developed in consultation with medical students, academic ophthalmologists, and residency program directors. The survey was distributed through e-mail by local ophthalmology interest groups at all of Canada's medical schools.

Results Respondents felt that changes in ability to travel for electives significantly decreased their likelihood of applying to ophthalmology residency. Additionally, respondents expressed concerns that lack of travel for electives and in-person CaRMS interviews significantly reduced their chances of successfully matching to ophthalmology. Respondents identified one-on-one video calls with program directors and residents as the initiatives that would best counteract the negative impacts from COVID-19. Increased presence of programs on social media were relatively less valued.

Conclusion Canadian medical students interested in ophthalmology have concerns about how changes in electives and the CaRMS match due to COVID-19 will impact their ability to be fairly assessed and successfully match to ophthalmology. Lack of travel for electives and interviews has also resulted in students feeling ill equipped to make informed choices about program selection. However, there remains a sustained interest in ophthalmology among applicants.

Keywords

ophthalmology - medical education - residency

Supplementary Material



Publication History

Received: 16 October 2020

Accepted: 15 December 2020

Article published online:
27 May 2021

© 2021. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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