Abstract
Purpose In this study, we set out to better understand the factors that influenced current
ophthalmology residents' internship selection. We then tested the hypothesis that
certain clinical or research experiences in medical school and internship may influence
residents' confidence upon entering ophthalmology residency. Furthermore, we investigated
whether completing internship at the same program as one's residency is correlated
with confidence at the start of residency.
Design Observational, cross-sectional, multicenter survey.
Participants U.S. ophthalmology residents (Post Graduate Year 2/3) belonging to the class of 2018.
Eighty surveys were submitted of which 63 were analyzed based on established inclusion
criteria.
Methods Residents responded to a 22-question online survey addressing how residents chose
their internship, internship curriculum, exposure to ophthalmology in medical school
and during internship, confidence level entering ophthalmology residency, confidence
in managing various ocular pathologies, and factors that built confidence prior to
ophthalmology residency. A Likert scale format was used for the majority of survey
questions. Kruskal–Wallis testing and Fisher's exact testing were used to compare
outcome variables among three groups defined by sense of confidence entering ophthalmology
training.
Main Outcome Measures Level of confidence at the start of ophthalmology residency.
Results Quality of life and geographic location were found to be the most important factors
in choosing internship programs, while obtaining ophthalmology skills was least. Although
32.3% of residents either agreed or strongly agreed that they felt confident at the
start of ophthalmology residency, 42.9% disagreed or strongly disagreed. Residents
who felt most confident for ophthalmology training spent more time on ophthalmology
rotations in medical school (p = 0.05) or internship (p = 0.02) and worked up patients independently during their internship ophthalmology
rotation (s) (0.01). Completing one's internship at the same institution as one's
ophthalmology residency did not correlate with confidence entering residency.
Conclusions Residents chose internships based on quality-of-life factors rather than enhancing
ophthalmology training. Residents who felt confident at the start of ophthalmology
residency had more hands on clinical ophthalmology experience than residents who did
not feel confident. No statistically significant correlation was found between completion
of internship at the same institution as one's ophthalmology residency and confidence
entering residency.
Keywords
internship - ophthalmology residency - confidence level
