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Updated: Jun 29, 2026
Preparation of Retinal Samples for Volume Electron Microscopy
Published on: May 24, 2024
Ophthalmology residency program leadership expectations of resident competency in retinal procedures and resident
Ingrid U Scott1, Aaron D Smalley, Allen R Kunselman
1Department of Ophthalmology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033-0850, USA. iscott@psu.edu
Purpose:
To investigate ophthalmology residency program leadership expectations regarding resident competency in retinal procedures by graduation and to investigate resident experience performing retinal procedures.
Methods:
A survey was emailed to the program director at each accredited US ophthalmology training program.
Results:
Completed surveys were received from 37/117 (32%) programs. Most respondents identified panretinal photocoagulation (100%), laser for retinal tear (100%), laser for diabetic macular edema (94%), laser for macular edema associated with branch retinal vein occlusion (92%), intravitreal injection (83%), and vitreous tap/intravitreal injection (78%) as procedures residency graduates should be competent to perform; 89%, 3%, 64%, 17%, 14%, and 3% reported residents perform >20 such cases, respectively, as primary surgeon, and 0%, 56%, 6%, 37%, 46%, and 63% reported residents perform one to five such cases, respectively. Competency in scleral buckling and pars plana vitrectomy was expected by 17% and 19%, respectively.
Conclusions:
Most respondents expect residency graduates to be competent in retinal laser and injection procedures. Competency in incisional retinal procedures is generally not expected. For some laser and injection procedures, a substantial proportion of residents perform one to five cases as primary surgeon.
