Addressing Ophthalmology Education for Newly Matriculated Emergency Medicine Residents Using Innovative Models

A majority of newly matriculated emergency medicine residents begin their residencies without any formal ophthalmology training received in medical school. Research on available eye models for procedural education and an eye emergencies curriculum is limited.

We developed an eye emergencies curriculum that incorporated a series of lectures and case presentations over the academic year with a biannual "ophthalmology day", which included an intense skills laboratory with novel models.

From July 2012 to July 2013, 24 newly matriculated interns and 20 upper-level residents participated in the curriculum. The simulations were successfully implemented during multiple sessions. Reasonable material, faculty, and facility resources allowed for continuation of the curriculum.

The eye emergencies curriculum provides a well-received and practical model for residents to gain ophthalmology experience. Novel eye simulation models may be useful for other programs to implement to enhance postgraduate education.