Enhancing Medical Student Education by Implementing a Competency-Based Ophthalmology Curriculum

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Ophthalmology Training
• Curriculum Development

Background:

• Ophthalmology education faces challenges within crowded medical curricula.
• Prior content-based curricula may not adequately prepare students.
• Innovative teaching strategies are needed to optimize ophthalmology instruction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate innovative educational strategies for ophthalmology teaching.
• To compare knowledge acquisition and perceptions between revised and prior curricula.
• To assess the impact of a competency-based curriculum on medical students.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods research design was utilized.
• Quantitative data collected via pre/post-tests and 12-month follow-up tests.
• Qualitative data gathered through student satisfaction questionnaires.

Main Results:

• The revised curriculum showed a greater improvement in pre- to post-test scores (31.6%) compared to the original (19.9%).
• Long-term retention at 12 months was significantly higher in the revised curriculum group (11.5% higher).
• Student satisfaction and overall value of the rotation improved with the revised curriculum.

Conclusions:

• The revised competency-based ophthalmology curriculum enhances academic performance and student satisfaction.
• Findings provide guidance for optimizing ophthalmic education in medical schools.
• This study highlights effective strategies for ophthalmology training in resource-limited curricula.