Creating a Standardized Surgical Curriculum for Ophthalmology Residents

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology Education
• Surgical Training Assessment
• Medical Competency Standards

Background:

• Ophthalmology residency graduates must meet Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competencies.
• A significant gap exists in standardized methods for assessing surgical competency among residents.
• This lack of standardization impacts the evaluation of surgical skills in ophthalmology training programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the need for standardized surgical competency assessment in ophthalmology residency.
• To identify resources and steps necessary for evaluating surgical skills.
• To establish clear benchmarks for resident surgical proficiency.

Main Methods:

• A needs analysis was performed by the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO).
• Primary stakeholders, including residents, faculty, and program directors, were surveyed.
• The analysis focused on identifying requirements for assessing surgical competency in ophthalmology residents.

Main Results:

• Three key needs were identified: defining competency for essential surgical tasks.
• Defining competency for advanced surgical tasks was another identified need.
• The creation of educational resources to support competency achievement at both levels was crucial.

Conclusions:

• The Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO) developed the Surgical Curriculum for Ophthalmology Residents (SCOR).
• SCOR provides surgical standards and instructional resources for residents and faculty.
• The program aims to standardize surgical competency assessment at basic and advanced levels during residency.