Assessment of resident training and preparedness for cataract surgery

Purpose To assess which surgical teaching methods are used for residency surgical training and which methods residents find most useful. Setting Wilmer Eye Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Design Retrospective observational cross-sectional study. Methods A survey was developed and sent to residents at accredited ophthalmology training programs in the United States. The survey asked about demographics, program characteristics, surgical training methods, perceived initial preparedness, eventual competence, and difficulty with the steps of cataract surgery. The correlation between surgical training methods was compared with perceived preparedness, competence, and difficulty. Results One hundred sixteen residents completed the survey. Discussing surgical procedures with senior surgeons or using surgical simulators preoperatively improved resident-perceived surgical competency in several areas, such as paracentesis. Residents who had preoperative discussions with senior surgeons were statistically less likely to report difficulty with surgical procedures, such as performing a clear corneal incision. The presence of a supervised wet lab or surgical simulator in a residency was also associated with improved resident-perceived surgical competency. Conclusion Educational resources, such as surgical simulators and supervised wet labs, tended to be associated with greater resident-perceived competency for steps in cataract surgery.