Residency evaluation and adherence design study: Young ophthalmologists' perception of their residency programs II: Academics and Research dissertation

Abstract

Purpose:To know the perception of young ophthalmologists about their dissertation and academics during residency training in order to improve the research output during present residency programs in India.Methods:A survey was conducted by Academic and Research Committee of the All India Ophthalmological Society, the world's second largest ophthalmic professional's organization, in 2014–2016 of young ophthalmologists (those who completed residency between 2005 and 2012) to gauge usefulness of dissertation or thesis during postgraduate residency.Results:There were 1005 respondents, of whom 531 fulfilled inclusion criteria. On a scale of 0–10, residents rated level of supervision of their dissertation as adequate (mean 5.9/10, standard deviation [SD] = 3.1, median = 6). The level of infrastructure available was for dissertation rated as 5.9/10 (median = 7, SD = 3.1), and 6.2/10 was the score that residents said about value added by the dissertation (median = 7). The dissertation was presented at local (33.5%), state (28.1%), national (15.4%), and international (4%) levels. Students, not supervisors, did most of the local and state level presentations. It was published in some forms at local 210 (39.5%), state (140, 26.4%), national (94, 17.7%), and international (39, 7.3%) levels. On a scale of 0–4, seminars (3/4) and case presentations were (3/4) rated higher than didactic lectures (2.2/4), journal clubs (2.2/4), and wet laboratory (1.1/4).Conclusion:Peer-reviewed publications from Indian residency training dissertations were few. Residents felt dissertation added value to their training, but there was a huge range among the responses. Journal clubs and wet laboratories were not graded high in academic programs, unlike seminars and case presentations.

Residency Evaluation and Adherence Design Study III: Ophthalmology residency training in India: Then and now–Improving with time?

“…The data of 21 st century trained ophthalmologists have been published in this journal earlier. [ 14 15 ]…”

Residency training in India: Time for a course correction

“…It also showed a wide variation in the support for academics and research in the medical colleges. [ 9 ]…”

Steps to standardize ophthalmology residency programs in India

“…[ 1 2 3 ] Advanced medical training in India has been traditionally apprenticeship-based and the changeover to the contemporary system has been unenthusiastic, slow, patchy, and mostly incomplete. [ 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 ] Residency training programs in our country have an immense and untapped potential – clinical material is vast, teachers are experienced, and students are the best among their fraternity. [ 4 ] However, there is a striking disparity in the standard of infrastructure, quality of faculty, system of training, and mode of evaluation among the residency programs, which necessarily affects the final output.…”

“…[ 4 ] However, there is a striking disparity in the standard of infrastructure, quality of faculty, system of training, and mode of evaluation among the residency programs, which necessarily affects the final output. [ 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 ] A judicious investment of resources and efforts in standardizing the residency programs and a system-based approach will likely yield very rich dividends and positively affect the overall quality of health care in the country. [ 4 ]…”