Abstract
Challenges in teaching of Ophthalmology Surgeries
Undergraduate teaching of ophthalmic surgeries is challenging due to: (1) a very limited number of observer-ships can be provided with each operating list, due to infection control considerations with microsurgery; (2) limited vacancies for medical student observer-ship in operation theatre, due to competition for surgical exposure / training with the large number of ophthalmology resident trainees; (3) limited interactions between surgeons and medical students during operation, because of patient safety consideration, as well as changing patient expectations when under local anesthesia; (4) significant increase of medical students since academic year 2019; (5) increase variety of ophthalmology surgeries due to the recent medical advances and ophthalmic subspecialization.
COVID-19 Outbreak
All clinical attachments including observer-ship at operation theatre are suspended. Online learning on clinical cases can supplement parts of the clinical teaching, but not ophthalmic surgeries.
Our proposal
1) Surgical videos production:
We propose to produce a series ophthalmic surgical videos, which will be posted online for teaching. Surgical videos include: (1) cataract (2) glaucoma surgeries; (3) strabismus surgeries, (4) vitreoretinal surgeries, (5) eyelid surgeries, (6) corneal transplantation surgeries; (7) minor operations such as chalazion removal. Each video will include the case history, descriptions of surgical procedures, and discussion of management options.
2) Online teaching with flipped classrooms: All surgical videos will be posted online for students’ self-study prior to the tutorial for detailed discussion with the teachers.
Impact
The online ophthalmology surgical videos are important supplement to the online teaching due to the suspension of clinical ophthalmology attachment. Furthermore, they can still serve as important enhancement to our conventional ophthalmology teaching even after the resumption of all clinical ophthalmology attachments when the COVID-19 outbreak subsides in near future. In the long term, ophthalmic surgical training for medical students with surgical videos and online platforms allows medical student teaching with maximum patient safety, reduced risks to students, a more comprehensive coverage of the whole spectrum of ophthalmic microsurgeries, and preservation of personal protective equipment (PPE).
Brief write-up
Project objectives
• Production of surgical videos, including: (1) cataract; (2) glaucoma; (3) strabismus; (4) vitreoretinal; (5) eyelid; (6) corneal transplantation; and (7) minor operations
• Conversion to online: All surgical videos will be posted online for students’ self-study prior to the tutorial for detailed discussion with the teachers
• Implementation of online teaching
Activities, process and outcomes
Different types of ophthalmic operations including glaucoma, cataract, strabismus, vitreoretinal, eyelid and corneal transplantation surgery have been produced and uploaded to the online platform for students’ self-study. We have received very positive response.
Deliverables and evaluation
The online ophthalmic surgery system has been established showing different kinds of ophthalmic surgeries including cataract, glaucoma, strabismus, vitreoretinal, eyelid corneal transplantation surgeries. We have collected feedback from students via questionnaires. Most of the students used the library as a valuable tool for their study, since the online video can allow them to review the materials at any time of their convenience and have discussion with each other as well as teachers easily.
Dissemination, diffusion, impact and sharing of good practices
Currently, there are 15 videos on the online ophthalmic surgery library made available to all 6th year students of the Faculty of Medicine online for the students’ review and learning. They can make a registration to get access to the videos with their CUHK email. We have received positive feedbacks from students, including more engaging online learning experience and more interactive learning environment. We are further enriching our library by uploading more types of surgical videos.
Impact on teaching and learning
The current project serves as pilot trials on new ophthalmic undergraduate teachings approach during and after COVID pandemics. Our online ophthalmic surgery library allows students to receive ophthalmology surgical learning anytime and anywhere. The online library allows student to view the procedures repeatedly at different playback speed, enhancing the student learning experience. Moreover, students can also receive a more comprehensive coverage of the whole spectrum of ophthalmic microsurgeries. This project significantly enhance the ophthalmic undergraduate teaching.
