Evaluating Undergraduate Learning in Ophthalmology Rotation: A Cross-Sectional Study Using Virtual Questionnaires

Abstract

Abstract Background Traditional ophthalmology education in medical schools is inadequate for nonophthalmologist residents in primary outpatient care. This article focuses on measuring ophthalmology learning in a clinical rotation of a Brazilian medical school that implemented a two-week ophthalmology rotation, with one week dedicated to online theoretical classes and the following week dedicated to outpatient practices. Therefore, our objective was to evaluate the modality, method, and established hours to determine their effectiveness in the training of generalist physicians. Methods This was a cross-sectional and quantitative study. All students eligible for the rotation were given a questionnaire before and after the rotation to assess their knowledge, understanding, and problem-solving abilities in the field. Each questionnaire contained 11 theme-paired questions developed according to the International Council of Ophthalmology curriculum and guidelines. The primary outcome was improvement in scores between the pre- and postrotation tests. Researchers defined 30% or higher as satisfactory. Data were anonymously analyzed using STATA BE 17 software. Questionnaire reliability was measured using Cronbach's alpha. Results In this study, 95 students were found to be eligible, and 37 of them answered both the pre- and postrotation tests correctly, constituting 38,94% of the eligible population. The average response time for the postrotation test was 34.04 ± 31.22 minutes, while the prerotation test took an average of 04:35 minutes, and the postrotation test took 07:02 minutes on average. Only 13 students (34%) showed a minimum improvement of 30% in their scores after the rotation. The average number of correct answers on the prerotation test was 6.756 ± 2.087, and on the postrotation test, it was 7.567 ± 2.128, with a mean difference of -0.81 ± 1.912 between them. There was no significant difference between the pretest and posttest scores. Conclusions Medical students’ learning in the ophthalmology rotation was not satisfactory. Therefore, it is essential to consider the implementation of more comprehensive and integrated educational approaches to enhance students' ophthalmological knowledge with an entirely in-person modality and increased practical hours.