Impact of a formal manual small-incision cataract surgery curriculum in an American ophthalmology residency program

PURPOSE: Global ophthalmology educational activities often include the ability of ophthalmology residents to partake in low-resource clinical care at home and abroad. Low-resource surgical techniques have become a pillar of education during formalized global ophthalmology fellowships. A formal manual small-incision cataract surgery (MSICS) curriculum was started in the University of Colorado’s residency training program to meet the growing demand for this surgical skill and to allow for more sustainable outreach work from our graduates. The survey was conducted to collect evaluations on the value of formal MSICS training within a United States–based residency program. METHODS: This was a survey study in a US ophthalmology residency program. A formal MSICS curriculum was created that included didactic lectures on epidemiology of global blindness, MSICS technique, and how MISCS compared to phacoemulsification in terms of cost and sustainability in low-resource settings, followed by a formal wet lab experience. Residents were then exposed to MSICS procedures in the operating room (OR) under supervision of an experienced MSICS surgeon. An anonymous online survey was conducted on three consecutive cohorts of recently graduated senior ophthalmology residents from 2019 to 2021 with the aim of eliciting opinions about and outcomes from the new curriculum. RESULTS: Fifteen graduating senior residents comprised the three cohorts with a 100% survey response rate. All residents agreed or strongly agreed that “MSICS is a valuable skill to have”. Eighty percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that “exposure to MSICS has increased my likelihood of doing any type of outreach work in the future” and 86.67% agreed or strongly agreed that “exposure to MSICS increased my understanding about sustainable outreach work”. The average number of cases assisted or performed per resident was 8.2 (SD 2.7, range 4–12). CONCLUSION: A formal MSICS curriculum for US-based ophthalmology residents was well-received by the trainees. The majority felt it increased their likelihood of pursuing and improved their understanding of sustainable outreach work. The curriculum, which included lectures, wet lab training, and formal teaching in the OR, could add value to a residency program’s curriculum. Furthermore, a formal domestic program can avoid ethical pitfalls that can be seen with resident teaching during international mission work.