Evaluation of Surgical Requirements and Competencies of the Saudi Ophthalmology Training Program in a Tertiary Eye Specialist Hospital- A Cross-Sectional Study

PURPOSE: To evaluate the adequacy of a Saudi ophthalmology training programs in achieving the competencies outlined by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and to assess resident satisfaction with their training. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was sent electronically to all trainees (n=50) enrolled in the King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital (KKESH) ophthalmology training program by email and messaging app (Whatsapp). The survey was sent between January 20, 2021, and January 30, 2021. It evaluated the level of satisfaction with surgical training and skills. The surgical logbooks of all trainees were extracted, and identifiers were removed. Then they were compared with SCFHS and ACGME curriculums for ophthalmology training. RESULTS: Out of 50 invitees, 47 returned the questionnaire. All trainees were confident they could meet surgical requirements by the end of their training. Most trainees were satisfied (n=29, 61.7%) with their performance in core competency requirements. There was no difference between female and male trainees’ comfort levels when performing surgical steps in core competency requirements (P=0.2). Senior trainees seem more satisfied with their performance, especially in core competency requirements (P=0.087). All trainees practice at the wet lab and a virtual reality simulator to improve their skills. Obstacles faced during training were highlighted, including low exposure in the operating theater (n=18, 37.50%), competition on cases (n=5, 10.42%), attending surgeons not willing to teach (n=5, 10.42%), COVID-19 pandemic (n=5, 10.42%), and complex cases (n=4, 8.33%). CONCLUSION: The outcomes of the current study indicate that trainees at KKESH were adequately satisfied with their surgical training in general. Also, competencies outlined by both the SCFHS and the ACGME were adequately fulfilled.