Transition to Ophthalmology Residency Program and the Role of Basic Science Course

BACKGROUND: Residency training is a difficult and a highly stressful task, especially at the beginning of the training. The aim of this study is to assess the roles of the Basic Science Course (BSC) and independent preparation on the transition to ophthalmology residency in Saudi Arabia. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted among ophthalmology program residents. The questionnaire was administered to 100 residents. Responses were analyzed for association using univariate analysis. RESULTS: Nearly 88% of residents were satisfied with their knowledge exposure during the BSC, while 67% thought that the majority of the BSC was dedicated to theoretical lectures. Surgical exposure was limited to attending surgeries for 38% of residents before joining residency programs, and 91% thought that there was little time dedicated for hands-on surgical skills training during the BSC, while only 11% thought that their surgical exposure was beneficial. Almost half of the beginning residents were accompanied by senior colleagues during their initial calls. More than 50% of residents felt that their transition to ophthalmology residency was more stressful than the transition to internship. CONCLUSION: The knowledge exposure from the BSC was helpful to facilitate the transition to ophthalmology residency program, especially for the ones who prepared well before. Improvement in surgical skills training should be aimed to further facilitate transition to ophthalmology residency program.