Assessment of Skills and Knowledge in Clinical Ophthalmology: A Survey among Undergraduate Medical Students in Malaysia

Aim: To assess the skills (ability to perform an examination of the eye) and knowledge (ability to diagnose the eye diseases) of students after completing their posting using a structured questionnaire, which indicates the effectiveness of undergraduate ophthalmology training.

Methods: In this prospective survey questionnaire study, fourth year medical students of International Medical University in Malaysia who completed their ophthalmology posting were invited to participate voluntarily at the end of their posting after the end of posting examination.

Results: A total of 292 students who completed ophthalmology posting participated in this study. The students were able to perform all the core clinical skills comfortably, but the degree varied from > 90% in some skills to< 60% in some other skills. The students were able to diagnose the anterior segment eye diseases more frequently than fundus diseases. There was no significant difference (p >0.05) among different genders or ethnic groups in proportion of confidence to perform the clinical skills and ability to diagnose eye diseases.

Conclusion: The number of hours of ophthalmology education/ training received by medical students in their two weeks posting in International Medical University was adequate for acquiring theoretical and practical knowledge. This was evidenced by their ability to perform clinical skills and to diagnose common eye diseases comfortably. The self-reported assessment survey indicates that the training was effective.