AB038.Assessing a novel approach to teaching ophthalmoscopy to medical student

Background:To determine if practice using an online fundus photograph program results in a long-term increase in proficiency with the direct ophthalmoscope in medical students.Methods:This study was a prospective medical education trial.Students were enrolled to participate in an objective structured clinical examination(OSCE)using five patients with ocular findings.Students who matched a minimum of 6 discs 17 months prior to the study were assigned to the intervention group and were compared to students who did not participate in the exercise.Participants:46 second-year medical students at Queen’s University:15 in the intervention group,31 in the control group.Students were evaluated using the Queen’s University Ophthalmoscopy OSCE Checklist(QUOOC).Students were asked to calculate the cup-to-disc ratio,comment on disc margins and if there was any macular pathology.Students participated in a summative OSCE as part of the curriculum in which all students attempted to match fundus photographs.Results:Students in the intervention group performed significantly better on the QUOOC with a mean score of 78.3%(+/−4.2%)compared to the control who had a mean score of 69.4%[+/−4.2%(P=0.007)].The intervention group was significantly more accurate at matching optic nerve photographs with 100%(15/15)of the students correctly identifying the correct optic nerve on first attempt compared to 53.3%(16/30)in the control group(P=0.0014).Conclusions:The use of an online peer fundus photograph program leads to a long-term increase in examination technique,proficiency in ophthalmoscopy and accuracy at matching optic nerve photographs.