Comparison of Slit Lamp Teaching Versus Bedside Teaching in Post Graduate Ophthalmology Residency at a Teaching Hospital

Background: Globally, 80 % of the visual loss is preventable. A major proportion of patients presenting in tertiary care hospitals is that of ophthalmology constituting 20% emergency patients and 18 % outpatient consultations. Objective: To compare the effect of slit lamp teaching versus bedside teaching in ophthalmology residency at a tertiary level teaching hospital. Methodology: This questionnaire based cross sectional survey was conducted after ethical approval at College of Ophthalmology and Allied Vision Sciences/Institute of Ophthalmology, Mayo Hospital, Lahore. Ophthalmology residents from first to fourth year of their training program were included in the study while Consultants, medical officers, fellows and house officers were excluded from the study. A web based close ended questionnaire (Google form) was developed consisting of 13 questions covering different aspects of slit lamp and bedside teaching. Paired sample t-test was applied to check significance among two methods. Results: Upon stratification of the data based on year of residency training, among 3rd year residents, the mean score of bedside teaching was significantly reduced as compared to slit lamp teaching [1.29±0.48 vs 1.86±0.37, t(6) = 2.828, p = 0.03] when they were asked whether practical skills trainings facilitated. Moreover, mean score of bedside teaching was significantly reduced as compared to slit lamp teaching among 1st year and 3rd year students when they responded to the question “Is clinical reasoning demonstrated”, 1st year: 1.13± 0.64 vs 1.75±0.46. t(7) = 3.416, p = 0.011 and for 3rd year: 1.14±0.37 vs 2.00±0.00, t(6) = 6.00, p = 0.001. Conclusion: Both slit lamp Teaching and Bedside teaching are vital in ophthalmology residency as they complement each other in making up shortcomings of each other.