The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Ophthalmology Residents: A Narrative Review

Natalia Dub, Joanna Konopińska, Iwona Obuchowska, Łukasz Lisowski, Diana Anna Dmuchowska and Marek Rękas
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Natalia Dub: Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-276 Bialystok, Poland
Joanna Konopińska: Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-276 Bialystok, Poland
Iwona Obuchowska: Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-276 Bialystok, Poland
Łukasz Lisowski: Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-276 Bialystok, Poland
Diana Anna Dmuchowska: Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-276 Bialystok, Poland
Marek Rękas: Department of Ophthalmology, Military Institute of Medicine, 04-141 Warsaw, Poland

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 21, 1-14

Abstract: The ongoing outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has drastically affected medical societies. We aim to provide an overview and summarize the information published so far concerning the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ophthalmology residency programs and the mental wellbeing of trainees, and to establish factors to help maintain successful residency training to ensure high-quality, specialist ophthalmic training. A literature search was conducted in October 2021 of the PubMed database for articles assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of ophthalmology trainees and on ophthalmology residency programs. Cross-sectional survey studies, editorials, articles in scientific journals, letters to editors, and commentaries were considered; finally, 19 studies were included after excluding abstract-only publications and conference posters. The studies’ demographic details, participant characteristics, interventions, outcomes, and limitations were extracted. Our summarized information showed the alarmingly significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ophthalmology trainees’ mental health and the associated considerable changes in ophthalmic training programs. Thus, in future, virtual training and surgical simulators should be permanently introduced, in addition to traditional teaching, to complete successful ophthalmology residency programs. Additionally, we emphasize the need for a widely facilitated and encouraged access to psychological support programs for healthcare workers, including ophthalmologists.

Keywords: COVID-19; ophthalmology residency program; mental health; ophthalmology trainee; virtual training (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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