EyeWorld India March 2015 Issue

55 EWAP NEWS & OPINION March 2015 by Ellen Stodola EyeWorld Staff Writer Resources for medical education Online tools, meetings, journals, and other sources are important to help ophthalmologists stay current W hen it comes to medical education, ophthalmologists get information for their daily practice from a number of valuable sources. Technology is improving and expanding resources for learning new skills and techniques, but meetings, both large and small, and journals remain important resources for improving clinical understanding and practice patterns. John Berdahl, MD , Vance Thompson Vision, Sioux Falls, S.D.; Elizabeth Yeu, MD , Virginia Eye Consultants, Norfolk, Va.; and Kevin M. Miller, MD , Kolokotrones Chair in Ophthalmology, Stein Eye Institute, Los Angeles, shared their thoughts on medical education and how and where surgeons are continuing their education. Obtaining information Mobile access to information and new electronic resources have changed the way ophthalmologists can get information to a degree, but many still rely on large meetings. “Now with virtual access to everything on the Internet and different online resources, everything’s become much more of a customized and personalized experience,” Dr. Yeu said. She thinks that the national organizations as well as different societies recognize this. “Hence the educational component for all surgeons in our field is becoming more tailored to accommodate the newer learning style.” However, Dr. Yeu thinks that the larger meetings and print journals still serve a distinct purpose in medical education. Because everyone learns in a different way, these are all important tools for various learning styles. Dr. Berdahl finds that one of the most valuable learning tools are the videos that surgeons create. These can help with tips and tricks for performing different surgeries. The ability to see other surgeons do a surgery and explain their complications, challenges, and successes on video is incredibly powerful, he said. However, Dr. Berdahl thinks larger conferences are still essential. “They’re essential not only because you can get anything that you want there, but because the relationships are critical,” he said. Meetings provide a place to learn and interact with colleagues. Being away from your practice and having an unplanned conversation with colleagues is where great ideas can sprout, Dr. Berdahl said. Dr. Miller has not seen the impact that he expected of electronic resources. “I thought the electronic media would significantly change the landscape and people wouldn’t go to the bigger meetings as much as they formerly did,” he said. He is surprised that this has not been the case. “The big meetings seem just as important as ever,” he said. There is something about going to an actual meeting that reading or doing an online educational activity can’t replace, Dr. Miller said. It has to do with the personal interaction. Going to a meeting forces physicians to block time to attend, and this also helps in setting aside specific time to fulfill continuing medical education credits, he said. “I think the big meetings are here to stay.” Dr. Miller added that he thinks print journals and news magazines are still doing exceptionally well because they are filling a need to have timely and important information on hand easily. Regional meetings and elec- tronic education Dr. Yeu thinks that a number of people are demanding a different type of learning, with both virtual resources and smaller meetings. “Regional meetings are very effective,” she said. These meetings allow for an interactive setting, with small roundtables and one-on- one time for physicians to interact. “What is interesting is learning from and gauging what the audience utilizes and where they are in their experience,” Dr. Yeu said. Smaller meetings may help pinpoint trends of certain demographics and could help identify which doctors are using newer technologies. Meanwhile, Dr. Miller thinks that the smaller meetings may be dying out for a variety of reasons. Industry sponsorship for these types of meetings is slowly being pulled because of all the regulations, he said. This applies continued on page 56 AT A GLANCE • Large meetings not only provide ophthalmologists with educational resources, they also facilitate interaction and discussion among colleagues. • Meetings provide a way to obtain CME credits, and many doctors find this useful if they already planned to attend. • Internet and mobile resources are helpful in customizing the learning experience for a number of ophthalmologists.