Recent Literature

The goal of the medical education literature review is to highlight important and relevant articles which we hope educate and enrich our members. The articles are curated quarterly by members of the AUPO Directors of Medical Student Education Council Literature Review Committee.

"Edutainment" Videos for Teaching Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus to Medical Students and Residents: A Pilot Study

Joy Li, Angeline M Nguyen, Michelle T Cabrera, Ajay Soni, Evan Silverstein, Annie Kuo, Matthew Gearinger, Thomas C Lee, Sudha Nallasamy
May 2025

Purpose: To determine whether videos designed to be educational and entertaining ("edutainment") may enhance trainees' clinical knowledge and interest in the field of pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus (PO&S).

Methods: Medical students and residents from six US academic institutions watched edutainment videos related to PO&S within one week of starting their ophthalmology exposure. Questionnaires were administered to each participant before and after watching the videos to assess knowledge and experience with the videos.

How do we Teach Generative Artificial Intelligence to Medical Educators? Pilot of a Faculty Development Workshop Using ChatGPT

Nisha Chadha, Erik Popil, Jill Gregory, Lily Armstrong-Davies, Gale Justin
Jan 2025

Purpose: Artificial intelligence (AI) is already impacting the practice of medicine and it is therefore important for future healthcare professionals and medical educators to gain experience with the benefits, limitations, and applications of this technology. The purpose of this project was to develop, implement, and evaluate a faculty development workshop on generative AI using ChatGPT, to familiarise participants with AI.

Assessing the Competitiveness of Applicants in the Ophthalmology Match Based on Interest in Pediatric Ophthalmology

Caroline Cubells, Philip Martinez, Noah Heilenbach, Ting-Fang Lee, Zachary Elkin
May 2025

Background: The number of pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus (PO&S) fellowship positions filled each year remains consistently lower compared with other subspecialities. It is unclear where along the recruitment pathway trainees interested in pediatrics decide to select other subspecialities. This study assesses for differences in the competitiveness of ophthalmology residency applicants based on interest in PO&S, which may impact their ability to matriculate into residency.

Should Medical School Grading Be Tiered or Pass/Fail? A Scoping Review of Conceptual Arguments and Empirical Data

Alexander A Iyer, Cameron Hayes, Bernard S Chang, Susan E Farrell, Anne Fladger, Karen E Hauer, Richard M Schwartzstein
May 2025

Purpose: Medical school grading has implications for student well-being, motivation, equity, and residency selection. However, despite more than 50 years of debate, there remains no consensus on whether grading should be tiered or pass/fail, particularly in core clerkships. This scoping review examines conceptual arguments, empirical data, and knowledge gaps regarding tiered versus pass/fail grading in medical school.

Disparities in Medical School Clerkship Grades Associated With Sex, Race, and Ethnicity: A Person-Centered Approach

Paulina Perez Mejias, Gustavo Lara, Alex Duran, Rashelle Musci, Nancy A Hueppchen, Roy C Ziegelstein, Pamela A Lipsett
Sep 2024

Purpose: To determine whether students' self-reported race/ethnicity and sex were associated with grades earned in 7 core clerkships. A person-centered approach was used to group students based on observed clerkship grade patterns. Predictors of group membership and predictive bias by race/ethnicity and sex were investigated.

Racial and Ethnic Bias in Letters of Recommendation in Academic Medicine: A Systematic Review

Saarang R Deshpande, Gina Lepore, Lily Wieland, Jennifer R Kogan
Sep 2024

Purpose: Letters of recommendations (LORs) are key components of academic medicine applications. Given that bias against students and trainees underrepresented in medicine (UIM) has been demonstrated across assessment, achievement, and advancement domains, the authors reviewed studies on LORs to assess racial, ethnic, and UIM differences in LORs. Standardized LORs (SLORs), an increasingly common form of LORs, were also assessed for racial and ethnic differences.

The Relationship Between Program and Applicant Characteristics With Applicant Program Signals in the 2022 Residency Recruitment Cycle: Findings From 3 Specialties

Jennifer LaFemina, Ilana S Rosman, Sara L Wallach, Paul E Wise, Douglas S Smink, Laura Fletcher
Apr 2024

Purpose: Continuing increases in application volume have driven a national dialogue to reform the residency recruitment process. Program signaling allows applicants to express interest in a program at the preinterview stage with the goal of helping programs identify applicants with more genuine interest in their programs. This study explored the relationship between program signals and program and applicant characteristics.

Impact of Applicants' Characteristics and Geographic Connections to Residency Programs on Preference Signaling Outcomes in the Match

William J Benjamin, Nicholas R Lenze, Lauren A Bohm, Marc C Thorne, Reeni Abraham, Dan Sepdham, Angela P Mihalic, Robbi A Kupfer
Apr 2024

Purpose: To assess the impact of applicant and residency program characteristics on preference signaling outcomes in the Match during the first 2 years of implementation across 6 specialties.

Leveraging ChatGPT for ophthalmic education: A critical appraisal

Bharat Gurnani and Kirandeep Kaur
Mar 2024

In recent years, the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed many sectors, including medical education. This editorial critically appraises the integration of ChatGPT, a state-of-the-art AI language model, into ophthalmic education, focusing on its potential, limitations, and ethical considerations. The application of ChatGPT in teaching and training ophthalmologists presents an innovative method to offer real-time, customized learning experiences.

A Systematic Review of Ophthalmology Education in Medical Schools: The Global Decline

Spencer SKR, Ireland PA, Braden J, Hepschke JL, Lin M, Zhang H, Channell J, Razavi H, Turner AW, Coroneo MT, Shulruf B, Agar A
Jan 2024

Topic: This systematic review examined geographical and temporal trends in medical school ophthalmology education in relationship to course and student outcomes. Clinical relevance: Evidence suggesting a decline in ophthalmology teaching in medical schools is increasing, raising concern for the adequacy of eye knowledge across the rest of the medical profession.