Ophthalmology and Vision Science

Ophthalmic Education/Young Ophthalmologists

In 1955, the first two years of medical school were lecture-based, while the final two years of medical school were increasingly clinical, following the advice of Flexner from 45 years earlier. Learning objectives, formative assessments, and a specified curriculum were nonexistent. In my biochemistry course, which lasted two thirds of the year and had one summative evaluation, as an example, this was the case. There was a hierarchical structure, and we had grades, like other schools. It was common for the graduating class to lose a significant number of members over the anticipated four years at that time, 1959. In my case, out of the 120 incoming freshmen, 89 of them graduated, including 3 from earlier entering classes.

A "rotating" internship was chosen if you weren't sure what speciality you wanted to pursue in the future (at least 8 people in my class didn't pursue residency programmes). My experience was on the West Coast in a county hospital with significant intern responsibilities, knife and gun victims, and a wide range of uncommon and challenging cases. Coming from a Midwest medical school that was very didactic but trauma-free, it was a fantastic opportunity. In contrast to my experience in Iowa, the people were mostly illiterate and impoverished. About six years later, I was able to use my knowledge and abilities to take over as the triage officer of an evacuation hospital in Vietnam. Both clearly defined traditional educational standards, such as a curriculum, and properly structured assessments were absent. .  I was given the option to choose between an internal medicine residency, a surgical residency, and an ophthalmology residency at the Highland Alameda County Hospital in Oakland, California, but I chose none of the above. Although the education in Iowa was far better, I wasn't yet ready to go.