Perspectives on a virtual student-led research conference in ophthalmology.

We share our experience of organizing a one-day virtual educational event, the first Canadian national student ophthalmology conference, in response to the need for ophthalmology career exploration. The conference included mentorship with residents, research presentations, keynote speakers, and more. Following the event, students expressed some improvement in accessing ophthalmology mentorship and research opportunities, along with a modest enhancement in their understanding of the specialty. We provide insights into the organizational framework and quality improvement results, aiming to assist students in adapting similar events for various specialities.

Nous partageons notre expérience portant sur l'organisation d'un événement éducatif virtuel d'une journée: la première conférence nationale canadienne des étudiants en ophtalmologie. Cette initiative a été prise en réponse au besoin d'exploration des carrières en ophtalmologie. La conférence comprenait des séances de mentorat avec des résidents, des présentations de recherche, des conférenciers d'honneur, entre autres. Suite à cet événement, les étudiants ont exprimé une amélioration dans l'accès au mentorat et aux opportunités de recherche en ophtalmologie, ainsi qu'une modeste amélioration de leur compréhension de la spécialité. Nous offrons un aperçu du cadre organisationnel et des résultats de l'amélioration de la qualité, dans le but d'aider d'autres étudiants à organiser des événements similaires pour diverses spécialités.

Gender and editorship in oculoplastics societal publications.

PURPOSE: The editorship of medical journals is a leadership role that can affect recognition and career advancement. We determine the gender representation of the editorial boards of oculoplastic surgery journals in comparison to the proportion of women in oculoplastics societies. METHODS: The gender composition of the American, European and Asia-Pacific societies of oculoplastic and reconstructive surgery and the editorial boards of their respective society journals were determined with online searches in March 2021. Statistical tests for the equality of proportions were performed. RESULTS: Excluding 44 individuals with missing gender data, the three combined oculoplastics societies comprised 1,230 distinct members, with 29% women. The editorial review boards of the three official society publications comprised 59 medical editors, 22% of which were women. There was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of women editors versus women OPRS members (p = .201) but the study is underpowered to detect a 7% difference. A sensitivity analysis with the missing data did not alter the conclusions. The mean h-index/m-quotient of the women editors was 20.50/0.87 and for the men 21.05/0.84, with no statistically significant difference (p = .903/0.851). CONCLUSION: Women are underrepresented on the editorial boards of oculoplastic journals. Possible methods to improve gender balance include multicriteria objective decision-making criteria for editor nominations, mentoring peer reviewers that are women, and appointing a journal editor for equity, diversity and inclusion.

The Incidence of Sympathetic Ophthalmia After Trauma: A Meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) is a rare, bilateral panuveitis that occurs following open globe injury (OGI), with a variable incidence reported in the literature. Our objective was to determine the incidence proportion and incidence rate of SO following OGI to help guide shared physician-patient decision making. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed using the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases from inception to November 2020 for population-based studies on OGI and SO in adults and children. Two reviewers independently screened search results. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed to calculate the incidence proportion and incidence rate. The Risk Of Bias In Non-Randomized Studies - of Interventions (ROBINS-I) tool was used to assess the risk of bias. The study was registered on PROSPERO CRD42020198920. RESULTS: A total of 24 studies were utilized in the meta-analyses. After OGI, the estimated overall incidence proportion of SO was 0.19% (95% CI 0.14%-0.24%) and the incidence rate of SO was 33 per 100,000 person-years, (95% CI 19.61-56.64) with I2 of 13% and 72%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: SO after OGI is rare. The estimated incidence proportion and incidence rate are useful when counselling patients regarding management options after OGI. Further studies are needed to examine the influence of age, the extent and location of trauma, timing of repair, and prophylactic eye removal on the incidence of SO.