Ophthalmology Education Leadership Attitudes Toward Mentorship of Female Medical Students.

PURPOSE: Numerous studies have emphasized the influence of gender-specific mentors in medical students' career decisions, but this has not been explored fully in ophthalmology. Therefore, this study evaluated ophthalmology educators' attitudes toward female mentorship, to better understand how this may relate to medical students' career development and training. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: A 22-question survey was sent to Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO) chairs, program directors (PDs), and medical student educators (MSEs). The number of female students applying to ophthalmology residency was compared to the number of female ophthalmology faculty using AUPO and Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) workforce data. Student t tests and χ2 were used for analyses, all at a threshold significance level of P <.05. RESULTS: 75 members responded, including 30 of 72 MSEs (41.7%), 34 of 114 PDs (29.8%), and 17 of 135 chairs (12.6%). Of respondents, 55.4% identified as female and 44.6% as male. Male and female members had 47.9% and 47.6% female mentees, respectively (P = .45). However, 21.2% of male versus 56.1% of female members agreed that a mentee of the same gender was important (P < .01). Furthermore, 13 of 40 female members (32.5%) reported having a significant female mentor themselves vs 1 of 29 male members (3%) (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Male and female AUPO members reported no difference in female mentees, but females were more likely to feel gender-specific mentorship was important, suggesting room for further development of this resource. Expansion of female mentorship in ophthalmology can promote equity in training and help address the lack of female representation in leadership.

Periorbital Soft Tissue Trauma.

Eyelid trauma occurs across a broad spectrum of pathology, ranging from simple periorbital lacerations to severe, vision-threatening injuries requiring expert oculoplastic consultation. Any injury, no matter how benign, is also inherently cosmetically sensitive, further adding to the reconstructive challenge. In this review, we discuss the anatomy of the eyelid and develop an understanding of evaluating for signs of more serious, potentially occult, trauma. A framework is developed for approaching the patient with periorbital trauma to assess for injury and triage necessary treatments. Damage to the lacrimal drainage system, which can be particularly difficult to detect and repair, is specifically emphasized and explored.

Ophthalmic dysfunction in a community-based sample: influence of race/ethnicity.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have characterized ethnic variations in standard ophthalmic measures. We tested the hypothesis that nerve fiber layer thickness would show characteristic differences between white and black individuals. We also examined whether ophthalmic measures would show intraethnic differences. METHODS: Seventy participants (mean age: 68.27+/- 5.97 years; blacks: 59% and whites: 41%) were recruited from Brooklyn communities. Sociodemographic and medical data were obtained, and eligible volunteers underwent eye examinations at SUNY Downstate Medical Center. RESULTS: ANCOVA showed that blacks were characterized by significantly worse visual acuity (F=4.14, p=0.05), larger horizontal and vertical cup-to-disk ratios (F=4.53, p=0.04; F=6.08, p=0.02, respectively), and thinner nerve fiber layer than their white counterparts (F=22.61, p=0.009). Within the black ethnicity itself, Caribbean Americans showed significantly thinner nerve fiber layer than did African Americans (F=7.52, p=0.01). CONCLUSION: Findings are consistent with previous reports of racial/ethnic differences in ophthalmic measures. Moreover, they suggest that black ethnicity may not be homogeneous regarding ophthalmic variables, particularly when examining nerve fiber layer thickness. Studies investigating ethnic differences in eye diseases should examine intragroup factors that could influence interpretation of clinical data.