ArticleGraefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology = Albrecht von Graefes Archiv fur klinische und experimentelle Ophthalmologie2026
Navigating the fragmented learning journey: early-career ophthalmologists' experiences of learning in residency.
Article in Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology = Albrecht von Graefes Archiv fur klinische und experimentelle Ophthalmologie, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeEarly ophthalmology training requires rapid development of clinical skills in high-pressure environments. However, the disconnect between formal curricula and residents' lived experiences remains under-researched. This study aims to identify modifiable educational and structural barriers, and to understand ophthalmology residents' requirements for tools to support learning and non-surgical skill acquisition.
methodsQualitative study involving semi-structured one-to-one interviews with 27 ophthalmology residents in the UK and Germany. Interviews explored the lived experiences of non-surgical skill acquisition during early training, as well as perceived gaps and priorities for improvement. Transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.
resultsSix key themes were identified. The learning journey was felt to be fragmented, and learning needs occasionally fell secondary to clinical service demands. Experiences also varied across hospitals and regions. Essential clinical skills (e.g. fundoscopy, imaging interpretation) were frequently learned in emergency settings or busy clinic environments with limited structured supervision and feedback, and available resources for learning were described as "fragmented" and "variable in quality". Participants cited inconsistent feedback and poor work-life balance as significant sources of emotional burden. Consequently, many relied on self-organised peer networks to compensate for gaps in formal support. Participants expressed a desire for mentorship as well as a technology-enabled integrated learning environment to address some of these gaps.
conclusionCareful consideration is needed to bridge the gap between formal curricula and real-world experiences, particularly as contemporary training experiences appear to rely heavily on improvisation and self-motivation rather than structured training. Formal integration of non-surgical skills training and mentorship into the clinical workflow may help reduce uncertainty and variability in training outcomes.
Indexed as
Identifiers
42257699What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.