Surgical Competency Assessment in Ophthalmology Residency

Purpose of Review: Given the push for more objective evaluation and assessment of surgical competence in ophthalmology training, the purpose of this review is to describe and evaluate different tools used for surgical skills assessment in ophthalmology. Recent Findings: Many previously described assessment tools do not always address all aspects of a modern validity framework endorsed by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. New directions in surgical skills assessment may include incorporation of artificial intelligence and deep learning algorithms. Summary: Many different types of surgical assessments have been described, including (1) procedure-related checklists and global rating scales, (2) simulated (wet lab, dry lab, or virtual), (3) knowledge based, (4) outcomes data, and (5) motion analysis. It is important to evaluate whether these assessment tools have been properly validated and provide both appropriate feedback to learners and ideally a threshold of competency. Tools should also be practical to implement to encourage engagement. Future research and development should be done to incorporate new technology to aid in automated, real-time, and objective surgical feedback.