Eyeworld

N MAY 2020 | EYEWORLD | 43 YES CONNECT by Liz Hillman Editorial Co-Director Zaina Al-Mohtaseb, MD, expressed a similar overall sentiment for residents at Baylor College of Medicine. "Ophthalmology residents, in general, are planners who are used to schedules, and the un- certainty is definitely a big test for them. There is also fear and stress of potential exposure and worry about their loved ones and themselves," Dr. Al-Mohtaseb said. "They are also worried about losing clinical and surgical skills given that elective cases and non-urgent clinic visits have been canceled." Jeffrey Goshe, MD, said in late March they were still in preparation mode with Cole Eye Institute residents, preparing for various sce- narios with the pandemic, including the possi- bility of redeployment of residents and staff, if needed. Drs. Sun, Al-Mohtaseb, and Goshe said distance learning opportunities were created for those in training, in light of distancing requirements. Dr. Sun said she video confer- ences daily with her residents, discussing cases and giving updates from the hospital. She said faculty members remotely are helping share their expertise with video reviews, journal clubs, case conferences, and Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessment Program (OKAP) reviews. "In addition, the New York ophthalmology program directors have rallied together in this time of need," Dr. Sun said. "We created an online platform to share our didactics with all the New York residents since we are all teach- ing remotely. We have a weekly call to update each other about the best practices in our own institutions to help protect our patients, our residents, ourselves, and our communities." Dr. Al-Mohtaseb said they, similarly, are conducting video conferences and catch-ups with the residents. The residents were also split into three different teams to cover urgent cases. One team sees patients at Ben Taub Hospital and the VA, the other team covers call, and the third is "backup" in case any residents from the other two teams gets sick or quarantined (the backup team also assists with phone calls, scheduling, and telemedicine). T he COVID-19 pandemic presents an extraordinarily challenging time for ev- eryone in medicine, from those on the frontlines to those sidelined by post- poned elective surgeries to those who are still in training, uncertain about their short- and long-term future. "As expected, there is an atmosphere of anxiety and uncertainty among the residents, not only about their training but also about what the future holds," said Grace Sun, MD. "This stems from a variety of reasons, including concerns about the health of loved ones and the community, uncertainty about their own futures, losing clinical and surgical learning op- portunities, and even some guilt over not being as active on the frontlines as other friends and colleagues in the emergency rooms and ICUs." Many Weill Cornell residents in New York City, one of the U.S. cities hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, have been redeployed to the emergency department and medicine units, Dr. Sun said. "The response from our Weill Cornell residents and faculty has been nothing short of inspirational. They have been selfless, brave, and team-oriented. They have put the needs of their patients, peers, department, hospital, and city ahead of their own," she said. As for how the pandemic will impact their training, Dr. Sun said there are definitely ques- tions regarding general timeline and fellowship prospects, but both have "taken a back seat to the more imminent concerns of the day-to-day realities of living in the current epicenter of the virus." How the pandemic impacts those in training continued on page 44 About the doctors Zaina Al-Mohtaseb, MD Associate residency program director Baylor College of Medicine Houston, Texas Jeffrey Goshe, MD Residency program director Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute Cleveland, Ohio Grace Sun, MD Director of the ophthalmology residency program Weill Cornell Medicine New York, New York The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us how we can find ways to continue providing learning opportunities for our trainees while maintaining social distancing. In this article, we have interviewed the program directors of three of the major ophthalmology residencies in the nation to get their thoughts and ideas on these unprece- dented times. —Claudia Perez-Straziota, MD YES Connect Co-Editor Contact Al-Mohtaseb: zaina@bcm.edu Goshe: goshej@ccf.org Sun: grs2003@med.cornell.edu

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