EyeWorld is the official news magazine of the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.
Issue link: https://digital.eyeworld.org/i/422211
World view The changing face of medical education John A. Vukich, MD, international editor The official publication of the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery A S C R S December 2014 Volume 19 • No. 12 Publisher Donald R. Long don@eyeworld.org Editorial Editor Erin L. Boyle erin@eyeworld.org Managing Editor Stacy Majewicz stacy@eyeworld.org Staff Writer Ellen Stodola ellen@eyeworld.org Staff Writer Lauren Lipuma lauren@eyeworld.org Production Graphic Designer Julio Guerrero julio@eyeworld.org Graphic Design Assistant Susan Steury susan@eyeworld.org Production Manager Cathy Stern cathy@eyeworld.org 703-383-5702 Production Assistant Carly Peterson carly@eyeworld.org Contributing Writers Vanessa Caceres Lakeland, Fla. Michelle Dalton Reading, Pa. Matt Young Malaysia Enette Ngoei Dublin Rich Daly Arlington, Va. Senior Contributing Writer Maxine Lipner Nyack, N.Y. Advertising Sales ASCRSMedia 4000 Legato Road Suite 700 Fairfax, VA 22033 703-591-2220 fax: 703-591-0614 eyeworld@eyeworld.org www.eyeworld.org Advertising Sales Jeff Brownstein jeff@eyeworld.org 703-788-5745 Paul Zelin paul@eyeworld.org 703-383-5729 Classified Sales Cathy Stern cathy@eyeworld.org 703-383-5702 EyeWorld Special Projects and Events Jessica Donohoe jessica@eyeworld.org 703-591-2220 ASCRS Publisher: EyeWorld (ISSN 1089-0084) is published monthly by ASCRS Ophthalmic Services Corp., 4000 Legato Road, Suite 700, Fairfax, VA 22033-4055; telephone: 703-591-2220; fax: 703-591-0614. Printed in the U.S. Editorial Offices: EyeWorld News Service, 4000 Legato Road, Suite 700, Fairfax, VA 22033-4055; toll-free: 800-451-1339, 703-591-2220; fax: 703-591-0614; email: eyeworld@eyeworld.org. Advertising Offices: ASCRSMedia, 4000 Legato Road, Suite 700, Fairfax, VA 22033-4055; toll-free: 800-451-1339, 703-591-2220; fax: 703-591-0614; email: eyeworld@eyeworld.org. Copyright 2014, ASCRS Ophthalmic Services Corp., 4000 Legato Road, Suite 700, Fairfax, VA 22033-4055. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Letters to the editor and other unsolicited material are assumed intended for publication and are subject to editorial review and acceptance. Subscriptions: Requests should be addressed to the publisher. Annual subscription prices: Individual: 1 year, $120; 2 years, $220; 3 years, $320. Institutional: 1 year, $250; 2 years, $330; 3 years, $425. Foreign: 1 year, $240, 2 years $470, 3 years, $700. Back copies: Subject to availability. Contact the publisher. Cost per copy is $15; $30 foreign. All orders for individual or back copies must be accompanied by payment. 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The ideas and opinions expressed in EyeWorld do not necessarily reflect those of the editors, publisher, or its advertisers. P U B L I S H I N G S T A F F "It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." –Mark Twain S o how do we know what just ain't so? More specifically, how do we identify those topics that we need to prioritize for education? We can start by asking ourselves questions. This is exactly the direction ASCRS is taking to develop educational programing for its members. This is the heart of a new trend: using objective data to establish societal driven educational objectives. Increasingly, the selection of topics for symposia, white papers, and EyeWorld articles is being guided by identified gaps in clinical practice. The concept is simple. If we can identify beliefs or practices that are dated or inconsistent with our current understanding, we can effectively change behavior through education. First started in 2013, the ASCRS Clinical Survey was conducted onsite at the ASCRS•ASOA Symposium & Congress as well as online. This replaces the Leaming survey as the chief means of assessing member- ship clinical opinion and practice patterns. It is a powerful tool to help highlight areas in which the resources of our society can be concentrated. This is how the gaps are identified. The built-in advantage of this method is that subsequent annual surveys provide a means of quantifying the re- sults of our efforts. Did our education improve understanding or change practice habits? Have we narrowed the gap? The ability to quantify and track changes in opinion and practice patterns allows more effective use of educational resources. This issue of EyeWorld explores several aspects of the changing face of medical education. Data driven program content is just one of the many changes we are experiencing. FDA rules regarding the discussion of off- label uses of devices and medications have dramatically shaped the nature of company-sponsored seminars. Restrictions that limit the dis- cussion to a very narrow set of indications have driven more interest in grant-supported continuing medical education (CME). Live CME is one of the few remaining venues where innovative thinking can be openly shared. Expect to see more CME programing in 2015 and fewer company "events" at major meetings. In the end, it turns out that we still seek the personal interaction that meetings provide. Internet courses and e-learning have proven to be synergistic, not competitive with attendance at annual meetings. How the information is packaged will continue to evolve. How we choose the content will be driven by data. One thing that has not changed is our need to continue to learn. And the other thing that will never change is our desire to socialize with our colleagues. We can all take comfort in that. EW