Pilot for a Virtual Regional Ophthalmic Health Disparities Journal Club for Pre-medical and Medical Students: A Three-year Analysis

Background: Social determinants of health influence ophthalmic health outcomes in the United States. Understanding these factors is crucial for current and future physicians, but there is no standardized curriculum to teach learners about this topic. Purpose: This pilot study evaluated the impact of three virtual regional ophthalmic health disparities journal clubs on pre-medical and medical students’ understanding of ophthalmic health disparities, interest in ophthalmology, and comfort in appraising medical literature. Methods: Three annual virtual journal clubs were held in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Each session featured a different peer-reviewed published article related to ophthalmic health disparities as well as the article’s primary author, who participated in the discussions. An optional pre- and post–journal club questionnaire was distributed to attendees to assess their interest in ophthalmology research and practice settings, awareness of ophthalmic health disparities research and its potential to improve clinical outcomes, and comfort in their ability to analyze research articles. Results: A total of 107 pre-medical and medical students from four institutions in Michigan attended the journal clubs. After attending the journal clubs, students reported an increased interest in academic ophthalmology (p = 0.017), awareness of ophthalmic health disparities research (p < 0.001), comfort in appraising research articles (p < 0.001), and appreciation of the role of ophthalmic health disparities research in contributing to clinical care improvement (p = 0.017). Conclusion: A virtual regional ophthalmic health disparities journal club can increase medical trainees’ understanding of the role of ophthalmic health disparities research to improve patient care, interest in academic ophthalmology, awareness of ophthalmic health disparities research, and comfort in evaluating medical literature.