Cataract surgical training in Poland

Backgrounds/objectives: This study, part of a series, aims to present and analyze the results of the Polish cohort in a European Board of Ophthalmology (EBO) survey on cataract surgical (CS) training in Europe, highlighting national traits and contributing to the discussion on standardizing ophthalmology training. Materials and methods: This study analyses the survey results of Polish participants in the EBO examinations (2018-2022) and compared them with the largest groups of candidates (Germany, France, Swiss and Spain). Results: Out of 144 candidates, 79 (55%) answered the questionnaire. Most (70.9%) had taken the EBO exam between 2021 and 2022, with the vast majority of study participants being women (77.2%) with a median age of 34 years and came from 9 different voivodeships. Notably, 25.4% stated that they had carried out 10 or more training sessions on virtual reality simulator, 13.9% on synthetic eyes and 12.7% on animal eyes. There was a significant difference in the concrete use of SBME (more than ten sessions regardless of the simulation tool) between men and women (55.6% versus 23% respectively, p = 0.008). A notable discrepancy was observed between participants with 10 or more training sessions and those without specific training in four key areas: self-assessed confidence and ability to perform cataract surgery (p = 0.003), handling complications like posterior capsular tear (p < 0.001) and in performing corneal sutures (p = 0.015). Less than half (40.5%) of respondents had not performed any steps of cataract surgery on patients during their residency. Unlike in the EBO results, there were no gender differences found. Discussion: The results show a geographically homogenous group with an overrepresentation of Warsaw. Polish residency training is a hybrid model ensuring that all residents receive uniform surgical training. After completing their residency, Polish ophthalmologists are subsequently categorized into either surgical specialists or clinical practitioners.