The Impact of Student-Led Ophthalmic Dissections on Medical Student Confidence and Specialty Interest

Background

Medical students interested in surgical specialties such as ophthalmology may have limited opportunities for hands-on ophthalmic anatomy education within structured anatomy curriculum. Near-peer teaching (NPT) may provide an accessible approach to supplementing traditional anatomy education while promoting collaborative learning and specialty exposure. This study evaluated the impact of a student-led ophthalmic dissection integrating clinical vignettes on medical students’ self-reported anatomical knowledge, learning experience, and interest in ophthalmology.

Methods

Second-year medical students participated in an optional ophthalmic dissection led by student members of the Ophthalmology Interest Group. The session consisted of a clinical case-based prebrief, hands-on dissection of ophthalmic structures guided by near-peer instruction, and a post-dissection debrief. Participants completed pre- and post-intervention surveys assessing self-reported knowledge of general eye anatomy, orbital anatomy, ocular muscles, innervation, and vasculature using 5-point Likert scales. The post-survey additionally assessed satisfaction with the near-peer learning environment, clinical integration, perceived ease of organizing anatomical information, and ophthalmology interest. Matched pre- and post-intervention responses were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests.

Results

Seventeen students completed matched pre- and post-intervention surveys. Mean overall self-reported anatomical knowledge increased from 1.82 to 3.38 on a 5-point scale (p<0.001). Significant improvements were observed in general eye anatomy (2.06 vs. 3.47, p=0.001), orbital anatomy (1.71 vs. 3.29, p<0.001), ocular muscle anatomy (1.76 vs. 3.65, p<0.001), ocular innervation (2.12 vs. 3.47, p=0.002), and ocular vasculature (1.47 vs. 3.00, p<0.001). All participants agreed or strongly agreed that the student-led format fostered a productive learning environment, that hands-on dissection simplified difficult concepts, and that they would recommend the experience to other students. Nine participants (53%) agreed or strongly agreed that they gained new interest in ophthalmology following the session.

Discussion and Conclusion

A clinically integrated, near-peer ophthalmic dissection was associated with significant improvements in perceived anatomical knowledge and high student satisfaction. The universal improvement in self-reported ocular muscle knowledge suggests that hands-on instruction may be particularly beneficial for spatially complex anatomical relationships. Participants also reported high perceived ease of mentally organizing the material, supporting the potential value of integrating clinical context with dissection. These findings suggest that NPT may be a feasible supplement to traditional anatomy education while providing early exposure to ophthalmology. Given the small, self-selected cohort and reliance on self-reported outcomes, future studies should incorporate objective knowledge assessments, larger samples, and validated measures of cognitive workload.