How past European Board of Ophthalmology (EBO) candidates acquired theoretical knowledge: an EBO survey.
Most European Board of Ophthalmology candidates use books for exam preparation.
How past European Board of Ophthalmology (EBO) candidates acquired theoretical knowledge: an EBO survey.
The European Board of Ophthalmology (European Board of Ophthalmology), whose mission is to guarantee high standards of care in ophthalmology, has assessed residency training quality for over 30 years through the European Board of Ophthalmology Diploma (EBO Diploma) examination, undertaken by residents and certified ophthalmologists from the 27 European Union member states as well as Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Türkiye.
This study aimed to analyse trends in the use of learning tools among European residents and ophthalmologists preparing for the EBO Diploma and factors associated with their choice of study resources.
A 27-item online survey was distributed to past (2016 to 2024) EBO Diploma candidates.
most candidates taking the European eye exam used books to prepare
A total of 633 responses (response rate, 10%) from 31 countries were analysed.
Respondents who sat the examination before 2020 were more likely to read journal articles (p < 0.0001, OR 2.47, 95%CI 1.56-3.92) and less likely to use social media (p = 0.002, OR 0.58, 95%CI 0.41-0.82), websites (p = 0.018, OR 0.51, 95%CI 0.29-0.88), and smartphone applications (p = 0.019, OR 0.55, 95%CI 0.47-0.94).
EBO Diploma candidates demonstrate increasing engagement with digital learning tools.
Associations between learning resource use, examination year, study time, and country of training highlight the need for adaptable educational strategies reflecting evolving technologies and diverse learner profiles.