PBO
Residency Exam (PREX)

What is PREX?
By Fay Charmaine Cruz, MD

The Philippine Board of Ophthalmology (PBO) Resident In-service Examination (PREX) is a comprehensive evaluative instrument specifically created for ophthalmology residents in the Philippines.

The PREX exam comprises 200 multiple-choice questions that encompass different subspecialties of ophthalmology, such as optics and refraction, cataract and refractive surgery, pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus, neuro-ophthalmology, retina, glaucoma, uveitis, external disease and cornea, and oculoplastic, lacrimal, and orbital surgery.

The main goals of PREX are as follows:

1. To offer a high-quality assessment instrument that is suitable for the year level of residents and is designed to measure their ophthalmic knowledge.
2. To streamline the assessment of resident advancement by pinpointing their areas of proficiency and areas for improvement.
3. In an effort to adequately equip residents for the written examination administered by the Philippine Board of Ophthalmology (PBO).
4. To indirectly assess the efficacy of ophthalmology training programs in the Philippines.

PREX is specifically created to test the ophthalmic knowledge of residents in comparison to their colleagues. This allows for continuous evaluation of resident growth and the effectiveness of the program. The test is supervised by a group of skilled ophthalmologists, headed by Dr. Teresita Castillo, the chair of the PBO examination committee. The team works together with representatives from different ophthalmology subspecialty societies to guarantee thorough coverage of all pertinent subjects.

The PBO aspires to standardize and improve the quality of ophthalmology resident education and assessment across the country by implementing PREX. This project is a substantial advancement in bringing Philippine ophthalmology training in line with international norms and practices.