Ophthalmology
Ophthalmic Aid to Eastern Europe (OAEE)
Peter Cackett, Tim ffytche and Dr Irina Gout reflect on historic ophthalmic aid sent to Eastern Europe. This article was written prior to the horrific events in Ukraine. An appeal for funds and equipment may be made by OAEE later...
How to pass the FRCOphth Part 1 as a foundation trainee: some practical tips
Attempting the FRCOphth Part 1 examination as a foundation trainee requires significant time and financial commitment. Unlike the MRCP and MRCS examinations, the curriculum of this exam does not overlap with the undergraduate syllabus. As such, it is a steep...
Acute management of retrobulbar haemorrhage
The authors discuss the importance of rapid diagnosis and correct management of acute RBH presentation to avoid the risk of permanent blindness. Retrobulbar haemorrhage (RBH) is an ocular emergency that occurs due to arterial bleeding in the orbital cavity behind...
Dr William Mackenzie: a founding figure of modern ophthalmology
The author looks at the career of William Mackenzie and the important role he played in establishing the status of ophthalmology as a recognised medical speciality. There are certain individuals who, blessed with ability and means, are destined to leave...
Dementia and visual impairment: what is the relationship and are we providing the best care?
Carla Maden discusses the implications of living with both dementia and visual impairment, and how general medical junior doctors and ophthalmologists can help to alleviate this burden and improve the quality of life of such patients. Dementia and visual impairment...
Working smarter not harder: How to transform eyecare delivery in the United Kingdom (part 2)
Are we doing enough to meet the current demands on ophthalmic services? In part two of a two-part series (see Part 1 here), Rosalind Harrison explains how efficiency can be improved by setting up eye services in community hubs. The...
Unexpected diagnoses – stroke in children and homonymous hemianopia
We present the case of a 12-year-old child presenting with a few days history of left-sided visual loss. Upon further investigation with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) she was unexpectedly diagnosed with a right-sided chronic posterior cerebral arterial territory infarct, causing...
My Top Five Ophthalmology YouTube channels
In the digital age, medical education is being rapidly updated and transformed with the integration of modern technology. Many enthusiastic educators and learners are exploring novel platforms and formats of medical education. Additionally, there has been an increasing need for...
Can e-learning help bridge the ophthalmology teaching gap?
The authors ask whether e-learning can help to address the current lack of ophthalmology teaching in the undergraduate curriculum. Studies among the United Kingdom, Australasian, Canadian and Asian medical schools have found that students on average spent just over a...
Ophthalmology clinical teaching and research fellowships: a pathway into ophthalmology specialty training
Ophthalmology is known for being one of the most competitive medical specialties in the UK, with 6.8 applicants per post in 2021. In fact, the competition ratio has drastically increased in recent years, rising from 5.73 in 2020 and 3.24...
Irido-corneal endothelial syndrome: an overview
Irido-corneal endothelial (ICE) syndrome is a rare group of eye related disorders that constitute three different clinical entities: Chandler syndrome (CS), essential / progressive iris atrophy and iris naevus / Cogan-Reese syndrome. ICE syndrome is sporadic in its presentation as...
My ophthalmic elective: Harvard Medical School
Medical electives are an excellent opportunity to learn, enjoy and explore countries and their healthcare systems. I was grateful to do mine in ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School (HMS). This article will share my personal experience working at HMS with...
