Starting a career in ophthalmology can be both exciting and demanding. Despite its captivating and broad nature, ophthalmology often proves challenging for beginners around the globe due to limited exposure during medical school [1–5].
Fortunately, plenty of resources are available, including textbooks, online courses, websites, medical journals, apps, and social media, among others. However, it can be difficult to decide where to begin which makes it easy to feel lost amid these boundless assets.
"Ophthalmology often proves challenging for beginners around the globe due to limited exposure during medical school"
In the following article, I share my top five ophthalmology resources, with the hope of offering beginners a helpful guide. These materials are very useful for enhancing knowledge, building a solid foundation, and are handy tools for the professional development of ophthalmology trainees and foundation doctors contemplating a career in this specialty.
Eye-Site – eLearning for healthcare (ELFH)
Website, comprehensive e-learning tool for postgraduate training
www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/ophthalmology
Eye-Site is a fabulous free resource to support doctors. It’s delivered by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists in partnership with NHS England. Courses cover an immense range of ophthalmic content, from basic skills like history taking and clinical examination to complex surgical procedures.
- There are several case scenarios throughout that allow learners to solidify theoretical knowledge by applying it practically.
- Each session has self-assessment questions at the end to test learners on the topic.
- In addition to providing clinical and technical content, the eLearning programme also covers soft skills, including decision-making, clinical reasoning and judgment, attitudes, ethics and responsibilities.
- This broad tool is accessible through an ELFH account or NHS OpenAthens account.
Eyeguru
Website, ophthalmology essentials
https://eyeguru.org
Eyeguru is a free educational platform founded by ophthalmologists in the USA. Designed as a boot camp for ophthalmology training, it is recommended to be completed before commencing formal training, providing an expedited way to establish essential foundational knowledge.
- The platform includes pathology frameworks for eight different conditions and technique guides for slit-lamp, indirect ophthalmoscopy, ocular coherence tomography (OCT), visual fields, fluorescein angiography, ocular ultrasound, and corneal topography.
- What I particularly like is their OCT module, where they teach how to interpret OCTs and diagnose conditions through OCT image questions.
- It offers both beginner and intermediate levels, and it is an excellent educational tool for those starting out and for those looking to refresh their knowledge.
- Additionally, it provides flashcards, concise blog posts and short educational videos on various topics including cataract surgery techniques.
GONE Project
Website, Glaucomatous Optic Neuropathy Evaluation Project
www.gone-project.com
GONE project is a teaching resource developed in Australia and serves as a great starting point for optic disc examination.
- The project introduces 15 optic disc images each session and asks nine questions for each disc, giving 90 seconds for each image. The questions include disc size, disc shape, disc tilt, presence of peripapillary atrophy, cup:disc ratio, cup shape, cup depth, neurofibre layer defect, haemorrhage and final questions about glaucoma likelihood.
- Feedback is provided at the end of sessions on how well each characteristic of the discs is assessed.
- There are training materials for each aspect of disc assessment that offer invaluable explanations with several disc images and figures.
Oxford Handbook of Ophthalmology (4th Edition)
Practical handbook, online access
https://academic.oup.com/book/29891
This book is a brilliant resource for quickly accessing critical information in daily practice. It also includes a quick reference guide for common ophthalmic emergencies on the back page of the front cover.
- It provides concise material and systematic guides to all aspects of ophthalmic conditions, including clinical skills, assessment, diagnosis, investigations and their interpretations, and management.
- In the 4th edition, it includes access to an online media bank with high-quality colour images and videos for each chapter.
- The handbook is easy to carry around and offers personal online access for those who prefer to use it on their devices. It can also be accessed online for free through the institutions or British Medical Association library.
Eye Handbook
Mobile app, ophthalmology for your smartphone
https://eyehandbook.com/EHBweb
Eye Handbook is a mobile application, offering a pocket-sized companion for eyecare professionals. It was created by three ophthalmologists in 2009 and became very popular since.
- It’s a must-have app and contains a structured approach to ophthalmic conditions, making it a diagnostic and treatment reference app.
- There’s a variety of features such as tests, calculators, digital eye atlas, video lectures, peer-to-peer forum discussion boards, medications, etc. Whatever you are looking for, this app has it. However, it’s important to bear in mind that it’s tailored for US‑based practice.
- I particularly like its brief case presentations in forums which provide an image with short explanation and asks diagnosis, investigation, or treatment. It is possible to interact with and see other users’ answers.
References
1. Baylis O, Murray PI, Dayan M. Undergraduate ophthalmology education - A survey of UK medical schools. Med Teach 2011;33(6):468–71.
2. Quillen DA, Harper RA, Haik BG. Medical student education in ophthalmology: crisis and opportunity. Ophthalmology 2005;112(11):1867–8.
3. Li B, Michaelov E, Waterman R, et al. Ophthalmology as a career choice among medical students: a survey of students at a Canadian medical school. BMC Med Educ 2022;22(1):225.
4. Moxon NR, Goyal A, Giaconi JA, et al. The State of Ophthalmology Medical Student Education in the United States: An Update. Ophthalmology 2020;127(11):1451–3.
5. Eze BI, Oguego NC, Uche JN, et al. Assessing the knowledge and skills in clinical ophthalmology of medical interns: survey results from enugu, South-eastern Nigeria. Middle East Afr J Ophthalmol 2012;19(1):135–40.
Declaration of competing interests: None declared.
