My Top Five: Debunking common myths in ophthalmology and vision care
In the field of eye health, numerous misconceptions persist. Let’s examine five prevalent myths and uncover the truth behind them. Myth 1: Wearing glasses weakens your eyesight Origin: This myth likely originated from the observation that people often need stronger...
My Top Five: Ophthalmology learning tools for doctors
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,...
My Top Five: Trinkets of fact or fiction
Trinkets of adult wisdom are often delivered to children alongside warnings of catastrophic outcomes. In this article we present five ‘facts’ about eye health and vision and ask the question: to what extent are these ideas backed up by literature?...
My Top Five: A foundation doctor’s top five misconceptions about ophthalmology
Choosing a specialty is challenging. As a foundation doctor, it often feels as if this choice is based solely on fleeting experiences. Compared to other specialties, there is relatively little exposure to ophthalmology during either medical school or foundation years....
My Top Five: Influential ophthalmologists
Ophthalmology has witnessed remarkable evolution and advancements throughout history. The field has undergone dramatic change and development since the times of Ancient Egypt where the first reference to eyes was made in the Code of Hammurabi (2250 BC) [1]. From...
My Top Five: Uses of artificial intelligence in ophthalmology
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a prominent topic of discussion within the field of ophthalmology, captivating researchers and practitioners alike. Although recent attention has been drawn to the integration of AI in ophthalmology, it’s important to recognise that AI...
My Top Five: Elective grants for an ophthalmology elective for a medical student surviving in a cost-of-living crisis
In a time where cost of living is significantly increasing, and the student NHS bursary is remaining stagnant, funding a medical elective is becoming increasingly more challenging for medical students. Surveys have shown that medical students typically get two to...
My Top Five: Ways in which LinkedIn can be useful for ophthalmologists
LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional social networking site, that allows over 830 million users from over 200 countries from a variety of industries to connect. As a result, it is a powerful tool used by professionals to network, collaborate,...
My Top Five: Foundation year 3 jobs for prospective ophthalmology candidates
Ophthalmology specialist training (OST) is a fantastic career option, however, it is also a highly competitive specialty. There was a gradual rise in competition ratios in recent years: 3.24 (2019), 5.73 (2020), and 6.80 (2021) [1]. Many choose to pursue...
My Top Five: Duke Elder Undergraduate Ophthalmology Prize Exam Tips
The prestigious Duke Elder Undergraduate Ophthalmology exam in the UK is aimed at medical students who have completed their ophthalmology undergraduate teaching but is open to all medical undergraduates provided they have not graduated at the time of the examination....
My Top Five: Ophthalmology Twitter accounts
There are approximately 4.2 billion active social media users worldwide. This figure represents over half of the global population and is steadily rising [1]. There are currently over 217 million active Twitter users and given the platform’s versatility and ability...
My Top Five: Digital ophthalmology revision resources for medical students
Ophthalmology is a broad and exciting field to study but encountering the vast number of topics it contains for the first time in medical school can be a daunting prospect. Building a solid foundation of knowledge in the subject is...