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Getting the Duke Elder examination right: reflections and tips from a medical student

The Duke Elder undergraduate prize examination is an annual exam organised by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists in the United Kingdom. Named after Sir Stewart Duke Elder, a prominent British ophthalmologist, the exam is designed to encourage undergraduate medical students...

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...

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...

A guide to the Multi-Speciality Recruitment Assessment (MSRA) exam

The MSRA exam is a mandatory part of the application for ophthalmology specialist training in the UK. It is a computer-based exam which is designed to assess junior doctors with foundation level competence. It is used for entry to postgraduate...

Valuable resources for FRCOphth Part 1 exam preparation

The FRCOphth Part 1 exam is a difficult exam with an average pass rate of 46% in the last year. It is a requirement before entry into the third year of ophthalmology specialty training (OST). Passing this exam during foundation...

My ophthalmic elective: Lerdsin Hospital, Thailand

My decision to undertake elective in Thailand was made to help broaden my horizons on ophthalmic conditions and practices. Additionally, I hoped to improve my Thai medical vocabulary to communicate with Thai patients fluently. As I got an opportunity to...

Decoding the red eye

Red eye, or hyperaemia, is one of the most common presentations to primary care [1] and the emergency department [2]. However, despite this the underlying cause is often misdiagnosed which can lead to severe, sight-threatening conditions being missed [1]. Thorough...

Ophthalmology assessment using Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom’s Taxonomy is a hierarchical list of attributes and skills that facilitates teachers to effectively teach, whilst concurrently enabling learners to effectively learn. It was first developed in 1956 by Benjamin Bloom, an educational psychologist along with a team of...

Uncertainties and opportunities in ophthalmology training after the COVID-19 pandemic

Alexander Jones asks what impact the current pandemic will have on ophthalmology trainees. In my work as a Clinical Teaching Fellow, I have to admit that chaos is uncommon. Neither the anxious excitement of rushing to help an unwell patient...

Setting up successful safe & efficient nurse-led intravitreal injection service

In September 2019, we organised a training course at Great Western NHS Hospital (GWH), Swindon, which provided presentations, discussions and hands-on wet lab experience on how to perform intravitreal injection using intravitreal assisted device (INVITRIA) for nurses and doctors from...