The first on-call

You’ve made into ophthalmic specialist training and before you know it, it’s your first on-call shift. You are expected to provide the specialist on-call service out of hours and there is a new wave of responsibility, with, let’s be honest,...

How good does my vision have to be to drive this thing? Visual standards for various occupations

We can all picture that moment in clinic: you are about to tell someone that they’re no longer legally able to drive, ready to deploy our ‘breaking bad news’ techniques. For some patients this may have been expected, or they...

How to pass the FRCOphth part 2 oral exam

If you have got this far in terms of your exams, relax. In terms of pass rate, the hardest FRCOphth membership exams are already behind you. The pass mark for the part 2 oral exam is around 75%, and about...

Sclerochoroidal calcification masquerading as ocular malignancy

Case 1 A 68-year-old Caucasian gentleman was urgently referred to eye casualty by his optometrist after seeing an unusual incidental finding of protruding lesions from the retina, suspecting choroidal melanoma. He was asymptomatic and this was his first eye test...

How to pass the FRCOphth part 2 written

The part 2 written exam comprises of 180 multiple choice questions – spread over two 120-minute sessions. According to the most recent college exam reports, the pass rate ranged from 45 to 70% in 2019/2020. Most trainees seem to sit...