Ophthalmology
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...
The last three patients: general medicine (Patient Two)
For the second reflection in this series (see Patient One here), Professor Jonathan Rees recounts his experiences of the last patient he saw as a medical registrar, telling the tragic story of a young man’s death and the risks that...
Beyond 2020 Episodes 01-03
Introduction Working in remote, Amazonian villages, the Andean Medical Mission (AMM) have made progress into eliminating avoidable blindness in this small corner of the globe and have produced a video series, Beyond 2020, to share what they’ve learned over 12...
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...
ChatGPT cannot pass FRCOphth examinations: implications for ophthalmology and large language model artificial intelligence
Large language models are generating a lot of hype for artificial intelligence, but can they assist patients and practitioners in ophthalmology? Introduction Deep learning (DL) has emerged in ophthalmology as an exciting form of artificial intelligence (AI) most commonly applied...
Artificial intelligence in eyecare: how do we ensure new technologies truly benefit our patients?
From monitoring patients with heart disease to improving the early diagnosis of cancer, artificial intelligence (AI) using deep learning techniques is already employed in many different healthcare specialties [1]. In the eyecare field, AI technologies have been used to analyse...
Real world data of post-IVT endophthalmitis, from a nurse-delivered intravitreal injection service
Introduction Intravitreal injection of neutralising anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibody was licenced more than a decade ago, and over the years there has been proportionate increase in the number of intravitreal injections [1]. Injection of a therapeutic agent through...
My ophthalmology taster week experience at Whipps Cross Eye Treatment Centre
Deciding to explore ophthalmology Having read about ophthalmology, I have always found myself fascinated about what a career in ophthalmology entails. I have often wondered what ophthalmologists actually do, as we as medical students did not have a lot of...
The last three patients: general practice (Patient One)
Professor Jonathan Rees is an Emeritus Professor of Dermatology at the University of Edinburgh (2020). He held the Grant Chair of Dermatology in Edinburgh from 2000 to 2020, and before that the Chair of Dermatology in Newcastle from 1992 to...
A life outside ophthalmology
Lloyd Paul Aiello. It was an absolute privilege to speak to Lloyd Paul Aiello, Professor of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, and Vice President of Ophthalmology and Director, Beetham Eye Institute, Joslin Diabetes Center, USA. Prof Aiello is a third-generation ophthalmologist,...
Passing the Refraction Certificate as a Foundation doctor
Application for ophthalmic specialist training (OST) is competitive. This means you should consider making every effort to maximise your portfolio points, as it may have a significant contribution to your OST application ranking. The “Commitment to Specialty” section is the...
Recurrent unilateral preseptal cellulitis secondary to herpes simplex virus infection
Introduction Periorbital (sometimes called preseptal cellulitis) is a common condition which on its own is not normally an ophthalmic or surgical emergency, however it has the potential to cause severe and serious morbidity in cases where the infection has crossed...
