Ophthalmology elective: a local experience

Dr Rajan Sondh talks about medical electives and how he believes they are an opportunity to explore career interests, giving undergraduates an opportunity to develop skills in areas that they wouldn’t normally encounter on placements. Typically, electives are taken abroad,...

Ophthalmology history and examination – a guide for medical students

*First author Students have very little exposure to ophthalmology during their years at medical school. Teaching consists of a handful of lectures followed by a short placement in which students are expected to practise histories and examinations on patients with...

Foundation Post in Ophthalmology

If you are in your final year of medicine at university, firstly congratulations on making it so far and secondly, you may be wondering how and which jobs to rank highly. If you have found yourself reading this article, then...

Blame the lens – not its position – in refractive surprise

Aetiology of postoperative refractive surprise Weber coined the term “wrong eye, wrong intraocular lens, wrong patient” in 2008 as an aide memoir of major factors believed to underlie refractive surprise – defined as a significant unintended difference between dioptric refraction...

Harry Moss Traquair: Edinburgh Ophthalmologist and Father Figure of Perimetry

It is a unique honour bestowed upon only a few clinicians, that their name becomes for evermore associated with the subject of their particular expertise and knowledge. Such an individual is undoubtedly Harry Moss Traquair, an Edinburgh-based ophthalmologist, who in...

The eye surgeon and eye physician together: the joint ophthalmic clinic

Since the early 19th century, physicians and surgeons have been working together in eye clinics and hospitals to bring about the best outcome for the patients. From the early Babylonian age, important advances in ophthalmic knowledge arose in a stuttered...

Ciliary body granuloma masquerading as a melanoma

Introduction Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous inflammatory condition which predominantly affects the pulmonary system and intrathoracic lymph nodes, followed by ocular involvement [1]. We present an interesting patient who developed acute anterior uveitis and subsequent ciliary body granuloma clinically mimicking...

Periorbital and subconjunctival emphysema - a sign of orbital rim fracture

Background Orbital emphysema is a condition where air is present in orbit or periorbital tissues [1]. It is most commonly caused by trauma leading to orbit fracture, where air from paranasal sinuses is allowed to enter the orbit. The most...

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...

Use of off-the-shelf magnifying glasses as a cost-effective alternative for surgical loupes

Surgical loupes are an integral part of ophthalmic surgery on the ocular surface and in the periocular area. Available in different magnifications, they provide a clear view of the field of surgery which can greatly assist in identifying fine structures...

Herpes zoster ophthalmicus: a clinician’s perspective

Introduction Herpes zoster, commonly known as shingles, is caused by the reactivation of varicella zoster virus (VZV). The term herpes is derived from a Greek work, herpein, which means ‘creeping’ and the word zoster means a belt or a girdle...

Preparing for modern ophthalmic surgical training as a trainee

As a trainee in ophthalmology, every day you are learning more and more about the specialty. In addition, you will most likely be exploring the vast array of subspecialties that ophthalmology has to offer, and would probably be trying to...