The Duke-Elder Undergraduate Prize Exam is a competitive exam aimed at undergraduates with an interest in ophthalmology. It is amongst the most prestigious undergraduate prizes in the United Kingdom. I would encourage motivated candidates to get their hands on as many practice resources as possible to study for it.
One such resource is the 180 MCQs for the Duke Elder Examination. The authors of this book have impressive credentials – all scoring amongst the top 5 in the exam. The authors have divided the book into two challenging practise papers. It covers various topics, including anatomy, optics, clinical ophthalmology, ocular physiology, pathology and genetics of the eye. The book also excels in socio-economic medicine relevant to ophthalmology, for example, world blindness and the VISION 2020 Initiative. The explanations are crisp, with useful mnemonics embedded throughout the answers section.
A minor shortcoming of this book is the lack of images. However, this can be compensated for by using books like Lecture Notes Ophthalmology, which have figures covering key ophthalmologic conditions. Images have become an integral part of the exam in recent years, so it is essential to prepare for questions with figures.
Overall, this book is a helpful resource for preparing for the exam. It is especially valuable when combined with the other resources mentioned above.
