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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...

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...

Beyond vision loss: Why doctors should know about Charles Bonnet Syndrome

Over 250 years have passed since Charles Bonnet’s seminal essay, in which he described the symptoms of the syndrome that now takes his name [1]. Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) describes the occurrence of visual hallucinations in people with significant visual...

An introduction to research governance

Research is the process of acquiring new generalisable knowledge and should be fully integrated into health care work. There is a growing drive to encourage and further develop evidence-based practice in ophthalmology so that staff and patients benefit from improved...

Educational concerns and anxiety levels amongst ophthalmology trainees during the COVID-19 pandemic

How concerned are ophthalmology trainees about the present impact and the future consequences of suspended ophthalmic training programmes? Researchers in the West of Scotland investigate. Anxiety, stress and the longer-term stress reaction of burnout often go unrecognised, yet are known...

Capacity-building through the COECSA-RCOphth LINK – linking journals in a training and mentorship programme

The College of Ophthalmology of Central, Eastern and Southern Africa (COECSA) [1] and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) [2] have a long-standing health partnership through the VISION 2020 LINKS Programme [3,4]. The LINK started a new project in 2019...

It’s not all about ARED - Time for a pragmatic approach to nutrition for eye health?

Advances in treatment for retinal diseases involving neovascularisation have undoubtedly changed the future of eye care across the UK for the better, but also created great challenges for service delivery in ophthalmology, particularly within the NHS. Some statistics are starting...

The extended role of the specialist ophthalmic photographer

The prevalence of certain retinal conditions such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is projected to grow substantially over the next decades. Estimates for the projected growth in burden on eye services for diabetic retinopathy and neovascular ARMD...