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The value of hospital placements in ophthalmology in general practice specialty training

Pratik Bikkannavar provides insights into the potential benefits a placement in ophthalmology provides General Practice Specialty Trainees (GPSTs) and its valuable purpose for the wider ophthalmic community. Ophthalmic complaints are known to account for up to 1 in every 20...

Broadening horizons in ophthalmology: crafting a varied elective experience

The elective period for medical students is a unique opportunity to immerse oneself in a field of interest. For students interested in ophthalmology, this can offer a dedicated experience for what can otherwise be quite limited through undergraduate rotations. Alongside...

Cataract surgery training in the independent sector

I am now most of the way through my ST3 year working in Plymouth, within the Peninsula Deanery. Before the start of the year, I was approached by one of my consultants who asked if I would like to carry...

How to write and publish a case report – tips and common pitfalls

Ophthalmology is an extremely popular specialty, with the competition ratio at ST1 level entry being 10:1 in 2023 [1]. Consequently, applicants are required to achieve higher portfolio scores to remain competitive. For those considering a career in ophthalmology, two points...

How to get the most out of your medical school ophthalmology placement

Ophthalmology has become a very popular speciality, generating a vast interest amongst medical students with competition for training posts increasing yearly. Yet it is often difficult to get adequate exposure to the speciality prior to applications, with very limited time...

An interview with Professor John Forrester

What made you choose ophthalmology as a career and how did your interest in academia develop? During Medical School at Glasgow University, I was getting progressively disillusioned with the career options while my colleagues and friends all seemed to quickly...

A near miss

A 55-year-old gentleman presented with a ‘blurry patch’ to his left eye which he had noticed for the past two months. The visual acuity with correction was 6/5 in the right eye and 6/6 in the left eye on the...

In vivo confocal microscopy, principles and use in keratitis Part 1: Principles

In 1968 Maurice introduced the concept of high powered specular microscopy, it was in that very year that the first scanning confocal microscope was proposed. Marvin Minsky developed the first confocal microscope in 1955 named the ‘double focusing scanning microscope’....

The ‘art’ of refraction – designing a refraction course

Learning how to refract requires theoretical knowledge, practice and determination. Refraction is a notoriously challenging skill to acquire and the competing demands on junior ophthalmologists can often be restrictive of the development of this core skill. To consolidate theory learnt...

Principles of contact lens fitting in keratoconus

Keratoconus is an ectatic condition of the cornea characterised by progressive conical distortion with irregular astigmatism, myopia and apical protrusion. Most cases progress slowly resulting in varying degrees of myopic astigmatism. Management of keratoconus includes spectacles, soft contact lenses, a...

A Multidisciplinary Approach to Neovascular Glaucoma in a Patient with Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia

An 84-year-old Caucasian male attended eye casualty with a four month history of reduced vision, a dull ache and photophobia in both eyes. He had also reported dizziness, weakness and intermittent epistaxis in the nine months prior to presentation. There...

Ophthalmology in the Middle East: Reflections from two electives in Jordan and the UAE

In the summer of 2021, I was fortunate enough to embark on two electives in ophthalmology at the Shami Eye Centre in Amman, Jordan, and Moorfields Eye Hospital in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). These eye hospitals serve distinct populations,...