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The butterfly effect

One of the most fascinating aspects of being a consultant is seeing the workings of the machine that is medical training from the other side. For two years now I have taken part in the specialty recruitment interviews and it...

Trainee personality types

Over the past two years I have attended quite a number of medical educational seminars and ‘workshops’ and have been a bit shocked at how out of kilter with reality the world of education seems to be now. It seems...

The Wachter Review

Professor Robert Wachter (pronounced Wokter) is well known in the NHS IT sector. In late 2015 Jeremy Hunt announced he had tasked Dr Wachter to lead a review of the digital future of the NHS. The resulting Wachter Review was...

‘Getting a head start’: ways medical students can boost their chances of entering ophthalmology training

Ophthalmology is one of the most competitive medical specialities in the UK, with 3.74 applicants per place in 2018 [1]. Given the competitive nature of this highly specialised field, medical students who are interested in pursuing a career in ophthalmology...

Preparing for the Duke Elder Award

The Duke Elder examination is an undergraduate ophthalmology exam, conducted by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) and undertaken by students with an interest in ophthalmology. It is a two-hour, 90-question, multiple choice exam with a broader curriculum than that...

How to pass the Refraction Certificate

Unfortunately, I had the pleasure of getting to know this exam intimately. With adequate preparation this does not have to be the case for most people. The exam has recently changed to consist of 10 OSCE style stations (previously 12)....

COVID-19 and Charles Bonnet Syndrome

As COVID-19 rips through the country, it is – of course – imperative that we stay at home to try and prevent the virus spreading through the whole community. We are all aware of the need to take special care...

My work experience with Great Ormond Street Hospital Young Persons’ Advisory Group for Research

For my school work experience I had the amazing opportunity to attend and work with the Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) Young Persons’ Advisory Group for research (YPAG) (Figure 1). The GOSH YPAG is a group of young people aged...

Applying for ophthalmology ST1 in 2026: What’s new?

Competition for ophthalmology ST1 has intensified steadily over recent cycles, rising from ~9:1 (2022) to ~10:1 (2023), ~14:1 (2024) and ~22:1 (2025) [1]. Against this background, applicants benefit from a structured approach: mapping achievements to portfolio domains early, identifying gaps...

Orbis teams up with the Alcon Foundation and OMEGA to improve eyecare in Zambia

The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital returns to Zambia for a three-week training project in Lusaka coinciding with World Sight Day on October 12.

Postgraduate training for ophthalmic practitioners

The UK currently spends £25 billion per year on ocular disease, and there is expected to be a 40% increase in those affected by visual impairment by 2050 [1]. To manage this demand, 82% of ophthalmology units across the UK...

IN FOCUS - The achievements and lasting effects of VISION 2020

Blindness is a major public health problem globally. The first estimate of global blindness by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1972 provided a figure of 10 to 15 million, which was considered an underestimate [1]. In 1999, an extraordinary...