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The Duke-Elder exam: A medical student’s head start into ophthalmology

The Duke-Elder exam is a specialist ophthalmology exam intended for medical students to sit during medical school. It is named after Sir Stewart Duke-Elder, a pioneering Scottish ophthalmologist who was active in the first half of the 20th Century by...

‘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...

Typical and atypical optic neuritis – diagnosis and initial management

Optic neuritis is a relatively common presentation to ophthalmologists in the acute setting. The vast majority are cases of ‘typical’ optic neuritis (ON) but a smaller group of conditions, so-called, ‘atypical’ optic neuritides require a different work-up and management strategy....

Supranuclear ocular motility disorders

Figure 1: Bilateral INO Introduction Complex ocular motility disorders are a diagnostic challenge. These patients come with very complex ocular motility presentations and require a careful and detailed assessment in order to find the correct diagnosis and arrange appropriate investigations....

Commonest mistakes during the refraction certificate exam

Ophthalmology specialty trainees are required to pass the refraction certificate exam within the first two years of training. If one passes this exam before entering a training programme, this can add two points to the portfolio during applications. In this...

The role of aspirin in the treatment of NAION: Benefits and controversies

Non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is the most common acute optic neuropathy in individuals over 50 with estimated prevalence of 2–10 per 100,000 people, characterised by sudden, unilateral vision loss due to ischaemic injury to the optic nerve head....

The challenge of chorioretinal folds in virtual eye clinics

Chorioretinal or choroidal folds are parallel striations involving the retina, retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), Bruch’s membrane, and inner choroid [1]. They can arise from compressive stress on these layers, and their presence often serves as a diagnostic marker for underlying...

SOS (Simplified Ophthalmic Statistics) Part 4: How to present your statistical analysis

This is the last in this series of short guides which we hope provide some guidance in relation to statistical issues researchers may encounter when conducting research, audit or indeed quality improvement projects. Here we focus on an issue that...

How to maximise points for your ophthalmology portfolio as a medical student

Ophthalmology is an extremely popular and competitive career option, with one of the highest competition ratios at ST1 level entry (10:1 in 2023) [1]. It is also a highly rewarding speciality, involving: a mixture of medicine and surgery in a...