Ileana Anika Domondon
Ophthalmology is a wonderful specialty that offers a balance of both surgical and medical practice hence its popularity among junior doctors. The competition ratio has been increasing yearly with the 2024 ratio being 1:14.41 (96 posts for 1383 applicants), but not everyone will have a tailored ophthalmology portfolio (1). Thus, this should not deter you if you are passionate about ophthalmology. Listed below are courses that will help improve your knowledge and skills as a budding ophthalmologist. Most of the courses included may even give you points for your portfolio!
This one-day course delivered by the Royal College of Ophthalmology allows medical students and junior doctors to develop basic microsurgical skills for ophthalmic surgery. You will also have a pre-course e-learning to supplement learning on the day itself. During my time, attendees were also taught and given 15 minutes to use the EyeSi simulator which helped with my future EyeSi sessions. This is a very popular course that sells out either on the day of release or the day after. A tip would be to e-mail RCOpth and ask to be included in the waitlist (2).
Portfolio point: 1
Price: £355
This is a two-day practical course in Edinburgh for junior doctors who want to learn basic ophthalmological skills. The previous course content included the following topics: basic clinical anatomy, slit lamp basics, pupil examination, visual fields, applanation tonometry, fundoscopy, corneal foreign bodies, use of eye drops, red eye, loss of vision, paediatric ophthalmological emergencies and OST application advice. This course is usually held every October/November with 20 slots but has been canceled for this year due to renovations in the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion. It is aiming to resume next year (3).
Portfolio point: *1 (previous applicants who have taken this course were awarded 1 point in discretionary evidence of the commitment to specialty domain)
Price: £400
This is a five-day in-person course organized by the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology open to both students and junior doctors who want to pursue a career in ophthalmology. The summer school includes lectures about the basics of ophthalmology, practical skill sessions, an introduction to ophthalmology research, an opportunity to present a poster, and to network with Consultants from Moorfields. This is a sought-after course attended by students and doctors from all over the world with approximately 60 slots. The 2024 summer school that was intended for July did not push through and they are aiming to resume in 2025 (4).
Portfolio point: *1 (previous applicants who have taken this course were awarded 1 point in discretionary evidence of the commitment to specialty domain)
Price: £500
This is an online short course delivered by LSHTM for those working in the field of ophthalmology to help attendees develop programmes in the community to decrease vision impairment. This year it will be held from Nov 11-14, 2024 with the deadline to register on October 10, 2024 (5).
Portfolio point: *1 (previous applicants who have taken this course were awarded 1 point in discretionary evidence of the commitment to specialty domain)
Price: £300
- Moorfields Education Courses
This is a half-day in-person course to build A&E eye care skills taught by Moorfields consultants, fellows, or trainees intended for students or junior doctors. Topics include lateral canthotomy & cantholysis, tap and inject, corneal glue, corneal scrape, removal of corneal foreign body, managing chemical injuries, and corneal impression membrane cytology. It runs a few times every year, with the next course in the first quarter of 2025 (6).
Portfolio point: Possible (discretionary evidence section)
Price: £250
This is a whole-day in-person course intended for ophthalmic practitioners and those interested in ophthalmology to improve their knowledge and skills in “triaging, assessment and management of emergency eye conditions”. I personally attended this course and enjoyed the mix of lectures and practical skills sessions throughout the day. The next course will be on March 1, 2025 (7).
Portfolio point: Possible (discretionary evidence section)
Price: £420
- International Courses by Ivy League Institutions
If you want to learn from Ivy League institutions and budget is not an issue, Harvard and Stanford offer ophthalmology courses.
This is a 1-month live online course with on-demand access (for a selected time) that covers essential topics for young ophthalmologists including anatomy, cataract, cornea, glaucoma, neuro-ophthalmology, optics, pathology, paediatrics, oculoplastics, and retina. You will also have access to the PDF slides of the different lectures. This is a popular course that usually attracts trainees or those interested in ophthalmology from all over the world. The course this year was held from July to August (8).
Portfolio point: Possible (discretionary evidence section)
Price: 1250 USD
This is a 1-month in-person course delivered by Stanford Medicine Department of Ophthalmology to teach the fundamentals of ophthalmology and research. Lecture sessions usually last the whole day and there are also laboratory sessions available. This year, the course was held from June to July 2024. It is an expensive course but they also offer scholarships (9). If you have a generous budget, and want to learn and go on holiday in California, this might be for you.
Portfolio point: Possible (discretionary evidence section)
Price: 3760 USD
The UCL Institute of Ophthalmology offers online CPD short courses that you can take such as the Introduction to Clinical Ophthalmology (£650). This course is not running at the moment but you may e-mail [email protected] to inquire when the next course will be. You may also look for other local or regional by asking your local eye department (10).
Portfolio point: Possible (discretionary evidence section)
Price: Variable
*The portfolio points allocation is based on the 2023/2024 evidence folder and the previous experience of other candidates. Taking courses may give you portfolio points but it will depend on the updated portfolio guidance. If you are aiming to score points in the “discretionary evidence” part, this will ultimately depend on the assessor.
From a learning point of view, all these courses benefit doctors interested in ophthalmology.
References:
- https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/competition-ratios/2024-competition-ratios
- https://www.rcophth.ac.uk/training/simulation/skills-courses/
- https://edinburgh-focus.com
- https://checkout.moorfields.nhs.uk/product?catalog=Ophthalmology-Summer-School
- https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/study/courses/short-courses/eye-health
- https://checkout.moorfields.nhs.uk/product?catalog=AandE-Clinical-Skills-Lab
- https://checkout.moorfields.nhs.uk/product?catalog=Ophthalmic-Emergency-Study-Day
- https://lancastercourse.com
- https://mybaoc.com/course-and-schedule/
- https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioo/online-cpd-short-courses