Eye (Opthamology) for the NUS Medical Student

Eye (Opthamology) for Medical Students

Overview	Textbooks and References	Ten-year series, OSCEs, Tests
Introduction Syllabus Timetable Examination	Textbooks Booklist Online references Links and Directories NUH Opthamology Department [Uninformative] Singapore National Eye Center (SNEC) Success in MRCOphth	Past Year Questions End of posting 98/99 Online Quizes OSCEs/short cases - 10 Retinal/Fundal photos - 30 OSCEs
		Contributors:

Anaesthesia

Anatomy

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Introduction

Category of subject: Clinical - short posting
Duration of posting: 3 weeks, end of 3rd/beginning of 4th year
Final examination: None. End of posting test only.
Comments:
  A "short" posting with the likes of ENT/Anesthesia, the posting provides more of a taste of the range of opthalmological work rather than a true training experience. Time is spent ranging from standard tutorials in NUH/SNEC to the repetitive click-click-click of the laser PanRetinalPhotocoagualtion to the LASIK operating suite or paeds opthalmo clinics and even visiting Prof Arthur Lim's clinic & OT in Gleneagles.
  Although the time spent is too short to acquire any specialized knowledge, you should at least see the basics of diabetic and hypertensive retinopathy, and acquire a theoretical knowledge of other common eye conditions. This is also the only time (short of being an Eye MO) to acquire practical knowledge of common procedures like patching, PRP and LASIK, which your patients will ask you in future. Just see it once, and you'll remember it for life - if you don't see it, you never be able to imagine it.
  The end of posting test for me consisted of squeezing into this small room in the NUS office, and doing 10 OSCEs. The marks go into this tiny (Read: insignificant) percentage of your surgical paper, if I'm not wrong. In the final MBBS, I think there are a couple of MCQs under Surgery, and maybe rarely an OSCE, but never a short case or essay.

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Syllabus

Official syllabus available?: No

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Timetable

Schedule:
2 CGs do each short posting together. 1 goes to NUH, the other to SNEC (at SGH). (in 1999/00)
Teaching methods:
I went through SNEC, and the day begins with a 1-2 hour lecture-tutorial (free coffee included).
After that, you are rostered to the clinics, or various procedure rooms such as laser PRP, orthoptist(eye movements), LASIK, OTs and so on.
There's a fair amount of idle time - what you want to do with it is up to you.
I think there was a project/presentation, which they give you time to go to the library for. Mine was Drugs and the Eye or Ocular trauma or something.

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Examinations

Breakdown of marks
- Unknown.
- Probably < 1% of the overall MBBS Surgical paper.
Final exam
- Nil, except as a few MCQs and maybe 1 OSCE in the surgical paper.

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Booklist

Primary textbook (choose 1)
- Colour Atlas of Ophthalmology (Arthur Lim)(3ed) - He used to give this out free to everyone, but it's more an atlas than a textbook.
- ABC of Eyes (PT KHaw) - Fewer pictures and more text, in a problem-orientated approach.
- Opthalmology: an illustrated colour text (M Batterbury) - Much like ABC of Eyes.
Reference text
- No need
Other must-have stuff
- They have lots of nice brochures for laymen, but with a lot of hidden medical gems you must know.
Nice-to-have stuff
- Nil
Revision guides & MCQs
- Nil
Book review sites
- Nil

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Past year questions

End of posting test 1998/9
1)Conjunctivitis does NOT present with loss of visual acuity
   If this is present, another cause must be sought
2)Prescribing topical analgesics (eg proparacaine) for prolonged periods is very BAD practice.
   Know the complications that can result
3)So is the use of steroids for prolonged periods or when they are not indicated
4)A cranical 3rd nerve palsy with a DILATED pupil is a surgical EMERGENCY
   The commonest cause in a young patient is an aneurysm, and an MRAngiogram is indicated
5)All isolated 6th nerve palsies must be referred to ENT.
   (Especially if epistaxis and conduction deafness is present).This is because the commonest cause is NPC.
6)Herpes zoster involving the nasal labial fold or the nose tip MUST be referred to opthalmologists.
   This is because the nasociliary nerve is involved, and there is a high chance of a corneal ulcer.

Interesting slides
Herpes Simplex

Know signs/symptoms

Know tests
Proptosis

Know common causes

Know why blindness can result
Bacterial ulcer

Know complications
Ptosis in young child

Know causes

Know indications for surgery
Diabetes

Know grades & types

Know treatment
CRVO

Be able to recognise

Know complications

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