SOS TRAINING

This is the UCT-CEHI Training portal that provides information about training programmes offered by the University of Cape Town's Community Eye Health Institute. The site allows for online application for some of the courses offered.

UCT-CEHI offers three streams of training programmes:

The Postgraduate studies in Community Eye Health, i.e., the Postgraduate Diploma in Community Eye Health (PgDCEH) and the Master of Public Health - Community Eye Health track (MPHCEH).

The PgDCEH is offered over one year, in blended mode (seven weeks contact and the rest of the year in online and distant modes) from February to November every year.

The MPHCEH is comprised of 10 semester courses plus a minor dissertation. The coursework could be completed during the first year, and the dissertation the following year.

The "Strengthening Public Health Services" portfolio of courses aimed to provide management training for health programmes. There are 5 courses: Community Eye Health (CEH), Advocacy and Health promotion (AHP), Leadership and Management (LAM), Project Management Essentials (PME) and Developing Action Plans (DAP). All five courses are offered as 5-day contact workshops. For most recent information updates, please read the SPHS Training section below.
The Simulation Ophthalmic Surgery (SOS) Training programme aims to provides eye surgical skills to perform cataract, glaucoma and retinal surgery. The provisional course dates can be seen in the Announcements menu. From February 2023, the training is enhanced through the availability of the EyeSI eye surgical simulator. For most recent information updates, please read the SOS Training section below.

To obtain further information, please follow this link: http://www.cehi.uct.ac.za/cehi/education/overview or contact the SOS Training programme coordinator at chervon.vanderross@uct.ac.za.

To apply for any of the courses please email Community Eye Health <cehi@uct.ac.za>

Note: to apply for PgDCEH and MPHCEH, you should follow this link: https://uct.ac.za/students/applications-apply-undergraduate-qualifications/application-procedure.

What are the costs involved?

In addition to the course fee (stated above), the participant’s flights to and from Cape Town and accommodation and meals (approximately $150 per day) should be budgeted for.

How can a place on the course be secured?

Send an email to chervon.vanderross@uct.ac.za who will invite you to submit an online application on our Vula Training 2023 page at least four weeks before the start of the training. Considerations must be made for time required for travel and / or processing of visas, where applicable.

Introduction to Pars Plana Vitrectomy (PPV) - simulation training course

This course is aimed at intermediate to senior registrars who may have had limited exposure to retinal surgery. It is designed to introduce the trainee to principles of retinal surgery and provide a foundational understanding of pars plana vitrectomy. It will teach competence in trocar insertion, the use of microscope viewing systems, indentation techniques, and the handling of retinal surgical instruments. You will have opportunity to work in the ‘environment’ of the indirect viewing system with both ‘dry’ and ‘wet’ model eyes and perform simulated vitrectomies using ‘egg-white’ filled eyes.

The course will explain general concepts and principles of various retinal procedures including, macular surgery, retinal detachment surgery, diabetic vitrectomy, and management of retained lens material after complicated cataract surgery.

You will have opportunity to use the Eyesi® simulator. This is a state-of-the-art virtual reality simulator designed to provide the trainee with a realistic intraocular surgical experience. It provides several practice tasks which teach instrument control and allows performance of simulated epiretinal membrane peel, ILM peel and retinal detachment repair.

This course provides a foundation for understanding the basics of retinal surgery, but it is important to note that it alone will not provide the skills necessary to manage the challenges and complications that can arise during the procedure. To become a competent retinal surgeon, we recommend pursuing further training through a retinal fellowship position. Convened by Dr James Rice.

UCT-CEHI SOS Training Programme

The University of Cape Town’s Community Eye Health Institute (UCT-CEHI) will be offering the following simulated ophthalmic surgical courses

Title of Course	Duration
Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS)	3.0 days
Trabeculectomy (Trab)	1.5 days
Phacoemulsification Cataract Surgery (Phaco)	2.5 days
Basic MicroSurgery Techniques (BMS)	1.0 days

Who are the courses for?

The courses are for ophthalmologists, ophthalmology registrars and eye surgeons from low- and middle- income countries, for competency training or upskilling in the relevant surgical technique. Senior ophthalmic surgeons can also be trained as Trainer of Trainees.

Where / where are the courses taking place?

The courses take place at the UCT-CEHI Simulation Ophthalmology Surgery (SOS) Training Unit at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa. For information about course schedules, please follow this link: http://www.cehi.uct.ac.za/cehi/education/overview.

What is the structure of the courses?

These 2-4-day courses involve intense practical simulation-based surgical education with expert surgeon trainers, using high fidelity synthetic eyes. The courses are blended, with on-line study modules in the weeks beforehand. The surgical procedure is deconstructed to its component parts, and trainees build competency through sustained deliberate practice, feedback, reflective learning and real-time moderation during the training.