Undergraduate

Small groups of UCT fifth year medical students rotate through two-weekly specialist surgery blocks during their undergraduate surgical training. The Ophthalmology Division forms part of this. The course code for this block is CHM5008W.

Ophthalmology is a subspecialty where most diagnoses are made by means of direct visualization. Pattern recognition and discrimination between what is considered normal or abnormal are therefore important skills to acquire.

During their block they learn how to diagnose and manage common primary care eye conditions, learn how to recognise and initiate the treatment of emergencies and when to refer patients requiring tertiary care.

Course content is provided by blended online lecture material and students attend outpatient sessions where they practice examination skills on patients and adopt a problem-orientated approach. The majority of their sessions are facilitated by dedicated Ophthalmology Consultants.

At the end of their two-week block they have three assessments, an online multiple choice exam, an online OSCE exam and a clinical portfolio exam of the cases they have clerked.

Most students find the block useful and interesting. Ample time is allocated for self-regulated learning. The course material is blended and clinical exposure is interactive. The clinical facilitators help students gain the necessary skills to become safe primary care practitioners and we hope they enjoy the block and Ophthalmology as much as we do.