Exam Awkward Moments?

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thecgrblue

Enjoyin' the journey
15+ Year Member
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Sitting in class, bored...I was thinking about this. During direct ophthalmoscopy do you get some awkward moments. I haven't started learning it, but am pretty curious about something...

My right eye isn't the greatest, even with correction, and I prefer using my left. Now, I would have no problem using my left eye to look into their left eye, but to look into a right eye using my left...I don't want to be giving grandma the idea I'm trying to sneak a kiss. 😍

Obviously I don't know the techniques, do you switch your eyes that you're looking with? IN THAT CASE...how the heck am I going to learn close my right eye, hahah. I can wink my left, but not my right. I think my eyes aren't designed to be an optometrist
 
Unless your an amblyope, you should be using R on R, L on L. You'll be able to do it with or without closing the off-eye eventually.

More than likely, you'll rarely find yourself using a direct during a normal exam, it will be BIO and a condensing lens at the slit lamp in most cases.

In my 3rd year, I did have a flirty teenager tilt her head, close her eyes, & open her mouth when I came in to do direct!
"Um, that's not going to happen, so open your eyes."😱
 
unless your an amblyope, you should be using r on r, l on l. You'll be able to do it with or without closing the off-eye eventually.

More than likely, you'll rarely find yourself using a direct during a normal exam, it will be bio and a condensing lens at the slit lamp in most cases.

in my 3rd year, i did have a flirty teenager tilt her head, close her eyes, & open her mouth when i came in to do direct!
"um, that's not going to happen, so open your eyes."😱

classic!
 
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Wow, that is quite a story!

I haven't had any awkward moments stemming from doing direct ophthalmoscopy. But one awkward moment that comes to mind is when a patient asked me if my boobs got bigger when I was pregnant. It was a woman, at least. I guess it would have been more awkward had it been a man. But still, she was old enough to know better than to ask random people stuff like that. =P

Other awkward moments were just when patients have interesting ideas about things...things that kind of leave me speechless. But nothing really personal. I had one guy that kept telling sexual and racist jokes. I kinda wanted to ask him to leave, but he didn't really crank up the offensiveness until I was almost finished anyway.
 
I rarely do direct ophthalmoscopy anymore but I do remember this one patient just laughing uncontrollably every time I got near her. It was pretty funny.

If you have not seen Brian Regan's comedy piece on this part of the exam you should YouTube it. It is HILARIOUS! I just saw him live last weekend and he was great.