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Obviously, knowing how to use the slit lamp and phoropter is key to being successful on your rotation. What other ophtho-related skills should students acquire before they start?
Recomended skills to know before starting ophtho rotation?
- Thread starter Hemichordate
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Be enthusiastic and accept you don't know that much about ophtho so you don't come across the wrong way. Focus on learning the ocular exam and presenting in a succinct manner. I think residents and attendings get annoyed by med students who think they know everything. Review an atlas like Kanski and be present for conferences and didactic lectures. Med student ophtho rotations are more like observerships than other rotations. Ask someone to show you the steps they take when they examine a patient with the biomicroscope and indirect. That type of teaching will go a long way and being able to present a patient ophtho style will impress attendings.
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How do you learn how to use the slit lamp before you do a rotation?
The phoropter was not something I saw as important.
It's good to know how to use a 20 with an indirect, but again how will you learn before you start the rotation?
The only way I can think of that you could show up and know how to use those things are maybe shadowing a private practice retina doc beforehand... But maybe you have a plan for how to get good beforehand?
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The phoropter was not something I saw as important.
It's good to know how to use a 20 with an indirect, but again how will you learn before you start the rotation?
The only way I can think of that you could show up and know how to use those things are maybe shadowing a private practice retina doc beforehand... But maybe you have a plan for how to get good beforehand?
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Well shadowing would be my best bet, but again, you don't get many opportunities to work up patients during shadowing. I'm just trying to figure out how students get the most out of their rotations if they lack most of the basic skills and have to spend several days to weeks picking it up. How long does it usually take new residents to learn all the steps?
And RestoreSight, thanks for that response. I'll keep that in mind.
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No one is going to expect that you know how to use a slit lamp. It takes several months to master it's use. I'm consistently surprised at how different attendings examine a patient. There are a myriad of different techniques and lenses to choose from. Mastering the indirect examination takes even longer. The best way to learn is to ask senior residents to show you their method. It's a compliment to their training and it will teach you a lot more.
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Nothing. My first day on rotation, I didn't even know how to turn the slit lamp on. Exam skills will come naturally with time. Personality, work ethic, and not being an annoyance will serve you very well.
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Agreed. Every program/ school is different and has different expectations of you as a rotating student. Some places will let you work up a patient, most places won't unless you're alone with the residents and they are being cool with you or have the time.
Like everyone else said, be enthusiastic, offer to present topics that are reviewed at the end of the day/throughout the day and let people show you how to do parts of the exam or show you findings. Don't piss people off
I personally found knowing eye and orbital anatomy in fair detail was quite helpful. I doubt it is a requirement, I just had an interest in it. But at least having the correct terminology for different things helps alot.
I think it's mostly like any other rotation where you read about what you saw that day and more. Be keen. Don't look bored. Clearly you won't be using slit lamps and stuff right off the bat but I found it useful to at least have an idea what you are trying to see with a slit lamp.
I think it's mostly like any other rotation where you read about what you saw that day and more. Be keen. Don't look bored. Clearly you won't be using slit lamps and stuff right off the bat but I found it useful to at least have an idea what you are trying to see with a slit lamp.
