The OKAP is coming up soon! Here’s a free study calendar that covers most of the major topics in ophthalmology.
Integrative Reviewing And Some Other Review Ideas
As we get close to another cycle of exams, deciding on how and what to review can be more challenging than the effort of reviewing.
Realistically, there is no feasible way to cram the whole of ophthalmic knowledge in the next 1-3 months to perform well on an exam. Hopefully this time is spent reviewing and solidifying knowledge we’ve accumulated previously, and not attempting to learn concepts for the first time!
So as you gear up for this next cycle of studying, here are a few ideas on how to review:
Study Methods Preferred By Ophthalmology Learners
Background
There are a wide variety of options for learning ophthalmology now. There are more textbooks and review books available now than ever before; podcasts, YouTube channels, and many other forms of media also provide new streams of innovative content.
Over the last 6-7 years since I started Ophthalmology Review, I’ve enjoyed trying different methods of developing useful content - from directly translating my notes from residency, to creating tables and picmonics, writing review articles, etc. - I’m constantly thinking of how to teach the incredible field of ophthalmology.
However, sometimes it’s hard to know exactly what people find most useful, and what may be helpful for one person may not be for another. So in my continuous search for content ideas, I wanted to know what study tools the readers of this website find most helpful.
Ophthalmology Study Topic Checklist
Check out a new resource I’ve created - a checklist that covers over 3000+ topics in ophthalmology, with page references from the latest editions of the Basic and Clinical Science Course, Review of Ophthalmology, and Kanski’s Clinical Ophthalmology! If you’re having a hard time getting started with learning/studying ophthalmology or want a handy way of making sure you’ve covered the high-yield topics in ophthalmology, this tool may be really helpful!
Book Review: Review of Ophthalmology, 3rd Ed
As you’re looking at various textbooks and resources to help you review for ophthalmology exams, Review of Ophthalmology by Drs. Friedman, Kaiser, and Trattler is a great option.
Random Topic Generator
I’m happy to announce that I’ve completed a random topic generator that covers all of the various topics discussed in the AAO’s Basic and Clinical Science Course textbooks (excluding the General Medicine volume). It’s been a while since I’ve coded to this extent so this version is very basic - I’ve included all topics listed in the BCSC (including references such as glossaries and procedure instructions), and I haven’t assigned any priorities to certain topics, which means that there is theoretically an equal chance of getting keratoconus as there is getting molecular genetics testing modalities.
Eventually I’d like to prioritize topics to a certain degree, which may also take into account stage of training (a first-year resident may need to review anatomy a lot more than a recent graduate) as well as type of knowledge (how to perform surgery is probably learned hands-on rather than from a textbook).
I’m working closely with the AAO on projects similar to this, and so eventually this project may be added to one of the resources the Academy offers. Stay tuned for more developments!
If I Had To Learn Ophthalmology From The Beginning Again...
I would start with a topic outline
I would create a realistic study schedule flexible enough to allow for adjustments
I would study several subjects at once instead of focusing on one topic at a time
I would utilize practice questions to test my previous knowledge and highlight areas of focus
I would utilize mnemonics and other memory tools to help remember details better
I would read, create, and review in short bursts instead of cramming in long sessions
I would devise quick reviews throughout the workday instead of trying to do it all at the end of the day
I would set aside time at the end of each day to reflect on the patients I saw to consider useful learning points and areas of study
I would use textbooks as references for study instead of reading them over and over again
I would create useful flashcards to review throughout the day
I would gamify my learning to celebrate incremental gains in knowledge
(originally posted by me on Twitter)
4 Tips to Prep for OKAP with the BCSC
I wrote a test-prep article for the AAO for their YO (young ophthalmologists) column last year discussing some ways to prepare for the OKAP using the BCSC textbooks. As you’re looking for different resources to study for your exams, these tips may be helpful!
Mini-Atlas
I’m working on some review courses that may be helpful in your studies! One of the things I think is critical for learning and reviewing ophthalmology is having ample amounts of images that can help solidify your pattern-recognition, since ophthalmology is a very visually-oriented specialty (no pun intended).
So as part of my work on creating the course, I am curating as many freely-available images as I can find. While some are completely free to use, other images are free to use for educational purposes (via Creative Commons licenses and the like).
You can find the images here. While it’s not meant to become an atlas like some other great sites out there, hopefully it can serve as yet another resource for finding high-quality images for various diseases you’re trying to look up.
It’s been a very slow process, but I plan to add more links and images as I go. If there’s a topic you’d like me to focus on, let me know in the comments section or contact me!
Studying After Failing A Test
I’ve been humbled by the many people who have had the courage to contact me over the past few years to ask my advice on preparing for various exams. I don’t claim to be an expert at the various exams, but I do want to help my fellow colleagues succeed in any way possible, and if this website helps more people fare better on their tests and also become better ophthalmologists, that’s great.
Glaucoma Genetics
Most Commons: General Ocular Disease And Trauma
Last Minute OKAP Review
One of the things I want to do on this site is to provide more finished "products" for you, in addition to the subject/literature reviews, test preparation and study ideas, and book reviews. These will hopefully include charts, outlines, and other media that will help augment your studies. I am working on several book-length projects for the site as well, including a mnemonics-style cheat book and a "textbook" of ophthalmology, with the goal of bridging the gap between the traditional high-academic works of the highly reputable textbooks and shorter-length review books. Since those books are going to take me a considerable time to write and prepare (probably several years at the rate I'm going now), I plan to publish those for sale. However, I still want to make the bulk of the content free, so the articles won't be hidden behind a paywall.
Phakomatoses: Overview
Phakomatoses are a multidisciplinary category of systemic diseases that is often tested for a multitude of reasons. Although the incidence of these conditions is fairly low (though chances are you will see at least 1 case of many of these conditions), there are many ocular findings that need to be considered.
I've been debating how to organize this information in a useful manner for review for quite some time. The subject material is pretty massive, and each condition could easily take several articles (and probably eventually will). But I wanted to make sure there was a useful review out there on this subject before the written board exam, in case the test covers one of these conditions.
Conditions With Increased Risk Of Glaucoma
This review is somewhat multi-disciplinary in nature. As you wrap up your reviews, one of the things I found useful was to create tons of different lists. Regardless of which test you're studying for, there are many questions that are organized differently than how one might go about learning a particular disease. As such, I started making lists of different ways to group otherwise disparate diseases that might show up as a test question, or at least help me remember a specific feature of the disease.
Follicular Conjunctivitis
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
In light of the Centers for Disease Control's very broad statements about alcohol use in women, perhaps this topic is somewhat appropriate. Like I alluded to in the OKAP review article on embryology, there are many ocular findings associated with fetal alcohol syndrome, which are important to know, both for clinical recognition, and also for ongoing monitoring. For further reference, the CDC has a pretty useful web portal on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
Causes of Symblepharon
Embryologic Development Of The Eye
Truth be told, there is not very much detail that needs to be learned about embryology; after all, we've already learned embryology in medical school. At the same time, there are some key embryology concepts that are very helpful to understanding ocular disease, and may also show up on test questions. There usually seems to be at least one question that addresses embryology, and there are tons of practice questions that test your knowledge of embryology.
Congenital Optic Disc Anomalies
Funny-looking optic discs are a "fun" diversion in an ophthalmology clinic (sarcasm implied here). What was initially a routine exam immediately turns into an agonizing "is this normal or not" exercise. Part of the angst that comes from seeing anomalous optic discs is that some of the congenital disc anomalies are associated with systemic diseases. If there is concurrent visual field loss or decreased visual acuity, the challenge becomes deciding if those defects in the visual system are due to the anomalous nerve, or if there is some other ophthalmic cause that we don't want to miss.