Ahmed Alahmad
Set your goals and objectives
Doing an ophthalmology rotation can teach you to diagnose and manage common eye conditions, perform key examinations, and observe surgical procedures such as cataract removal. It will also provide you with the opportunity to gain insight into the clinical work environment, exploring its benefits and challenges. You can participate in audits and research that can be supported and/or published by high-profile companies. For instance, during my medical school, I did an audit in my hospital where we ended up testing the clinical outcome of an anti-VEGF injection. A Roche representative assisted us by providing all the information we enquired. If your hospital has an EyeSi simulator, make sure to use it during your rotation. You can easily do 8 hours, which provides you with two valuable points in the OST application (1,2). Your consultants may encourage you to attend national conferences, which are a valuable learning experience. It can also provide you with the opportunity to submit and present your work to large audiences. All in all, there are a lot of opportunities and work that can be done during your rotation. Having a clear idea of what you want to achieve will assist you in participating in the right opportunities and provide you with a satisfactory experience. I recommend reading the latest OST evidence folder and matching some of your goals with its content. Research shows that clearly defined learning outcomes in ophthalmology rotations improve student confidence and knowledge acquisition (3,4).
Research the department
It is as simple as googling the department and viewing their website. You can find out the treatments/services they provide. Learn about the ophthalmologists working at the hospital and their professional backgrounds. Try to find their emails and get in touch early. This will show eagerness and dedication, which will leave a good impression, and hence, they will be willing to support you even more! Faculty emphasise that departmental support and early engagement strongly benefit students (5).
Prepare in advance
Revise your basic eye anatomy. Read about common eye conditions. Practice performing eye exams on your friends and family, and learn how to use a fundoscope. Eye Guru and the Wills Eye Manual are two useful resources I highly recommend for revision. They have interactive models/ clinical photos that can be quite useful in developing your knowledge. On a practical level, bring a penlight for pupil examinations and keep a notebook to record interesting cases or surgical observations. Download the Eye handbook app as it contains good images, guidelines and useful charts that can be used when assessing patients in clinical settings (6,7).
Understand your role and expectations
Expectations will differ between medical students and resident doctors. Medical students are primarily expected to observe, learn, and practice fundamental skills, while residents are expected to understand departmental workflows and the roles of different team members, including nurses, optometrists, and ophthalmic photographers. Recognising and appreciating these roles will enhance your understanding of patient care. For example, spending time with optometrists can be particularly beneficial in developing your refraction skills and preparation for the refraction exam (5).
First impressions last!
Professionalism and attitude are critical. Keep an open body language, introduce yourself to the team and wear appropriate clothing. A proactive and approachable demeanour will lead to more opportunities during the placement and may also help you establish valuable professional relationships and friendships that extend beyond the rotation. Professional behaviour has been consistently identified as central to student success in clinical placements (10–12).
References
- Wisse RP, Muijzer MB, Van der Veen RL, Saeed HN, Van den Berg TJ. The Eyesi ophthalmic surgical simulator in training ophthalmology residents. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2022;260(6):1817–25.
- Solverson DJ, Mazzoli RA, Raymond WR, Nelson ML, Hansen EA, Torres MF, Bhandari A, Hartranft CD. Virtual reality simulation in acquiring and differentiating basic ophthalmic microsurgical skills. Simul Healthc. 2009 Summer;4(2):98-103. doi: 10.1097/SIH.0b013e318195419e. PMID: 19444047.
- Faneli AC, Ceyhan D, Shenoy AM, et al. Evaluating undergraduate learning in an ophthalmology rotation. Med Educ Online. 2024;29(1):11617337.
- Graubart EB, Waxman EL, Forster SH, et al. Revisiting what every graduating medical student should know: Ophthalmology objectives for medical students. Ophthalmology. 2018;125(12):1842–4.
- Shinbashi M, Sun JK, et al. Ophthalmology educators’ perspectives on supporting medical students in ophthalmology. J Acad Ophthalmol. 2025;17(1):43–51.
- Lord K, Shah VA, Mahr MA. The Eye Handbook: A mobile app in ophthalmic medicine. J Mob Technol Med. 2018;7(1):47–50.
- Yang M, Tittler EH, Parke DW. Smartphone apps every ophthalmologist should know about. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2020;68(6):1194–200.
- Tran JH, Petroni GJ, et al. Pilot of a case-based learning ophthalmology tool. BMC Med Educ. 2023;23:445.
- Syauqie M, Hendriati E. Improving undergraduate ophthalmology education during COVID-19: Video-assisted online learning. Biomed J Sci Tech Res. 2021;34(2):26445–50.
- Sullivan E, Dandavino M, et al. Raising professionalism concerns as a medical student. BMC Med Educ. 2024;24:10905891.
- Reimer D, Russell R, Ben Khallouq B, et al. Pre-clerkship medical students’ perceptions of medical professionalism. BMC Med Educ. 2019;19:380.
- O’Doherty D, O’Connor T, et al. Medical students and clinical placements: Professionalism and feedback. Clin Teach. 2021;18(3):239–44.
Great article, really helped me feel more prepared for my upcoming ophthalmology rotation as a medical student. The advice on reviewing anatomy, using resources like EyeGuru, and reaching out to the team ahead of time was super practical. I also appreciated the reminder to focus on professionalism and being proactive. Definitely going in with more confidence now! Thanks!
This article really helped me enter my ophthalmology rotation more organized and confident. It made me pause and actually prepare, I reviewed eye anatomy and practiced basic exams ahead of time, which made the first few clinic days less daunting. It also reminded me how vital professionalism and a proactive attitude are, so I made sure to introduce myself, ask useful questions, and show interest. Researching the department beforehand meant I could engage more meaningfully with attendings, not just observe. Overall, I feel it turned what could’ve been a passive experience into a more purposeful learning journey.
As a medical student preparing for my ophthalmology rotation, this article was incredibly helpful. It gave me a clear idea of what to expect and how to make the most of my time in the department. The practical tips, like using the EyeSi simulator and reaching out to consultants early, really boosted my confidence. I also appreciated the emphasis on professionalism and goal setting—it motivated me to take a more proactive approach. Overall, this guide made me feel much more prepared and focused going into the rotation.
I found your article really helpful before starting my ophthalmology rotation. It gave me a much clearer idea of what to expect and how to make the most out of the placement. I especially liked how you broke everything down into practical steps—like revising anatomy beforehand, using resources like Eye Guru, and even simple things like bringing a pen torch. The bit about researching the department and getting in touch early was something I wouldn’t have thought of, but it made a big difference. It also reminded me how important attitude and professionalism are in making a good impression. Overall, your advice made me feel much more prepared and confident going into the rotation, and I definitely got more out of it because of that.