Vision has a great impact on the quality of life, and thus the teaching of ophthalmology is an integral part of the medical curriculum. It is important for all medical practitioners to develop a basic understanding of the major blinding diseases as well as the ophthalmic manifestations of systemic diseases including medical, metabolic and neurological diseases.

The Department of Ophthalmology is responsible for teaching medical students from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. Our goal in the NUS Undergraduate Ophthalmology Curriculum is to provide a solid foundation in ophthalmology to the students. The knowledge gained during the curriculum will allow the students to take an appropriate ophthalmic history and perform an accurate primary care ophthalmic examination. Each student will gain the ability to diagnose and appropriately manage emergency and common ophthalmic conditions, as well as to properly triage other ocular diseases. The Department organizes and conducts the main systemic clinical posting in Ophthalmology for the 4th year medical students. The students attend lectures, bedside tutorials, and clinical and OT observation. The Department also coordinates the teaching and supervision of these students at all the major restructured hospitals in Singapore. In addition, the academic staff is also actively involved in teaching basic clinical skills, including Fundoscopy skills to pre-clinical students 2nd year.

Syllabus & Programmes

Following topics are covered for the Undergraduates:

Basic Ophthalmic Examination

It involves a one-hour lecture and practical demonstration designed to introduce students to the clinical skills necessary to perform a basic ophthalmic examination, including assessment of visual acuity, pupil examination, visual field examination by confrontation, assessment of ocular motility, slit-lamp examination and use of the direct ophthalmoscope.

1. Acute Visual Loss
2. Chronic Visual Loss
3. Approach to the Red Eye
4. Paediatric Ophthalmology and strabismus
5. Ocular Manifestations of Systemic Diseases
6. Neuro-Ophthalmology
7. Ocular Trauma

Recommended Readings

1. Color Atlas of Ophthalmology By Arthur Lim SM and Ian J Constable
2. Basic Ophthalmology By Cynthia A Bradford
3. Ophthalmology at a Glance By Jane Olver and Lorraine Cassidy
4. Field Guide to the Eyes By Jonathan D Trobe and Richard E Hackel
5. ABCs of Ophthalmology
6. Clinical ophthalmology. Kanski
7. General Ophthalmology by Vaughan, Asbury and Riordan-Eva
8. Ophthalmology – Just the facts. Lowenstein