Uveitis Grading Scales
Introduction Three systems are commonly referenced when classifying and grading uveitis: · International Uveitis Study Group (ISUG) · National Eye Institute Scale (NEI) · Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature (SUN)
Ophthalmology Review
Latest posts
Thyroid Eye Disease
Thyroid eye disease (TED), also known as Graves ophthalmopathy or thyroid-associated orbitopathy, is an autoimmune inflammatory disorder of the orbit characterized by enlargement of extraocular muscles, expansion of orbital fat, and secondary effects on the eyelids, ocular surface, and optic nerve. (1, 2) Although most commonly associated with Graves disease, TED may also occur in euthyroid or…
Retinopathy of Prematurity (Coffee Table Book)
To help increase the amount of helpful study content on this site, I’ve partnered with some medical students from East Tennessee State University! They are being mentored by one of my former ophthalmology residents, Dr. Brent Aebi. The posts are primarily authored by the medical student, and reviewed/edited by myself and Dr. Aebi. This post and one-page coffee table book excerpt about Retinopathy…
HLA-B27 Anterior Uveitis
To help increase the amount of helpful study content on this site, I’ve partnered with some medical students from East Tennessee State University! They are being mentored by one of my former ophthalmology residents, Dr. Brent Aebi. The posts are primarily authored by the medical student, and reviewed/edited by myself and Dr. Aebi. This post about HLA-B27 anterior uveitis was written by Suzanna…
Corneal Iron Lines
To help increase the amount of helpful study content on this site, I’ve partnered with some medical students from East Tennessee State University! They are being mentored by one of my former ophthalmology residents, Dr. Brent Aebi. The posts are primarily authored by the medical student, and reviewed/edited by myself and Dr. Aebi. This post about corneal iron lines was written by Emily Rhoton, BS.
Diabetic Retinopathy (Coffee Table Book)
To help increase the amount of helpful study content on this site, I’ve partnered with some medical students from East Tennessee State University! They are being mentored by one of my former ophthalmology residents, Dr. Brent Aebi. The posts are primarily authored by the medical student, and reviewed/edited by myself and Dr. Aebi. This post and one-page coffee table book excerpt about Diabetic…
What Makes Something High-Yield?
As we enter review season for OKAP and board exams, I’ve been thinking about a term that we throw around a lot when we’re studying: “high yield.” I use it quite a bit when teaching residents, and include the term in many of the study resources I’ve created over the years. But “high yield” has different meanings for different people.
Venns Puzzle 1
Learning requires us to form robust connections between new information and existing information. I’ve been experimenting with ideas on how to test knowledge and conceptual understanding, and this is one of those ideas. Unlike a similar party game, in which you have a finite set of categories and the goal is to select two categories for a randomly chosen term, this game presents you with two…
Ophthalmology Learning Framework
I created a learning framework to give my residents a “birds-eye” view of how to view their ophthalmology education! Although there are many ways to organize and summarize this information, I believe there are essentially three main elements to ophthalmology education. This framework describes how each of those various elements factor into the learning process, and offers practical examples of how…
Recommended Diabetic Retinopathy Exam Schedule
The Preferred Practice Pattern guidelines for diabetic retinopathy have a really useful table that has helped me figure out the recommended follow-up schedule for patients with diabetic retinopathy. However, that table can sometimes be difficult to conceptualize, so as part of my quest to improve my design skills, I’ve segmented the follow-up periods over the course of a year and used some colors…
Papilledema (Coffee Table Book Page)
I’ve been learning more about graphic design as I hope to improve my abilities to communicate and teach. One of my self-assigned “homework” assignments was to imagine a textbook designed as a “coffee table” book. You can download this page as a PDF for free below! If you’d like me to make more documents like this, send me an e-mail or reach out to me on social media! Download PDF
Free Webinar: Effective Study Strategies For Ophthalmology Residency
Last month, I presented a webinar through the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) on effective study strategies for ophthalmology residency! The recording is available on the AAO website. Check it out! Free Webinar (AAO)
OKAP Review Calendar
The OKAP is coming up soon! Here’s a free study calendar that covers most of the major topics in ophthalmology. Free Review Calendar
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…
Daily Study Calendar
Among the many crazy ideas and projects I have bouncing around in my head, I’ve wanted to develop a daily study calendar. I’ve received a lot of feedback over the years that some of the major challenges to learning ophthalmology include the overwhelming volume and the lack of overall structure in how to study the material comprehensively. Bhullar and Venkateswaran argue this in a 2022 review…
Binocular (Fusion) Eye Movements
Binocular (fusion) eye movements are synchronized eye movements that help maintain a clear and steady single image despite having two eyes, 12 extraocular motility muscles, and six cranial nerves controlling everything. My residents often consider binocular eye movement-related problems and understanding the systems governing fusion as some of the more challenging problems encountered in…
Community Preview!
We’ve had a great first month in the Ophthalmology Review Community! The How To Learn Ophthalmology course has launched, and all 24 lessons are ready! I still have some videos to edit/upload, but the transcripts are available for viewing. We had an awesome live session learning how to learn concepts from the BCSC Fundamentals textbook and answered some great questions - it’s inspired this month’s…
Join The Community!
I’ve received feedback from many people wanting me to put more time and energy into my review resources- but I’ve had a couple of things hold me back: Creating helpful tools is really time-consuming! Any of my more heavily-researched articles or videos may take 15-20 hours to put together. Even shorter pieces and picmonics may take me an hour or so to make. The study guides I have on the site take…
Newest BCSC Edition Is Out!
I was able to get a copy of the latest BCSC edition (2022-2023)! Thanks to the AAO and the privilege of serving on the Practicing Ophthalmologists Advisory Committee for Education! I’ll be going through each book and providing some commentary.
Glaucoma Study Guide
It’s finally here! I just finished up the Glaucoma study guide. In addition to an organized way of learning about all of the various types of glaucoma, I’ve included mnemonics, lists, and summaries of major glaucoma studies. Check it out! Free Sample Glaucoma Study Guide