Comment on: 'Direct ophthalmoscopy should be taught to undergraduate medical students'

Sharpening the focus on ophthalmology teaching: perceptions of medical students and junior medical officers

“…While technological advances in nonmydriatic fundus photography and smartphone technologies, such as PEEK and iExaminer, could potentially replace traditional direct ophthalmoscopy in the future as a more accurate and reliable method for non‐ophthalmologists to detect ocular fundus pathology, these technologies have very limited accessibility in hospitals, especially in smaller or regional centres . The ability to examine the optic nerve and posterior pole of the eye with direct ophthalmoscopy is listed as one of the seven basic ophthalmic clinical skills essential for graduating medical students to show competency in by the International Council of Ophthalmology, and remains the most universally accessible primary means of evaluating the ocular fundus . Thus, until the transition from traditional direct ophthalmoscopy to newer technologies for fundus imaging occurs at all hospitals, direct ophthalmoscopy remains an indispensable clinical skill for medical students and junior doctors to master.…”

Development and validation of a multiple‐choice questionnaire‐based theoretical test in direct ophthalmoscopy

“…The relevance of teaching medical students direct ophthalmoscopy has been discussed extensively (Purbrick & Chong ; Yusuf et al. ; Appleton & Nicholl ; Hill et al. ; Imonikhe et al.…”

“…Critics argue that the procedure is too difficult, it is carried out too rarely, and when it is finally done, the quality of the procedure is poor, and the users’ confidence in their findings is low. Furthermore, there is little time for training in the undergraduates’ curriculum (Purbrick & Chong ; Appleton & Nicholl ). Purbrick & Chong () [51] suggest implementing fundus photography instead of teaching in the use of direct ophthalmoscopy.…”