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Surgical specialties

Ophthalmology Diploma

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An evidence-led diploma in ophthalmology: how to triage and treat eye emergencies, decide when and how to operate for cataract and glaucoma, and manage corneal, retinal, neuro-ophthalmic, children's and oculoplastic disease, following current UK and European guidance and the US differences that matter.

Twenty-five weekly sessions across five modules take you from the red eye and sudden loss of vision, through cataract, cornea, uveitis and glaucoma, to medical retina with optical coherence tomography (OCT) and injection treatment, children's eyes, the eyelids and the orbit, taught live by practising specialists you can question.

Course director
To be announced
Format
25 live weekly sessions on Zoom, in 5 modules
Dates
Confirmed when enrolment opens

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Photograph of the back of a healthy eye showing the optic disc, the macula and the retinal blood vessels.
Image: fundus photograph of a healthy retina by Mikael Häggström via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

Who it is for

Senior trainees, fellows and early-career consultants in ophthalmology, and eye specialists who manage medical and surgical eye disease, worldwide.

The programme

25 one-hour sessions in 5 modules, each with its learning objectives. This is the draft programme: the course director reviews and refines it before enrolment opens, so session titles may change.

Module 1 · Sessions 1 to 5Eye emergencies

  1. 1. The red eye: triage and same-day referral

    • Triage a red eye using pain, vision, photophobia and pupil findings
    • Identify the red eyes that need same-day ophthalmic assessment
    • Avoid topical steroids until a corneal infection has been excluded
    • Teach primary care and emergency colleagues a safe red eye referral pathway

  2. 2. Microbial keratitis

    • Take corneal samples for culture before starting treatment
    • Choose empirical topical antimicrobials for suspected bacterial and fungal keratitis
    • Recognise Acanthamoeba keratitis in contact lens wearers
    • Decide when adjunctive steroids help and when they harm

  3. 3. Ocular trauma and chemical injury

    • Recognise an open globe injury and protect the eye before surgery
    • Perform or direct an emergency lateral canthotomy for orbital compartment syndrome
    • Irrigate a chemical injury to a neutral pH and grade its severity
    • Plan imaging and surgery for orbital fractures with maxillofacial colleagues

  4. 4. Sudden loss of vision

    • Distinguish the causes of sudden painless visual loss on history and examination
    • Prioritise retinal detachment surgery according to macular status
    • Refer central retinal artery occlusion through the stroke pathway without delay
    • Investigate vascular risk factors after a retinal vascular occlusion

  5. 5. Giant cell arteritis, optic neuritis and papilloedema

    • Start high-dose steroids immediately in suspected giant cell arteritis with visual symptoms
    • Confirm giant cell arteritis with ultrasound or temporal artery biopsy
    • Investigate optic neuritis and identify atypical features that need urgent imaging
    • Recognise papilloedema and arrange same-day imaging to exclude a dangerous cause
Module 2 · Sessions 6 to 10Cataract, cornea and uveitis

  1. 6. Cataract: deciding to operate and planning surgery

    • Decide on cataract surgery from its effect on the patient's life, not visual acuity alone
    • Select biometry and a lens power formula, including after refractive surgery
    • Stratify surgical risk and match each case to the surgeon's experience
    • Consent a patient for cataract surgery covering the realistic risks

  2. 7. Cataract surgery complications and endophthalmitis

    • Manage posterior capsule rupture during surgery to protect the outcome
    • Recognise acute postoperative endophthalmitis and give intravitreal antibiotics without delay
    • Prevent and treat cystoid macular oedema after cataract surgery
    • Audit personal complication rates against national benchmarks

  3. 8. Dry eye and ocular surface disease

    • Diagnose dry eye and meibomian gland dysfunction using a structured assessment
    • Build a stepwise treatment plan for dry eye disease
    • Identify ocular surface disease that signals a systemic condition
    • Manage exposure keratopathy before the cornea is damaged

  4. 9. Keratoconus, corneal transplantation and refractive surgery

    • Detect progressive keratoconus with corneal tomography and offer cross-linking
    • Choose between endothelial and full-thickness keratoplasty for a given cornea
    • Recognise and treat corneal graft rejection early
    • Screen candidates for refractive surgery to avoid post-laser ectasia

  5. 10. Uveitis

    • Classify uveitis by anatomical site and course
    • Exclude infectious causes before starting immunosuppression
    • Select local, systemic or biologic treatment for non-infectious uveitis using national criteria
    • Coordinate shared care with rheumatology for uveitis linked to systemic disease
Module 3 · Sessions 11 to 15Glaucoma and neuro-ophthalmology

  1. 11. Diagnosing glaucoma and ocular hypertension

    • Diagnose chronic open angle glaucoma from visual fields, disc assessment and imaging
    • Estimate an individual's risk of progression from ocular hypertension to glaucoma
    • Set a target pressure and a monitoring interval for each patient
    • Advise on a referral refinement pathway with optometrists

  2. 12. Medical and laser treatment of glaucoma

    • Choose a first treatment between drops and selective laser trabeculoplasty
    • Improve adherence and drop technique for patients on long-term treatment
    • Detect progression using serial visual fields and imaging
    • Escalate treatment when the target pressure is not met

  3. 13. Glaucoma surgery

    • Select patients for trabeculectomy, a drainage device or minimally invasive surgery
    • Manage early postoperative pressure problems after trabeculectomy
    • Recognise blebitis and bleb-related infection and treat it urgently
    • Counsel a patient on the realistic goals of glaucoma surgery

  4. 14. Primary angle closure

    • Perform and interpret gonioscopy to classify the angle
    • Treat an acute angle closure crisis to lower the pressure and protect the other eye
    • Choose between laser iridotomy and lens extraction for angle closure
    • Identify medicines that can precipitate angle closure

  5. 15. Neuro-ophthalmology in the eye clinic

    • Localise a lesion from the pattern of visual field loss
    • Investigate anisocoria and treat a pupil-involving third nerve palsy as an emergency
    • Assess diplopia and identify ocular myasthenia
    • Refer chiasmal compression for urgent imaging and endocrine review
Module 4 · Sessions 16 to 20Medical retina

  1. 16. Neovascular age-related macular degeneration

    • Diagnose neovascular macular degeneration with OCT and angiography
    • Choose an injection treatment and dosing regimen in line with national guidance
    • Run a treat-and-extend regimen and decide when to stop treatment
    • Design an injection service that meets demand without delaying treatment

  2. 17. Dry age-related macular degeneration and geographic atrophy

    • Classify dry macular degeneration and explain the risk of progression
    • Advise on nutritional supplements using current evidence
    • Explain the evidence for, and availability of, treatments for geographic atrophy
    • Refer patients for low vision support and recognise visual hallucinations after sight loss

  3. 18. Diabetic retinopathy and macular oedema

    • Grade diabetic retinopathy and decide on the urgency of referral
    • Choose between laser and injections for proliferative diabetic retinopathy
    • Select patients with diabetic macular oedema for injections or steroid implants
    • Plan closer eye monitoring in pregnancy and during rapid improvement in glucose control

  4. 19. Retinal vein occlusion and other retinal vascular disease

    • Investigate the systemic risk factors after retinal vein occlusion
    • Treat macular oedema after retinal vein occlusion in line with national guidance
    • Detect ischaemic retinal vein occlusion and prevent neovascular glaucoma
    • Recognise sickle cell and hypertensive retinopathy and plan their care

  5. 20. Retinal imaging and drug toxicity screening

    • Interpret OCT and OCT angiography findings in common macular disease
    • Choose the imaging test that answers the clinical question
    • Run a hydroxychloroquine retinopathy monitoring programme
    • Recognise retinal toxicity from other systemic drugs
Module 5 · Sessions 21 to 25Children, eyelids and orbit, and professional practice

  1. 21. Amblyopia, squint and childhood vision screening

    • Plan amblyopia treatment with glasses, patching or atropine
    • Assess a child with squint and decide on referral or surgery
    • Recognise a squint that signals serious underlying disease
    • Counsel parents on adherence and realistic outcomes of amblyopia treatment

  2. 22. Retinopathy of prematurity, leukocoria and the child with poor vision

    • Apply screening criteria for retinopathy of prematurity and arrange timely treatment
    • Recognise leukocoria and refer suspected retinoblastoma urgently
    • Identify congenital cataract and glaucoma early enough to protect vision
    • Recognise retinal haemorrhages that raise safeguarding concerns

  3. 23. Eyelid and lacrimal problems

    • Assess ptosis and identify causes that need neurological investigation
    • Recognise periocular skin cancer and plan excision with clear margins
    • Investigate a watery eye and choose between syringing, probing and dacryocystorhinostomy
    • Select patients for functional or cosmetic eyelid surgery

  4. 24. Thyroid eye disease and orbital disease

    • Grade the activity and severity of thyroid eye disease
    • Treat active moderate to severe thyroid eye disease jointly with the endocrinologist
    • Recognise dysthyroid optic neuropathy and treat it as an emergency
    • Investigate a unilateral proptosis to exclude orbital tumour or infection

  5. 25. Complex case review and professional practice

    • Apply the course to complex emergency and elective eye cases in a panel discussion
    • Advise patients on visual standards for driving and on sight impairment certification
    • Fulfil the professional duty of candour after harm
    • Plan your own development towards a general or subspecialty ophthalmic practice

What the diploma includes

  • 25 live sessions on Zoom, one evening a week, with recordings for the weeks you miss.
  • Practising specialists teaching live, so you can put your questions to them.
  • Weekly MCQs and a final written assessment.
  • A digital certificate carrying your final classification.

Lead or teach the Ophthalmology Diploma

We are looking for a course director and faculty from the specialty. Sessions are one hour in the UK evening, live on Zoom, and paid.

Apply to teach