Ophthalmology For Undergraduates

Recently, there is an unfortunate trend to consider that eye care is the responsibility of an ophthalmologist and the optometrist alone, and any knowledge in even basic things in ophthalmology is unnecessary for a general practitioner or a physician. The sole purpose of studying ophthalmology at the undergraduate level is to get through the examination. The end result is that the doctors at the primary care level are not competent to handle even the most basic things like identifying and removing a corneal foreign body or to decide on when to refer a diabetic patient for evaluation for diabetic retinopathy. What they often do is to send all patients with any eye problem to the refractionist or optometrist working with them. And in no other specialty in modern medicine this sort of affairs takes place. This unfortunate practice is to be discouraged and the primary care in any eye problem should be the responsibility of the general practitioner and they should have the basic knowledge to handle them. This book is written with this aim in mind.