Introduction to Ophthalmology
| Department |
Ophthalmology
|
|---|---|
| Course Number |
OPHT ###
|
| Course Title | Introduction to Ophthalmology |
| Course Director |
Mehdi Tavakoli Dastjerdi, MD
|
| Length (Weeks) |
2 |
| When Offered |
New course as of November 2025; availability TBA |
| Prerequisites |
None |
| Availability Notes |
New course as of November 2025; availability TBA. This elective is intended for MS3 students for two-week rotations only. MS4 students please see the four-week OPHT 381 - Clinical Ophthalmology rotation. |
| Contact Name |
Pat Johnson
|
| Contact Phone | |
| Contact Fax | |
| Contact Email |
patjohnson@mfa.gwu.edu
|
| Other Contacts |
Dr. Tavakoli Dastjerdi (mdastjerdi [at] mfa [dot] gwu [dot] edu (mdastjerdi[at]mfa[dot]gwu[dot]edu)) |
| Location | |
| Limit | |
| Report | |
| Evaluation |
Uniform Clinical Evaluation |
| Description |
Purpose and Rationale for the Course: This elective course is intended to expose the medical students to the field of ophthalmology. The main target are students who are considering a career in ophthalmology but need “real life” exposure to the field before making the decision, and/or those who want to gain exposure to ophthalmology but are interested other career paths. The prevalence of vision impairment in the US is around 7 million people, or about 2.2% of the population, though this number is predicted to increase significantly due to the aging population and rising rates of conditions like diabetes. Many more people suffer from less severe ophthalmic and visual problems, for example, refractive error affects roughly half of the US population aged 20 and over, and cataract surgery is known to be the most prevalent elective surgery in medicine. Ophthalmology is the specialty focusing on medical and surgical conditions that affect the eyes, and periocular structures with the main goal of preserving or improving vision and therefore, the quality of life. The need for ophthalmology service is huge and rising. During this course, the students will become familiar with the management of common ophthalmic conditions and their medical and surgical treatments Target Students: 3rd year medical students who are potentially interested in gaining knowledge and skill in the field of ophthalmology. Course Description: Students will rotate on the ophthalmology service for a two-week elective. Participants will be exposed and incorporated into all facets of ophthalmology including comprehensive, glaucoma, cornea, retina, oculoplastic and neuro-ophthalmology clinics as well as pertinent operating rooms. Students will be expected to observe the attending and residents and actively participate in patient care by taking medical histories and performing simple clinical examinations at the discretion of the supervising attending. They will scrub in operative cases as well as outpatient procedures. Students will be exposed to a variety of cases within this elective. Course Learning Objectives: By the end of this course, the student should be able to:
|
| Additional Notes |