WELCOME TO OCULUS

The Part 2 FRCOphth Revision Course

OCULUS postponed

until OCTOBER 2023

We are sorry and saddened that we will not be able to hold OCULUS until October 2023. Although the new hybrid format for FRCOphth Part 2 will be in place for the November 2022 exam, we will not have enough time to prepare for a course this October.

OCULUS has an outstanding reputation as a high-quality exam preparation course that very closely follows the format of the real FRCOphth Part 2 exam. As the RCOphth will be using the hybrid format for the foreseeable future, we are likely to adapt OCULUS to include live patients and well as video cases on iPads. This will require time for us to design a new course structure, assemble a new team of willing trainees, identify any costing issues and to prepare the appropriate materials to ensure that we continue our well-earned reputation.

We will keep you posted of our progress.

WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO KNOW?

At each OSCE Station candidates are examined by two examiners but the main difference from the actual exam is that candidates go around in pairs. This has the benefit of each candidate being able to learn from any feedback given to his/her fellow candidate plus the chance to quickly see any physical signs on the patients used for their fellow candidate.

Every effort is made to ensure that on the second OSCE circuit candidates do not have the same examiners or see the same patients as on their first OSCE circuit.

Want an idea of what the real exam is like? Then download the Public Report of the April 2017 Part 2 FRCOphth Oral Examination here.

WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING?

Dress as you would for the exam, i.e. smart!

You are expected to bring the equipment you would take to the exam:

Hand held lenses (always better to use the ones you are used to)

Occluder

Pen torch (e.g. Mini Maglite)

Cover Test target

Hat pins for VF

Rulers (clear)

P.S. Don’t forget about hand hygiene when examining patients

About

OCULUS

OCULUS is an intensive exam revision course designed to mimic the Structured Viva and OSCE stations of Part 2 FRCOphth. It has been running for over 25 years and is acknowledged as the foremost revision course for the Part 2 Fellowship Oral Component.

The Course Organiser is Professor Philip I. Murray but is run by a dedicated team of trainees (Lead: Mr. Jesse Panthagani, University of Birmingham Clinical Lecturer) and administrative staff. The candidates benefit from over 40 examiners and around 80 patients.

The course is run over one day and is mainly taken up with two circuits of OSCEs and one Structured Viva circuit. These replicate the actual exam:

OSCE

Station 1: Anterior Segment
Station 2: Glaucoma and Lid
Station 3: Posterior Segment
Station 4: Strabismus and Orbit
Station 5: Neuro-ophthalmology
Station 6: Communication Skills (using professional role players)

Structured Viva

Station 1: Patient investigations and data interpretation
Station 2: Patient management 1
Station 3: Patient management 2
Station 4: Attitudes, ethics and responsibilities
Station 5: Audit, research and evidence based practice

Station 6: Health promotion and disease prevention

EXAMPLE OCULUS TIMETABLE

(2019)

Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre

Timetable

MORNING

08:45 Registration and refreshments (Academic Unit, 1st Floor)

09:00 Welcome

09:05 – 09:30 Prof. Murray: ‘How to fail’, ‘ADDIT’

09:30 – 09:45 Sponsors talk: SCOPE Ophthalmics

09:45 – 09:50 OSCE briefing

09:50 – 10:00 Relocate to Out Patient Department (Ground Floor)

10:00 – 12:00 OSCE 1
Red OSCE circuit (12 candidates in pairs)
Blue OSCE circuit (12 candidates in pairs)
12:00 – 12:45 Candidates debrief and lunch

AFTERNOON

13:00 – 15:00 OSCE 2
Red OSCE circuit (12 candidates in pairs)
Blue OSCE circuit (12 candidates in pairs)

15:00 – 15:30 Coffee / Refreshments / Debrief

15:30 – 17:00 Structured Viva circuits 1 and 2
17:00 – 17:10 Refreshments / Debrief (Academic Unit, 1st Floor)
17:10 – 17:20 Viva feedback

17:20 – 18:00 ‘How I passed’ – recent successful candidates / Communication Skills video

18:00 Close

“Amazing course. Gives a real time feedback of the exam ”

“Well organised, excellent range of patients with brilliant signs. I feel more confident about the exam and would highly recommend the course to anyone thinking about sitting the FRCOphth Oral exam.”

“Examiners were helpful in providing constructive feedback. Viva was well detailed.”

Satisfied candidates from

OCULUS 2019.

Candidate feedback is consistently positive with the 2019 course achieving overall 4.8/5.0

Feeddback

FEEDBACK

HOW TO REGISTER

Please check back to see when Registration for OCULUS 2023 will open

Registration

HOW TO FIND US

Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre (BMEC)

City Hospital

Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust

Dudley Road

Birmingham B18 7QH

The main hospital telephone number is: 0121 554 3801.

A contact mobile number will be given to those who have been accepted on the course.

If coming by car the entrance to BMEC is in Western Road and there is a Car Park directly outside.

If coming by train the nearest station is Birmingham New Street. There are regular buses that stop on Dudley Road, the bus numbers are: 82, 87 and 88. An alternative is Snow Hill Station and the 101 bus stops a short walk from BMEC.

How To Find Us

We are getting a large number of emails so please download our FAQs first before contacting us

CONTACT US

(Jesse Panthagani, Clinical Lecturer)

Contact

SPONSOR

OCULUS is supported by an Educational Grant from SCOPE Eyecare

Their range supports Clinicians and Patients in managing a variety of Ocular Surface

Diseases. Their products include the well known HYLO® and Hycosan® ranges

of preservative-free lubricants, the OPTASE® Eyecare Range, for all

severities of Dry Eye Disease, MGD and Blepharitis.

Sponsor

Further Information

Introducing the Scope Educational Hub

Free registration for the exciting new Scope Education Hub, your 'one stop shop' that provides all your Scope educational resources conveniently in one place.

YOUR TRUST CHARITY

Your Trust Charity is the registered charity of Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust incorporating not only our hospital sites at City, Rowley Regis, Sandwell and the forthcoming Midland Metropolitan University Hospital but our GP sites and partners.

Our mission is:

“To enhance the experience of all people using our services including staff, patients and their families. We will do this by providing additional facilities and supporting innovative projects that create a comfortable and secure environment.”