OPT042: Medical Retina 2

This course is for clinicians who are working or wish to work in a consultant ophthalmologist-led medical retina service.

The course provides you with enhanced knowledge of medical retina conditions, enabling you to work more effectively under supervision in a multi-disciplinary medical retina team.

Work settings and responsibilities may include medical retina new patient triage clinics, anti-VEGF treatment clinics and diabetic retinopathy/maculopathy assessment and monitoring.

Start date	January
Duration	One academic term
Credits	20 credits – CPD points available
Precursor*	Successfully completed OPT025 or equivalent
Module tutors	Matthew Chan and Jeenal Shah
Tuition fees (2025/26)	£1390 - Home students £2590 - International students
Tuition fees (2026/27)	£1420 - Home students £2660 - International students
Module code	OPT042

Higher Certificate in Medical Retina

If you wish to receive the College’s Professional Higher Certificate in Medical Retina, you must have gained the College’s Professional Certificate in Medical Retina and have a confirmed approved clinical placement before beginning OPT042.

To be awarded the College of Optometrists’ Higher Certificate in Medical Retina, you are also required to organise a placement in a medical retina clinic. This must be supervised by a mentor who is a Consultant Ophthalmologist specialising in medical retina. You must record your active involvement and experience of at least 200 cases encompassing a range of medical retina conditions. In addition, a portfolio of 10 case reports will also need to be written and submitted, prior to a clinical reasoning viva. The logbook, case reports and viva are zero weighted but successful completion of all are mandatory to achieve the College of Optometrists’ Higher Certificate in Medical Retina.

During the placement there will be regular online meetings with a medical retina specialist optometrist or ophthalmologist tutor to monitor and support overall progress. The logbook will be periodically reviewed to ensure a wide range of clinical scenarios have been included as well as mandatory cases, with documentation being signed off by the mentor.

The placement duration must be a minimum period of 3 months, although typically it may take about 9-12 months. The placement can only commence one month after starting the module. A confirmed placement must be in place when you apply for the module if you intend to complete the College of Optometrists’ Higher Certificate in Medical Retina.

Students must finish their clinical placement within 24 months of completing the University’s Medical Retina 2 module.

On successful completion of this module and the clinical placement, the candidate will be awarded the College of Optometrists’ Higher Certificate in Medical Retina.

The placement is not a mandatory part of this module. Students are able to study this module without the clinical placement and portfolio.

Learning objectives

In addition to achieving the College of Optometrists Learning Objectives for the Higher Certificate in Medical Retina on successful completion of the module a student should be able to:

• Critically reflect on their knowledge of routine and complex issues related to anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology of the retina, and the care of patients with medical retina disorders in practice (ILO1).
• Explore, critically analyse, synthesise and evaluate evidence-based literature, guidelines and underpinning theories in medical retina care and apply this knowledge to clinical scenarios, demonstrating how they would determine the most appropriate solutions for a patient accessing ophthalmic care (ILO2).
• Evaluate and apply modern key concepts of medical retina care and be able to apply them to challenges within their own environment and practice (ILO3).
• Address and reflect on the benefit of inter-professional teamwork in the delivery of medical retina care (ILO4).
• Present and defend balanced and informed arguments, incorporating critical judgment and decision making in clinical scenarios (ILO5).
• Engage with new ideas, opportunities and technologies, building knowledge and experience to effectively reflect on and evaluate learning and professional development (ILO6).
• Assess the signs and symptoms of medical retina disorders, including the patient’s response to treatment, to make a differential diagnosis and to rank options for management (ILO7).
• Problem solve and generate solutions / management plans in medical retina cases based on detailed knowledge of current treatments and evidence-based professional and clinical judgement (ILO8).

How the module will be delivered

This module is taught via online lectures/webinars, an optional in-person practical teaching day, and supporting resources delivered using Learning Central, the University’s e-learning system. Discussion boards accessed via Learning Central will provide a platform for you to discuss any questions or queries that come up throughout the term with both the course tutors and your peers.

Summative assessment will take place at Cardiff University where attendance for the invigilated online examination and a practical assessment involving a clinical station examination is mandatory.

The module map which outlines key activities and dates is available via the module on Learning Central.

Syllabus content

• Age-related Macular Degeneration
  • AMD Update
  • AMD Mimics and differential diagnosis
• Diabetes
  • Diabetic Retinopathy and Maculopathy management
  • Diabetic Retinopathy features and grading (modified EDTRS)
• Retinal Vascular Conditions
  • Retinal Vein Occlusions
  • Other Retinal Vascular Abnormalities
• Retinal Imaging and Interpretation
• Foundations of Vitreoretinal Conditions and Surgery
• An Introduction to Electrophysiology and Retinal dystrophies
• Pigmented/ Suspicious Fundal Lesions
• Drug Related Retinal Toxicities
• Uveitis
• Communication
  • History and Symptoms
  • Patient Consent in a Medical Retina Clinic
• Clinical Governance
• Clinical Decision Making in an anti-VEGF Clinic
• Optic Disc Pathologies in Medical Retina
• Other Causes of MNV including Macular Telangiectasia
• Primary and secondary care management of medical retina conditions
• Guidelines and referral pathways

Skills that will be practised and developed

• Academic skills
• Researching
• Reflective practice
• Knowledge application
• Optometric techniques and practical skills
• Effective communication
• Advance your own knowledge and understanding
• Interpret data
• Independent and critical thinking
• Reflection and resilience
• Collaborative working
• Work independently
• Problem solve
• Use a range of IT software packages and online resources

How the module will be assessed

Formative assessment will enable you to assess your progress:

• You can assess your own progress throughout the course with multiple choice questions, online key feature scenarios and management case scenarios. The mark for these does not count towards the final grade.

Summative assessments which contribute to your module mark:

• Online Multiple-Choice/Short Answer Test (45%): This is a multiple-choice and short answer online test that will assess your comprehension and application across the entire syllabus which you take at the end of the semester (ILO 1-8).
• Online Patient Management Case Scenario (PMCS) and Diabetic Retinopathy Grading Test (45%): This is a series of case scenario assessments that may incorporate key feature recognition/multiple choice questions that will assess your comprehension and application of the clinical management knowledge gained throughout the course (ILO 1,2,3,5,7,8).
• Practical assessment (10%): You will sit an assessment where the ability to understand, interpret and communicate complex medical retinal related information will be assessed at the end of the semester (ILO 2,5,7,8).

How to apply

Please contact our postgraduate team.