Higher qualifications in medical retina

The College’s higher qualifications in medical retina prepare you to contribute to diabetic retinopathy screening, AMD treatment and medical retina triage clinics.

Professional Certificate in Medical Retina (Prof Cert Med Ret)

This qualification enables optometrists to make accurate and appropriate referral decisions for patients with medical retina conditions, and prepares them for supervised roles in medical retina, new patient triage clinics and AMD treatment-retreatment clinics. Candidates completing the Professional Certificate will be automatically exempt from the majority of the NHS England DESP training.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes - Professional Certificate in Medical Retina (PDF)

Providers

Entry requirements
Applicants should be UK based GOC-registered optometrists.

Course length
Four months.

How often the course runs
Bi-annual intake 1 October and 1 March.

Course delivery method
Online distance learning based course with mandatory on campus workshop.

Placement/portfolio
N/A.

Assessment
MCQ tests, Case studies, OSCEs.

Masters level credits
Level 7.

Visit the website

Entry requirements
GOC-registered optometrists.

Course length
One year.

Course delivery
Online lectures, two days o tutorials.

Placement
No

Assessment
Online coursework and exam, practical assessment (OSCE).

Masters level credits
20

Visit the website

Entry requirements
GOC-registered optometrists. Other healthcare professionals in the field of ophthalmology and overseas optometrists/eye care practitioners will be accepted on an ad-hoc basis providing the undergraduate syllabus and/or current clinical responsibilities are similar to those of a UK optometrist/medical practitioner.

Course length
Three to four months.

Course delivery
Online learning via lectures and workshops.

Placement
No.

Assessment
On campus – written assessment (MCQ, VRICS and PMCS). 

On campus – Objective Structured Clinical Examination.

Masters level credits
15.

Visit the website

Entry requirements
Possess a minimum of a BSc (Hons) in Optometry or Orthoptics or equivalent. Other qualifications may be accepted and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Course length
Six months.

How often course runs
Run bi-annually.

Course delivery
Online learning, webinars, online synchronous day including lectures, tutorials, case discussions. In-person practical skills workshop.

Placement/portfolio
Not required.

Assessment
Summative assessments which will include written exams (MCQs & PMCS) and a virtual based OSCE.

Masters level credits
15.

Visit the website

Entry requirements
Full registration with the GOC as an optometrist. 

Health care professionals who are not optometrists are welcome to apply. They must be working in a medical retina clinic, have experience of slit lamp assessment and fundus assessment with indirect biomicroscopy. Candidates must be regularly engaged in using these skills in day-to-day clinical practice in order to be likely to meet the standards required for the practical component of this course. UoM require a supporting statement from a consultant ophthalmologist.

Course length
Three months. 

How often course runs
September /once per year.

Course delivery
Lectures (online podcasts), quizzes, discussion boards, case studies (all e-learning), two practical days in Manchester: each day consists of two workshops and case discussions.

Placement/portfolio
None.

Assessment
Five-station clinical skills OSCE and a written examination (MCQ and SAQ).

Masters level credits
15.

Visit the website

Entry requirements

  • Registered ophthalmic professional working in a clinical area that will facilitate the successful completion of the module learning outcomes.
  • All registered optometrists are eligible to apply for this module. Other ophthalmic professionals are also eligible to apply for this module, however they must be able to provide a certified letter from their employer confirming an appropriate level of competence in the clinical examination of the eye, to include slit lamp examination, optic disc assessment with indirect biomicroscopy and Goldmann applanation tonometry.

Course length
16 weeks.

How often the course runs
Course runs Sept – Jan each year.

Course delivery
Online learning, with one in-person clinical teaching day and an in-person assessment day.

Placement
Not required.

Assessment: 

  • 40% Written Examination
  • 30% Clinical Portfolio (case records)
  • 30% OSCE examination

Masters level credits
20.

Visit the website

Entry requirements
GOC-registered optometrists. 

Course length
20 weeks.

How often the course runs
Course normally runs once a year from June to September.

Course delivery
Primarily online learning with one on campus day for lectures and tutorials. One on-campus day for the written assessment.

Placement
Not applicable.

Assessment
A mixture of VRICS, MCQs and medical retina case records.

Masters level credits
15.

Visit the website

Case study: Ziggy Shah MCOptom Prof Cert Med Ret

"The College’s higher qualifications give you detailed knowledge beyond CET, and are a personal challenge to your ability. Completing the Professional Certificate in Medical Retina has given me a really good understanding of retinal diseases and how to treat them within the context of current therapeutics in the workplace.

"Having the qualification has been empowering and has created more opportunities to provide a better service to my patients and community. It has also enhanced my professional standing, as higher qualifications are recognised by general medical practitioners and ophthalmologists as enabling optometrists to provide better eye care to patients."

Professional Higher Certificate in Medical Retina (Higher Cert Med Ret)

This qualification is for optometrists working or wishing to work in a consultant ophthalmologist-led medical retina service and will provide them with the knowledge and experience to work effectively under supervision in a multidisciplinary medical retina team. It prepares them for supervised roles in new patient triage clinics, AMD treatment-retreatment clinics and diabetic macular oedema assessment and monitoring programmes.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes - Professional Higher Certificate in Medical Retina (PDF)

Providers

Entry requirements

  • Students must be able to evidence they hold the College’s Professional Certificate in Medical Retina and have a confirmed approved clinical placement before course start
  • Non-medical ophthalmic practitioners must also have a current registration with a regulatory body

Course length

  • Module one: one academic term
  • Module two: one academic year

How often the course runs
Course runs annually with an intake every January.

Course delivery

  • Online lectures, webinars and supporting resources such as discussion boards via Learning Central, the University’s e-learning system
  • Mandatory summative assessment comprising invigilated online examination and a practical OSCE assessment at Cardiff University

Placement/portfolio

  • Students are required to organise a placement in a medical retina clinic, supervised by a mentor who is a Consultant Ophthalmologist specialising in medical retina, to record active involvement and experience of at least 200 cases with a range of medical retina conditions
  • In addition, students must submit a portfolio of 10 case reports prior to a clinical reasoning viva

Assessment

  • Formative assessments include online key feature scenarios/management case scenarios/VRICS/short answer questions throughout the semester
  • Summative assessment comprises a multiple choice and short answer question exam, a online case scenario exam, a diabetic retinopathy grading test during placement, an OSCE assessment at the end of the semester and a clinical reasoning viva.

Masters level credits
20 credits.

Visit the website

Entry requirements
Possess a minimum of a BSc (Hons) in Optometry or Orthoptics or equivalent. Other qualifications or experience may be accepted and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Possess relevant professional body registration.

Possess the Professional Certificate in Medical Retina (Level 1) and affix.

Course length
Six months.

How often the course runs
Annually.

Course delivery
Online learning, webinars, online synchronous day including lectures, tutorials, case discussions. In-person practical skills workshop. 

Placement/portfolio
To complete The College of Optometrists Professional Higher Certificate in Medical Retina, the clinical placement is a requirement. You will be expected to see a minimum number of patient episodes and conditions. You have two years from the date of your written exam to complete this and submit your case records.  You will be required to arrange the placement yourselves with your local Hospital Eye Department and arrange for a clinical mentor (Consultant Ophthalmologist) to support your placement.

Assessment
These will consist of a written exam made up of MCQs, Station Exams, patient management case scenarios and visual recognition of clinical signs.

Masters level credits
15 credits.

Visit the website

Entry requirements

  • Registered ophthalmic professional working in a clinical area that will facilitate the successful completion of the module learning outcomes
  • Students looking to obtain the College of Optometrists Higher Professional Certificate in Medical Retina, must already hold The College of Optometrists Professional Certificate in Medical Retina

Course length
18 weeks (one academic term)

How often the course runs
Runs once a year.

Course delivery
Blended learning approach: 

  • distance learning delivery of theoretical content, with one face-to-face clinical teaching day at the start of the module
  • a live webinar opportunity
  • one face-to-face assessment day at the end of the module

Placement/portfolio

  • Placement in a medical retina clinic, under the mentorship of an ophthalmologist who specialises in medical retina, to gain at least 200 cases
  • The placement is assessed through completion of a clinical logbook with viva. As a minimum guideline, one session per week (half day), over a six-nine month period is recommended
  • Recognition Prior Learning (RPL) can be considered towards the clinical placement for those practitioners with at least two years’ experience working in medical retina management on a regular basis (minimum of one session per week) within a hospital, clinic or appropriate setting. Please contact the module team for further information: acpophthalmology@plymouth.ac.uk.

Assessment
The assessment for the module includes, written examination, clinical examination (OSCE) and a clinical portfolio with viva.

Masters level credits
20 credits.

Visit the website

Key

KFS – key feature scenarios
MCQ - multiple choice questions 
OSCE - objective structured clinical examination
PMCS  - patient management case scenario
SAQ – short answer questions
VRICS -  visual recognition and interpretation of clinical signs 

Become a higher qualifications course provider

When you have successfully completed your qualification, your course provider will ratify the results (this can take some months) before sending them to the College. Those who complete a College-accredited higher qualifications course may only use the associated affix in the context of activity undertaken as a registered healthcare professional, and in the country in which the practitioner is registered. On receiving results, the College will update its records and advise the GOC so GOC staff can update its register. 

Certificates are issued free of charge only for full UK College members. 

If you complete a higher qualifications course while still a student registrant you may not use the associated affix until you have full (01-) GOC registration. You will not receive a certificate until you join the College as a newly qualified practising optometrist (qualifying in the UK) or a full UK member with full (01-) GOC registration. You will have until the next (first) OSCE date following your own OSCE sitting to join the College or you will not receive a certificate. The dates of all upcoming OSCE dates are on our website.

The College produces and prints certificates at regular intervals in the year. This means it may be some months before you receive a certificate, as the College must first receive the result and then include it in the next applicable print run. 

The College will invite full UK College members who complete a higher qualification at Higher Certificate or Diploma level to the College’s prestigious annual Diploma Ceremony to have their achievement officially recognised. The College will contact these course completers separately. 

The College will replace lost or damaged certificates for a fee of £30 to those who completed the course at a time when they were a full UK College member. Use the contact form to let us know if you require a replacement certificate.