BLOG: Ophthalmology Home Study Audio Review by the Osler Institute

The Osler Institute is a nonprofit organization formed in 1982, dedicated to the memory of Sir William Osler. It offers review courses in various medical specialties, including ophthalmology.

Three years ago, I discovered the Ophthalmology Home Study Audio Review by the Osler Institute. This package consists of CDs that include a PDF syllabus and live audio recordings from a 6-day review course aimed at American ophthalmology residents preparing for board examinations. I have been listening to the 2012 edition, but last autumn the Osler Institute introduced a new one, which seems to be more or less the same judging from its website, although it has changed some of the teachers. The total length is about 45 hours, and the price is $475. The lectures cover all the major subjects in ophthalmology and are both theoretically and clinically relevant. The teachers are passionate so they keep you interested, even in the deepest theoretical parts of optics.

Source: Osler Institute

The recording quality is good, but there is definitely room for improvement. The recordings are in an MP3 format so you can easily listen to it on a computer or transfer it to your phone or MP3 player, if you still use one. The website looks like it was built in the ’90s, and I was a little hesitant to give my credit card number but it turned out all right.

I have been listening to these lectures on and off over the past 3 years, and they have proved to be incredibly useful. I use them both for getting an introduction when starting to read a new topic as well as for review purposes. It is quite expensive and audio only, but if you are an auditory learner like me, it can be a great investment.

For more information:

Helgi David Björnsson, MD, runs a website with a collection of his favorite finds on Ophtholinks.com. He can be reached at helgidavid@gmail.com.