Several years after the launch of the innovative ForWard Curriculum at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences continues to advance medical student opportunities in vision research with a robust research elective.
The basic science selects course, Ophthalmology 911, “Introduction to the Visual System,” has been a staple in the medical student curriculum since 2019.
“Introduction to the Visual System is designed to help students become familiar with the basic science component within ophthalmology,” said Professor Curtis Brandt, PhD, who serves as course director. “The course includes comprehensive analyses of four common ophthalmic diseases, including ocular surface infections and immunology, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration.”
During the 4-week course, learners engage in a series of weekly didactic lectures on a specific disease topic. They also complete a month-long research project, which can range from a laboratory experiment to running through a designed analysis of a mock clinical trial.
In addition, learners also observe in a subspeciality clinic or operating room one-half day per week under the direction of a dedicated faculty member associated with one of the ophthalmic diseases covered in the course. At the end of the month, the students present a research paper related to their research project and submit a brief writeup of their research results.
In addition to Dr. Brandt, nine ophthalmology faculty teach in the program.
“Our goal as instructors is to set future ophthalmologists and vision researchers up for success by introducing them to the potential of a research or clinical career path,” said Dr. Brandt. “It’s exciting to see how much the medical students enjoy all aspects of this course.”