The overseas ophthalmologist in Britain
- Chairman of the Overseas Doctors Training Committee, Royal College of Ophthalmologists
- Correspondence to: H M Stanley Hospital, Upper Denbigh Road, St Asaph LL17 0RS, North Wales, UK; mr.puvana.chandra{at}cd-tr.wales.nhs.uk
It is important for Britain to keep its doors open for duly selected ophthalmologists to come, work, and train here
Doctors from abroad have come to the shores of Britain for many years. Colonial connections and intellectual interest in pursuing postgraduate training are the main reasons why the wind blew in this direction. Moorfields was the mecca to many and taking a glimpse of “the Duke” (Sir Stewart Duke-Elder) was the ultimate ambition for those who had, by then, read all his volumes from cover to cover. Many came hoping to return home with long and impressive titles—FRCS and a DO to add some flavour—but some stayed on to reach various levels of responsibility in the National Health Service, especially at a time of reorganisation, when trained and experienced hands and eyes were needed, particularly in the periphery of service provision.
Courses and examinations are like the United Nations Assembly without the flags, but the accents help to identify the country they represent. Long chats about cricket at surgical oral examinations were not all that rare and the candidates often wondered why they failed at the end of what seemed to have been a very interesting discussion on whether a particular bowler was an off spinner or a leg spinner. There …
