EXPLORE THE PRACTICE RESOURCE CENTRE – we are pleased to share the new PRC promotional video. In just over two minutes, we highlight the benefits of the site for seasoned practitioners and those just starting their career, how to easily submit ideas and resources, how to create a custom reading list, and much more.

Glaucoma OCT Interpretation is an online, Section 3 accredited course available at EyeCarePD.com. A game-based approach is applied to learning OCT interpretation. This course covers commonly encountered OCT presentations of glaucoma as seen on standard optic nerve head and retinal nerve fiber layer scan protocols with the purpose of improving interpretation skills using perceptual learning strategies.

Getting started is easy: 

1. Using the Google Chrome browser, navigate to https://eyecarepd.com/catalog/glaucoma-group/
2. Select Glaucoma OCT Interpretation 101 (COS Accredited) and add the product to the cart
3. At checkout, use the coupon code ECPDCOSGLAUCOMA to set the price to 0.
4. Your course is now available under My Courses at the top of the screen. 

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify segmentation errors and their role in OCT scan interpretation
2. Utilize varying sections of the OCT report including tabular data, sector analysis and graphical displays
3. Interact with expert interpretation in order to compare their findings in selected cases

Accreditation

This activity is an Accredited Self-Assessment Program (Section 3) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. This web-based lesson was approved by the COS on October 23rd, 2020 and expires October 2023. Remember to visit MAINPORT to record your learning and outcomes. You may claim a maximum of 1 hour (credits are automatically calculated).

This activity was co-developed with EyeCarePD and the Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS) and was planned to achieve scientific integrity, objectivity and balance.

Access Details
To participate in this course visit https://eyecarepd.com/catalog/glaucoma-group/

Submitted by: Joshua Huang, University of Alberta

What is Burnout?

According to the World Health Organization, “Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions:

• feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;
• increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and
• reduced professional efficacy.” [1]

Epidemiology

Per the Canadian Medical Association’s 2021 National Physician Health Survey [2]:

• More than 50% of attendings and residents report symptoms of burnout
• Increased among general practitioners, remote/rural practitioners, and physicians with fewer years of work experience
• Higher amongst women (59%) vs men (43%)
• >1.5x increase from 2017 results

Risk Factors [3]

• High workload and long hours
• Limited well-being support
• Job dissatisfaction
• Poor sleep hygiene
• Young age (<30 years)
• Personality characteristics such as cynicism, anxiety, difficulty with emotional regulation
• Impersonal and control orientation

Signs & Symptoms [4]

• Physical: Increased heart rate and blood pressure, restlessness, pain, nausea, decreased immune function, frequent headaches
• Affective: Depressed/changing mood, anxiousness, irritability, heightened tension, hypersensitivity, blunted empathy, anger and fear
• Cognitive – Helplessness, cynical perception, pessimism
• Behavioural – emotional outbursts, declined productivity, increased rate of medical errors
• Motivation – decreased motivation, loss of interest, low morale

Treatment

• Individual-level interventions
  • Engaging in mindfulness-based therapies, cognitive behavioral therapy, and exercise [5]
  • seeking out coaching, writing a gratitude journal, yoga, and building social relationships withpeers and colleagues [6]
• System-level interventions:
  • utilizing multidisciplinary team members to lessen physician workload (i.e. documentation, scribes) [6]
  • implementing large language models (AI) to help with documentation [6]

References:

1. World Health Organization. Burn-out an “occupational phenomenon”: International Classification of Diseases, 2019. May 2019.
2. Canadian Medical Association (CMA), Ipsos. CMA 2021 national physician health survey. Ottawa: The Association; 2022 Aug 24
3. Shalaby, R., Oluwasina, F., Eboreime, E., El Gindi, H., Agyapong, B., Hrabok, M., … & Agyapong, V. I. O. (2023). Burnout among residents: prevalence and predictors of depersonalization, emotional exhaustion and professional unfulfillment among resident doctors in Canada. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(4), 3677.
4. Merlo, G., & Rippe, J. (2021). Physician burnout: A lifestyle medicine perspective. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 15(2), 148-157.
5. Antico, L., & Brewer, J. (2025). Digital mindfulness training for burnout reduction in physicians: Clinician-driven approach. JMIR Formative Research, 9(1), e63197.
6. Guille, C., & Sen, S. (2024). Burnout, depression, and diminished well-being among physicians. New England Journal of Medicine, 391(16), 1519–1527.

Indirect ophthalmoscopy is an essential tool for examination of the peripheral retina. It is a beautifully designed optical instrument for detecting and treating important sight-threatening pathology. However, it is also a physically demanding technique that forces the neck and back into unnatural positions of tilt and hyperflexion. Not only is this strenuous at the time of the exam, but it creates potentially excessive stress on the paraspinal muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Combined with the intense pace of a busy high-volume clinic, it is the perfect recipe for career ending disk herniation, stenosis, or nerve impingement.

In order to reduce the detrimental effects:

• Optimize the patient’s head position by tilting it 30-45 degrees towards you.
• Walk around the patient’s head while examining them to avoid twisting or craning your neck and back. Position your body to remain 180 degrees opposite to the fundus location you are examining, whenever possible.
• Avoid excessive hunching. Keep your neck and back in as neutral a position as possible by elevating the patient’s chair height as high as possible to avoid crouching over.
• Procure yourself a lighter-weight indirect ophthalmoscope in order to reduce the weight on your neck and shoulders.
• Take breaks. This applies especially to learners. If your patient is getting tired and so are you, take a break, begin documenting your findings, have a stretch, and resume.
• Stay fit. A healthy lifestyle and regular exercise, incorporating stretching and strength training, will help keep your joints mobile and more forgiving.

In summary, indirect ophthalmoscopy is challenging enough as it is. Next time you are hunting through vitreous hemorrhage for a retinal tear, please consider incorporating some of these ergonomics tips. Your neck (and the rest of your body) will thank you!

The earlier that proper positioning is adopted and becomes habit, the less likely that potentially career-threatening musculoskeletal injuries will develop.

Michael Dollin, MD, FRCSC
Ergonomics and Injury Prevention Working Group

Join us for our next EyeNovation webinar, “Navigating the Ocean of Presbyopia-Correcting IOLs”, presented by Dr. Francesco Carones, a leading expert in refractive and cataract surgery.

This webinar took place on December 17, 2025 from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Eastern Time. A recording is available for you to view below.

Francesco Carones, MD, is an internationally recognized leader in refractive and cataract surgery. A graduate of the University of Milan, he completed specialized refractive surgery training at Emory University before serving as Assistant Professor and Director of Refractive Surgery at San Raffaele Hospital in Milan.

Now Medical Director and Physician CEO of Advalia Vision, Dr. Carones focuses on lens replacement and refractive procedures. Since 1989, he has been deeply involved in pioneering technologies—excimer lasers, LASEK, mitomycin-C applications, toric and multifocal IOLs, and advanced lenticular extraction platforms. He also developed the first objective software for defocus curve measurement.

Dr. Carones has published more than 160 peer-reviewed works and lectures globally at major scientific meetings. He is Associate Editor of the Journal of Refractive Surgery, serves on multiple editorial boards, and sits on advisory boards for leading ophthalmic companies. He is a Board Member of AECOS and WCRSVS and President-Elect of AECOS Europe. In 2023–2024, he was named to the Ophthalmologist PowerList of the top 100 most influential leaders in the field.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

1. Understand the performances of the different presbyopia-correcting IOLs both as regards their advantages (e.g., defocus curves, spectacle independence provided) and their drawbacks (e.g., night dysphotopsia, light dependence for reading).
2. Present the different technologies to patients effectively to help them understand which options best suit their needs and expectations
3. Manage postoperative outcomes by aligning patient expectations with clinical reality and addressing dissatisfaction.

Date: Thursday, January 8, 2026

Time: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM Eastern Time

Title: Fellowship, early career, and general life hacks

Speaker: Dr. Joshua Teichman

Zoom Link to Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UEc92Nu8S9u7wqegAB_Bsw#/registration

After this session, participants will be able to:

• Explore conditions not found in textbooks;
• Discuss mindset for unknown cases;
• Discuss productivity and efficiency pearls.

The VPP Grand Rounds Local and Visiting Professor Program is a self-approved group learning activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification program of The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. You will be able to claim 1 credit for this round.

Date: Friday January 9th, 2026

Time: 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM

Title: Hereditary Vitreoretinopathies: From Recognition to Retinal Detachment Prevention

Speaker: Dr. Gareth Mercer

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_R9XhApxlROemwiti13uKKw#/

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Differentiate Stickler Syndrome and Familial Exudative Vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) based on key clinical and imaging features, including associated non-ocular conditions.
• Understand the genetic basis and inheritance patterns of Stickler Syndrome and FEVR, and their implications for familial screening.
• Compare and apply disease-specific approaches to retinal detachment risk assessment and prophylaxis.

The VPP Grand Rounds Local and Visiting Professor Program is a self-approved group learning activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification program of The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. You will be able to claim 1 credit for this round.

The first in our series of “My Story” videos, this installment features Dr. Dan O’Brien, an ophthalmologist in Nova Scotia, and a past president of the Canadian Ophthalmological Society. The full video and teasers are available for use anytime – and please share with colleagues.

Link to Teaser 1

Link to Teaser 2

Dr. Edsel Ing and co-moderator Dr. Rahul Sharma invite you to join the free Canada-wide Update & Review Lectures, held Tuesdays from 7:30–9:30 pm EST.

Designed for practicing ophthalmologists (Section 1 credits) and residents preparing for Royal College written or OKAP exams, these sessions feature highly interactive content including MCQs, fill-in-the-blank questions, and photo unknowns. Thank you to all our speakers for their dedication in making these lectures engaging and informative!

To register, please email: [email protected]

EyeLearnIVFA is a Canadian collaborative virtual resource for intravenous fluorescein angiography (IVFA). It is designed to provide students, fellows and ophthalmologists an accessible and self-paced medical education resource.

The website reviews fundamental anatomy and concepts related to fluorescein angiography. As well, through a case based approach, EyeLearnIVFA hopes to increase familiarity with interpretation of this imaging modality and emphasize the clinical utility of this image modality in management of retinal vascular disease.  While cases exist on the website already, we hope to build an atlas of class and rare cases to ensure it becomes a well-rounded and robust resource. As such, we invite case contributions from Canadian medical learners, residents, fellows and ophthalmologist colleagues.

Please note that this webinar has passed. A recording is available below.

October is Ergonomics Month and what better time to learn more about staying safe and healthy in your practice and personal life? Join us on Thursday, October 9, 2025 for an educational and lively discussion on Ergonomics and Injury Prevention.

Learn more from ergonomics experts Dr. Sam Masket, Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology (Retired), Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA and founding partner of Advanced Vision Care in Los Angeles, and Dr. Amy Zhang, Associate Clinical Professor of the Glaucoma Service at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center. Moderated by Dr. R. Rishi Gupta, Chair of the COS Ergonomics and Injury Prevention Working Group, this accredited webinar will feature an interview-style presentation, practical and interactive “micro breaks” videos, and the premiere of our ergonomics video featuring ophthalmologist and COS Past President Dr. Dan O’Brien from Nova Scotia sharing his patient journey.

At the end of this webinar, participants will:

1. Understand the impact that musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders have on physician performance, job satisfaction and workforce limitations.
2. Understand the ergonomic problems associated with workplace equipment, such as operating microscopes, slit lamps, and indirect ophthalmoscopes.
3. Appreciate what modalities exist to reduce the impact of MSK disorders and how this subject should be part or Resident/Fellow education.