Bhavini Solanki demonstrates one of SOVS' two indirect ophthalmoscope simulators

The University of Auckland School of Optometry and Vision Science (SOVS) is making the most of its two indirect ophthalmoscope simulators by integrating them as part of the lab component of the Part IV BOptom course in 2019.

The Eyesi simulators, from German-based manufacturer VRMagic, give students the opportunity to practice retinal exams in an augmented reality environment while their supervisors can monitor their performance and help them master procedural and diagnostic skills.

The director of SOVS eye clinic, Geraint Phillips, says the simulator training means students are more ready to meet the public when they begin working in a real-life environment, and are more confident in their ability to examine a patient effectively. The virtual reality display provides a highly realistic and dynamic 3D simulation of the anatomical structures of the eye and teaching staff can customise the cases for different student requirements. This can include allowing students to practice scans or actively look for pathology, selecting retinas with specific characteristics or more complicated clinical cases. During each exam, the simulator’s technology tracks which parts of the retina the student has actually examined and what potential findings they have picked up or missed.

Part IV course director Bhavini Solanki says the simulator has been particularly useful for helping students who are struggling with the clinical aspect of the course, as the retinal exam can be revisited on the simulator, errors pointed out and the examination repeated effectively.

“It’s also helpful to be able to show students where they went wrong in an exam when they didn’t get the mark they expected,” adds Phillips. The simulator is a stepping-stone to examinations of real patients in the eye clinic. It doesn’t take the place of a real eye, he says, but it is a really good way to ensure students are tapping into international methods and standards and meeting global benchmarks in terms of knowledge and performance.