Epocrates

If you haven’t already, take the time to sign up for and download Epocrates (or a similar medication database) onto your smartphone/tablet.  Once you’ve downloaded it, take a moment to learn how to use it by looking through all the tabs that it presents you.  Epocrates is a simple, powerful database that you should use daily, so take the time to master it now.  Use it to look up medications presented in a patient’s history that you’re unfamiliar with, or to ensure that a prescription that you’ve written is correct.

While medical prescription writing has changed somewhat with the advent of electronic health records, the essential elements of prescription writing have remained relatively constant.  Please review the following notes on medical prescription writing, as well as a short lecture on the topic.  Additionally, I’ve included a short paper on prescription writing to maximize patient safety.

Wills Eye Manual

Purchase and use Will’s Eye Manual.  It is a concise, well-written guide to the most common eye conditions that you’ll see in clinic, giving signs (what the patient will tell you), symptoms (what you’ll see), further testing, and treatment modalities for each condition.

I generally recommend that you purchase the electronic (Kindle) version so that you always have this reference with you.

Quick Instructions

As you start your time in clinic, you will be held responsible for the indications, contra-indications, technique, and interpretation of all of the tests that you have learned prior to your clinic time.

You should, therefore, take the time to review all of those tests, which you can do at home, in lab, or during clinical “down” time.  For tests that you perform infrequently, or for quick reminders, you can read the “Quick Instructions” included as part of this document to review the salient points of many of the tests that you learned in V552/V653.

Review Infrequently Performed Tests

As you start your time in clinic, you will be held responsible for the indications, contra-indications, technique, and interpretation of all of the tests that you have learned prior to your clinic time.  Take the time to review all of those tests, which you can do at home, in lab, or during clinical “down” time.  For tests that you perform infrequently, or for quick overview of other tests, you can review the “Quick Instructions” included in this document.