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ForwardEssential Optics for the Ophthalmologist Basic Science and Review Course
The Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine is pleased to offer The Essential Optics for the Ophthalmologist which is a 9.5-hour Basic Science and Board Review Course by Jack T. Holladay, MD, MSEE, FACS. The tuition is $75 and allows 6 years of access to the course. It begins with Physical Optics (Physics), then Basic Optics, Visual Optics, Human Eyes and finally the optics of commonly used Ophthalmic Instruments. Clinical examples are abundant to reinforce the optical concepts. The course has been refined over its 50 years history, reflecting suggestions and questions from residents and clinicians to make complex topics exceedingly clear. The 172-page Companion Source Manual that is included with the Course has even more detail about many topics for background reading and study. It is mailed shortly after registering for the course (allow 2 weeks). There are 104 multiple choice questions with the page references and answers for review before exams. The last page has a 13-equation summary for quick formula reference. It is a pleasure and joy to provide this course as a legacy to young ophthalmologists-in-training and practitioners that want a review in optics. To keep the tuition at a minimum there is no CME accreditation for the course. The first 15 minutes of the course may be viewed at no cost as a trial.
Jack T. Holladay, MD, MSEE, FACS
Dr. Holladay graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. He was in the Co-op Program which took 5 years and involved working in industry every other semester during his sophomore and junior year. The company he worked for manufactured night vision devices for the military. In those early years there were no optical engineers, so electrical engineers often took on those responsibilities. He was exposed to optical design and testing of various instruments. In 1971, he received his Master of Science in Electrical Engineering with a special interest in Biomedical Engineering, which had required him to take courses at Southwestern Medical School, which stimulated his interest in medicine.
He was accepted to the first on-campus class at University of Texas Medical School at Houston (now McGovern Medical School) with a 3-year program beginning in 1971 and received his Medical Degree in 1974 with 30 other classmates. During his senior year he rotated through Ophthalmology where he and the faculty realized the value of his optical background and he was offered a position in the residency program beginning in 1975. The residency program included a 2-month Basic Science Course offered by the Department to Residents throughout the country. Whitney Sampson, MD, a Houston Ophthalmologist taught the optics section which was 20 hours over 1 week. Dr. Sampson was elected President of the American Academy of Ophthalmology that year (1976) and was unable to teach the course, so Dr. Holladay was asked to fill in as a first-year resident.
The course to the Baylor Residents in 2024 marked the 50th Basic Science Course in optics. Thousands of ophthalmologists have attended the course over the years and recently second-generation ophthalmology residents have said, “Their dad (mom) says Hi, they took your course many years ago”. Dr. Holladay says, “It has been a privilege and honor to mentor young minds and watch the ‘light bulbs’ turn on when a complex optical concept becomes perfectly clear.”
Required Hardware/software
Hardware/software requirements: Activities should be run with recent versions of common browsers, including Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Google Chrome.
If you have questions about the participation process, please e-mail the Office of Continuing Medical Education, [email protected] or phone 713.798.8237.