Clinical Skills Certificate Course:

Anterior and Posterior Segment Ocular Anatomy and Physiology (A&P)

Course level:

This course is intended for ophthalmic assistants, technicians and technologists.

Course structure (no CE credit):

This course consists of short, illustrated reading segments. There is a quiz at the end of the course. Upon passing the quiz, the user will receive a certificate of completion.

Estimated time to complete:

Two hours.

Short Course Description:

This course on Anterior and Posterior Segment Anatomy and Physiology (A&P) includes discussions of the tear film, cornea, anterior chamber, aqueous humor, iris, pupil, ciliary body, lens, vitreous, retina, optic nerve, choroid, and sclera. Structure, function, examination, instrumentation, diseases, and treatments are covered.

For the Detailed Course Description, see below

The course can be purchased via Paypal (you don't need a Paypal account) by using the button below, $10 for 2 months access. More than one course can be purchased at the same time by going to the course catalog. Courses can also be purchased via Authorize.net from the course catalog.

After purchase, the course can be accessed immediately by using the "courses" tab on the top menu bar to link to your "my courses" page.

Detailed Course Description

The tear film and the cornea:

The Cornea
   Corneal clarity
   Five layers of the cornea
The Tear Film
   Three layers of the tear film
Examination of the Cornea
   Slit lamp biomicroscope
   Sodium fluorescein dye
   Rose bengal stain
   Specular microscope
   Keratometry
   Corneal topography
   Pachymetery        
Corneal Disorders
   Dystrophies (including keratoconus)
   Infection and inflammation
   Irregular astigmatism
Surgical Treatment of the Cornea
   Keratoplasty
   Phototherapeutic Keratectomy
   Intacs
   Corneal Cross-Linking
Dry Eye and Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca (KCS)
   Meibomian Gland Dysfunction
   Tear Break up time
   Rose bengal staining
   Schirmer tear testing
   Tear Osmolarity
   Blink Evaluation
   Meibomian gland expression
   Meibomian gland imaging
   Lubrication and punctum plugs

The Anterior Chamber, the Aqueous Humor, the Iris, and the Pupil:

The Anterior Chamber and the Aqueous Humor
   Examination of the aqueous
     The Angle
     Examination of the Angle

The Iris and the Pupil
   Measurements of the pupil
     Pupil shape
     Pupil size
     Pupillary symmetry
     Pupillary light responses

The Ciliary Body and the Lens:

The Ciliary Body

The Lens
   Layers of the lens
   Examination of the lens
     Cataracts
        Classification
        Vision evaluation
        Surgery
            Post-op care
        Posterior lens capsule opacification

The Posterior Segment, Part 1:

The Vitreous
   Anatomy and Physiology
   Abnormalities of the Vitreous
   Evaluating the Vitreous
The Retina
   General Anatomy and Physiology
   Cell Layers of the Retina
   The photoreceptor cells
   Color Vision Tests
   Color plate tests
   Hue Tests
   Color plate testing procedure
   The Retinal Neural Transmission Layer
   The Retinal Pigment Epithelium
   Retinal Blood Vessels
   Retinal Evaluation

The Posterior Segment, Part 2:

Common Disorders of the Retina

Diabetic Retinopathy
Macular Degeneration
Macular Holes and Cysts
Retinal Detachment
Retinal Artery and Vein Occlusions

The Optic Nerve

General Anatomy and Phyiology
Glaucomatous Optic Nerve Appearance
Other Abnormalities of the Optic Nerve

The Choroid

General Anatomy and Physiology
Common Disorders of the Choroid

The Sclera

General Anatomy and Physiology
Common Disorders of the Sclera