Public Health for Eye Care (MSc)

I qualified in Ophthalmology from Bangalore in 2003 and specialization in eye diseases of Infectious and Immunologic causes. I decided to train in MSc Community Eye Health at the International Centre for Eye Health in LSHTM and learn the community approach to eyecare after I realized how little help was my knowledge if I chose to work in a clinic rather than reach out to the community. For every case I saw in my clinic there were around ten patients who were unable to reach me and my specialized services. I saw the immense suffering these patients had in their lives more so among HIV/AIDS cases. Moreover population based data regarding such diseases in India was scarce.
The study units and professors from diverse academic backgrounds were truly inspiring with their technique of delivering knowledge. Being in the midst of world-renowned clinicians and researchers was truly a privilege in itself. I now am convinced that every disease has determinants other than medical causes and merely treating medical causes will not lead an individual or the community towards health and wellness.
LSHTM gave me that global perspective, a perspective that has changed the way I look upon disease and its causation. The course helped me to think critically about any subject and plan solutions using a multipronged approach. My own clinical knowledge is now “topped up” with the ability to deliver evidence based medicine to anyone I treat.
I learned about many aspects of other regions of the world, the people who lived there, and the public health in each setting. Perhaps the most important thing was having friends form over 80 countries and learning their culture and experiences.
. Upon completion of this course I intend to return to India and apply the theoretical and practical tools of research methodologies in clinical and population based research in eyecare and also affordable healthcare in general. I would recommend LSHTM to anyone considering learning multidisciplinary approach to health and wellness.

I am a general ophthalmologist, and have been working at a teaching and referral hospital in the western part of Kenya for a period of six years since my qualification. My work has involved medical and surgical management of patients with eye-related problems, teaching students who pass through our section and managerial work as the head of eye section. I have always been interested in public health, so when our national eye coordinator recommended the MSc Public Health for Eye Care course, having gone through it himself, I jumped at the opportunity.
The School’s reputation as a research institution was attractive enough, as well as the prospect of interacting with the authors of books I use(d) in my training and current practise. Meeting these and other like–minded professionals from across the world has broadened my thinking. The very interactive, student-oriented teaching and use of well-designed practical sessions at the School have given me depth of knowledge and understanding; consequently, I am eager to utilize these in my work as I embrace more research and effective teaching in eye care.

During my time in medical school at the University of Nigeria, I always had a passion for public health. However, insight derived from the community outreach programmes I was involved in and my clinical experience post-graduation served as a motivating force to draw me into the field of eye care vis-a-vis public health.

The discovery of the existence of the MSc programme in Public Health for Eye Care at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine could not have come at a better point in my career. It was also highly recommended by my mentors in the field of ophthalmology.

It has been an amazing year of productive interactions with policy makers in eye care and public health. I have become even more aware of the myriad of opportunities in eye care. The course has empowered and equipped me with the requisite skills to embark on a career in ophthalmology, keeping in mind the invaluable roles that advocacy, research and evidence-based practice have to play for eye care programmes to be effective and sustainable.

With its exciting and varied mix of students from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds, its seasoned members of staff and its fascinating course contents, the School is definitely a dream come true for every public health enthusiast.

One of the most interesting aspects of studying at the School is the diversity. Experts from different parts of the world come and deliver high-quality lectures in their sub-specialties. We also learn many things from our colleagues who have very different academic and cultural backgrounds. Everyone is very caring and supportive – there is a ‘Unity in Diversity.’ In MSc Public Health for Eye Care, we discuss ophthalmic research done in diverse settings viz high-, middle- and low-income settings and critically analyse them. Before coming here, I used to think about my patients individually, in the place where I worked. Now, I have started thinking about them in the context of global communities.