Fundoscopy is often viewed as a difficult or considered with little confidence by many medical students and non-ophthalmologists. As such, it is an infrequently used tool by non-ophthalmologists despite its ability to aid in the assessment and management of many systemic conditions. 
 

Current practice of fundoscopy skills training for medical students involves the use of static head models and ‘live’ patients.

Yet this skill is commonly found in nearly all textbooks of physical diagnosis and is considered to be part of the physical examination.

The difficulties encountered by the medical students or Residents are frequently compounded by an inability to merely hold the ophthalmoscope effectively. Non-ophthalmologists are more likely to reach a correct diagnosis if shown a photograph of retinal pathology than if asked to view the fundus directly. 
 

The undergraduate medical education requires the students to develop the competence to use direct ophthalmoscope to recognize retinal signs of life-threatening disorders. These signs include papilloedema, retinal haemorrhages, retinal artery occlusion, retinal vessel leakage and dot haemorrhages.

There has been less focus on methods to impart a competence in identifying retinal signs of uncommon life-threatening diseases or screen for diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. Without this skill, the future ophthalmologist or non-ophthalmologist run the risk of either missing important clinical findings during their subsequent years of practice or of compensating by ordering unnecessary tests. 
 

The fundoscopy trainer is a new electronic retinal simulator that allows users to learn fundoscopy skills and teach them to identify many retinal signs without putting patients through discomfort of prolonged light shining in their eyes. It also offers a more realistic simulation of retinal fundoscopy. We believe this is a worthwhile investment that could reap significant returns by producing physicians with the confidence and skills to examine the fundi.