on the net
This site offers an international forum for information exchange

With tremendous recent technological advances occurring in ophthalmology, it's important to remember that innovative ideas and new techniques continue to come from all parts of the world. Thus, it's important that ophthalmologists practicing in the U.S. have a convenient way to obtain an international perspective on their chosen specialty.

One way to do this is to register for (free) membership in the New Zealand-based Web site www.eyetext.net. Though this relatively new site draws most of its participation from British Commonwealth countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, it currently claims 3,328 members in 117 countries around the world.

Eyetext.net can best be described as a highly interactive worldwide information exchange and discussion site for ophthalmologists and ophthalmology students. Because it offers about 200 multiple-choice quizzes at various levels of difficulty and more than 1,000 explanatory "iNotes" on a variety of eyecare topics, it should also prove a very helpful study aid for U.S. ophthalmologists going through the new "Maintenance of Certification" process.

Among the features of the site are an ophthalmic image gallery with almost 1,200 images, a case discussion "message board" through which ophthalmologists can present their most interesting and/or difficult cases and receive feedback from colleagues around the world, and another message board on which you can post "tips and gems" that other ophthalmologists might find useful.

Eyetext.net also offers numerous monographs written by invited authors who've already published on their topic in well-known journals. The monographs are reviewed by experts before they're posted, and readers can rate the monographs in terms of their usefulness. A monograph on neurotropic keratitis was rated useful by 92.7% of readers.

For a truly international view of the practice of ophthalmology, log on to www.eyetext.net.

Visit: www.eyetext.net

If you've discovered a Web site or service that's been useful to you in practice or at home, we'd like to know about it. E-mail Jerry Helzner at helznergi@boucher1.com or call him at (215) 643-8013.