The David and Molly Pyott Foundation Scholarships in ophthalmology and the University of Edinburgh

The University of Edinburgh is delighted to announce that they plan to award twelve postgraduate scholarships this summer to support international applicants holding an offer of admission to their online Master of Surgery (ChM) in Clinical Ophthalmology programme, thanks to the very generous support of The David and Molly Pyott Foundation Scholarships in Ophthalmology programme.

Senior trainees/residents/registrars in Ophthalmology from eligible countries in Africa, Central and South Asia, Caribbean Islands, Pacific Islands, Central and Latin America who are accepted for admission to the online ChM programme commencing in September 2023 are eligible to apply for the scholarship award which will cover all tuition fees and fund internet access and laptop costs. Applications from qualified early career ophthalmologists (generalists and specialists) may also be considered. The deadline for scholarship applications is Thursday 1st June 2023, 23:59 DST.

The part-time, two-year, online ChM programme is offered by the University of Edinburgh in partnership with the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and is designed to support specialist  trainees/residents/registrars in ophthalmology in the United Kingdom and internationally by providing advanced education for those preparing for the fellowship examinations of The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) and The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) and for those approaching consultancy.

The David and Molly Pyott Foundation has been funding this highly successful programme of scholarships in partnership with the University since 2016. A total of 48 scholars from 25 countries have been supported in their ChM studies to date, 32 of whom have completed the ChM so far. 2022 graduate and Pyott scholar, Dr Sankha Udakumbura, Sri Lanka, now a consultant ophthalmologist, was our top performing ChM student last year and is the winner of our prestigious Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Medal in Clinical Ophthalmology which will be conferred by the President of The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEs) in one of their diploma ceremonies in Edinburgh later this year. Dr Udakumbura is our third Pyott scholar to win the medal; the second was Dr Naseer Ally, ophthalmologist from South Africa, in 2021; and the first was Dr Julia Heringer, ophthalmologist from Brazil, in 2018.

This initiative has seen trainee and qualified ophthalmologists (generalists and specialists) from a range of low resource settings being educated at Masters level, online, as part of their journey to becoming consultant/specialist ophthalmologists. The online, part time nature of the ChM means that students can study in their home countries without having to take time out of practice or training, whilst continuing to deliver critical care in regions with ophthalmic workforce capacity issues and adapting to training and working on the frontline in the battle against COVID-19.

Six of the twelve scholarships on offer will support trainees/residents/registrars in ophthalmology and qualified early career ophthalmologists with leadership potential who are nationals of and are resident/working in member countries of the College of Ophthalmology of Eastern, Central and Southern Africa (COECSA) (Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, South Sudan (Republic), Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia).

Applicants can find more information, graduate testimonials and apply here:

www.ed.ac.uk/ophthalmology/masters

Applications for admission to the ChM close on 25^th August 2023 for September 2023 entry.