Curriculum 2024

Curriculum 2024 is the new ophthalmic specialist training programme. Find out about how it is being developed and who is involved. Search the FAQs, view the videos, search the documents and keep up to date with the Newsletters.

Following GMC approval, the new OST Curriculum, known as Curriculum 2024, will be introduced at the start of the 2024-25 training year (August 2024), alongside a new training ePortfolio.The purpose of Curriculum 2024 is to train doctors to have and maintain the knowledge, skills and approach to practice that will ensure patients of all ages receive high-quality ophthalmology care within integrated, collaborative eye services in the National Health Service (NHS). Consultant ophthalmologists must be able to manage a high volume and complex workload, with clinical skills to deliver high-quality service as well as skills in research, innovation, and quality improvement techniques, including entire service transformation, management and leadership of the multi-disciplinary team.

All doctors in training from OST1 to OST5 will transfer to the new system. OST7s on course to complete their training before the end of September 2025 will stay on the current curriculum. There will be flexibility for those in OST6 to decide with their Educational Supervisor (ES) and Training Programme Director (TPD) which curriculum will benefit their training most.

Communication and resources

As well as providing access to the draft curriculum documentation, we will inform you about activities and updates as follows:

In addition to these resources, we introduce the first of a new series of Curriculum 2024 video bites. These will give you a quick insight into particular aspects of the new curriculum that we think will be of interest to you. If you have any suggestions for a video bite, please email them to [email protected].

Implementation timeline

Curriculum 2024 Documentation

The proposed new Curriculum 2024 lists high-level, overarching Learning Outcomes that capture the skills, knowledge and behaviours required by ophthalmologists in training and will assess overall capabilities in both clinical and generic professional skills. The Learning Outcomes are mapped to the Generic Professional Capabilities (GPCs) framework. These documents are currently waiting for GMC approval.

Curriculum 2024

The curriculum employs seven domains of practice framed around the GPCs framework. One of these domains, Patient Management (PM) is divided into twelve clinical special interest areas (SIAs).

Assessment Strategy

This document provides further detail on the range of assessment tools to be used by ophthalmologists in training to develop and demonstrate their knowledge and skills throughout their time in training.

Assessment Blueprint

This table lists the assessment methods mapped to the high-level, overarching Learning Outcomes.

Syllabi – Patient Management and other domains

The syllabi underpin the Learning Outcomes and list descriptors that will provide further guidance on how to demonstrate satisfactory achievement of the outcomes. These documents are currently waiting for GMC approval.