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EW INTERNATIONAL
June 2015
Reference
Subramaniam B, Hande S, Komattil R. Atten-
dance and achievement in medicine: inves-
tigating the impact of attendance policies on
academic performance of medical students.
Ann Med Health Sci Res. 2013 Apr;3(2):202–5.
Editors' note: Drs. Nukala, Talari,
Harish, and Tuano have no financial
interests related to their comments.
Contact information
Harish: harishmsophthal@gmail.com
Nukala: nukal143@gmail.com
Talari: drsrinivastalari@gmail.com
Tuano: pmctuano@yahoo.com
said Naveen Nukala, MS, Chitra Eye
Center, Hyderabad, India. "The state
government decides to which rural
area students can be sent."
Credentialed, but respected?
Dr. Nukala thinks that there should
be a universal qualification criterion
to become an ophthalmologist.
"Only then can we improve the
quality of our treatments globally,"
he said.
Even if there were such univer-
sal criteria, ophthalmologists might
be divided over which parts of the
planet had more reputable ophthal-
mologists—as they are today.
"Do you think being certified
as an ophthalmologist or going to
medical school in the West increas-
es one's reputation in the field?"
EyeWorld asked the Indian ophthal-
mologists.
Dr. Nukala answered: "Not at
all. The reputation will be increased
by your practice and knowledge
only and not on the basis of loca-
tion of our medical school."
Dr. Talari answered: "No, I don't
think so. India's practice in oph-
thalmology is very stringent and
apt for any medical professional to
successfully emerge as an ophthal-
mologist."
Dr. Harish answered: "Yes,
because in India people have always
been attracted toward foreign-certi-
fied doctors."
EyeWorld asked similar
questions further afield—over in
the Philippines—and heard back
from Prospero Ma. C. Tuano, MD,
professor (retired), Department of
Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences,
University of the Philippines.
Dr. Tuano, who is board sec-
retary of the Philippine Board of
Ophthalmology, noted after men-
tioning a rigorous list of Philippines
ophthalmology certification pre-
requisites, that "there are certain
advantages of finishing training or
obtaining certification in the West."
"Indeed, his [the physician's]
reputation will be enhanced and he
will be often invited to join the ac-
ademe and act as a resource speaker
in various symposia. It is the per-
ception that standards in the West
are higher, hence, more difficult to
hurdle. Having done so will reflect
on the better skill and competence
of the person," Dr. Tuano said. EW
