Medical student achieves top result in international ophthalmology exam

Congratulations to final-year BM5 student Aman Iftikhar, who placed seventh out of 658 medical students from 81 medical schools in the 2026 Duke-Elder Undergraduate Prize Examination.

Run by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, the Duke-Elder examination is a challenging undergraduate competition covering areas beyond the standard medical curriculum, including clinical ophthalmology, optics, ocular anatomy and physiology, pathology and statistics.

As Vice-President of the University’s Ophthalmology Society, Aman hopes his achievement will encourage more Southampton students to explore ophthalmology and take part in the competition.

Working with OphthalSoc, he plans to run a preparation session for students interested in sitting the exam next year, sharing his approach to revision, useful resources and what to expect on the day. He also hopes to create a short guide for future Southampton candidates.

“I hope that seeing a Southampton student do well will encourage more people to sit the exam in future years,” said Aman. “I’d like to use this experience to help others build confidence in exploring specialties outside the core curriculum.”

Aman hopes to pursue specialty training in ophthalmology after completing the Foundation Programme.

Students interested in the Duke-Elder examination or seeking advice can contact Aman directly.