Since coronavirus disease 2019 was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization, it has become a challenging situation to continue medical education, including in Indonesia. The situation prohibited face-to-face (direct) educational activities in clinical settings, therefore also postponing examinations involving especially procedural skills. Adaptations were urgently needed to maintain the delivery of high-stake examinations to sustain the number of ophthalmology graduates and the continuation of eye health service. Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) has been one of our widely used method to assess clinical competencies for ophthalmology residents, and is the one method that involves gatherings, close contact of examiners, examinees and patients, therefore the most difficult to adjust. Pandemic challenges brought technical changes in our delivering the OSCE to online, maximizing digital platforms of meetings, while still concerned to guarding the safety of candidates, patients and staffs. OSCE scenarios were also made as timely efficient as possible by changing continuous station models to a cascade one. The purpose of this article is to document our experience in conducting a feasible and reproducible OSCE in this pandemic era filled with limitations.

BackgroundEthambutol (EMB) is one of the first-line anti-tuberculosis therapy. One of its precarious side effects is ethambutol-induced optic neuropathy (EON). The ocular manifestations of EON include painless loss of central vision and cecocentral scotomas in the visual field. Case DescriptionA 60-year old man presented with gradual and painless visual loss since 3 months prior to visit. The accompanying symptoms were frequent headache without double vision and photophobia. He had been diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) for 9 months and consumed EMB for 7 months before being advised to discontinue. There was neither history of systemic diseases nor family history of neuropathy. Examination showed reduced visual acuity with positive relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD) on right eye. Humphrey test showed bilateral generalized visual loss. Ocular computed tomography (OCT) showed retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness was within normal limit. Magnetic resonance Imaging (MRI) brain indicated unremarkable result for optic neuropathy. Based on the examinations listed above, this patient was diagnosed as EON and EMB was stopped immediately. Patient was given oral citicoline 1000mg and zinc supplementation for one month. After 1 st and 3 rd month follow up, patient’s visual function was gradually improved. The ophthalmic examinations indicated recovery of the visual function. ConclusionsThis case suggested that an early detection and intervention in patient with EON has promising result in visual outcome. EON is a reversible optic neuropathy if the ocular toxicity is monitored closely among the tuberculosis patients who are prescribed EMB regiment.