Ownership of direct ophthalmoscopes by medical students

Summary. In September 1986 the Department of Education and Science withdrew the equipment grant for clinical medical students. This coincided with a reduction of 50% in the level of ownership of direct ophthalmoscopes amongst a group of 51 medical students who commenced their medical studies after September 1986 (no longer eligible for the equipment grant), when compared with a group of 63 students (in the same clinical year) who started the medical course before 1 September 1986 and who were hence still able to claim the equipment grant. The majority of non‐owners gave lack of finance as the reason for non‐ownership. Owners of ophthalmoscopes performed ophthalmoscopy more frequently than non‐owners, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. 1992 Blackwell Publishing