Oculoplastics

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FernandoV

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How competitive is it to get an oculoplastics fellowship?

I know that you need to apply during your 2nd year of residency so what do programs look for in applicants?

I am a 4th year student applying to ophtho and looking into the field. Does anyone have some suggestions/advice for someone at this point in the game in order to make them a more appealing applicant for fellowship? (obv matching into an ophtho program is a given; hopefully I make it past that hurdle!)

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How competitive is it to get an oculoplastics fellowship?

Very competitive. There are few fellowship positions open in any given year.


I know that you need to apply during your 2nd year of residency so what do programs look for in applicants?

Hard to say. Strong recommendations from your program director and also from oculoplastic surgeons who you have worked with are always good. Since most fellowships are small--one fellow usually every other year--there is no typical candidate. Having an interest in surgery that extends beyond the eye can help, particularly if you did a surgery internship and have some general plastic surgery exposure. In the end, the preceptor probably selects by picking the applicant he/she thinks they will get along well with since they will usually be working closely together for a couple of years.

I am a 4th year student applying to ophtho and looking into the field. Does anyone have some suggestions/advice for someone at this point in the game in order to make them a more appealing applicant for fellowship? (obv matching into an ophtho program is a given; hopefully I make it past that hurdle!)

Learn good wound management techniques. Do an elective in general plastic surgery if you can. I don't necessarily recommend doing oculoplastic surgery as a medical student as the exposure will likely be limited; you will get more benefit doing general plastics. I still draw on the the things I learned in the two general plastic surgery rotations I did in my last year of medical school, along with the month of plastics I did as a general surgery intern.
 
there 2 2 groups of fellowships: ASOPRS & non-ASOPRS. ASOPRS r all 2 yrs long, non-ASOPRS vary from 1-2 yrs. The only difference is that some people consider ASOPRS positions more prestigious & the instructors tend to be the more recognized folks in the field. There r ~28 ASOPRS fellowships, w/ ~14 spots per yr alternating even/odd yrs. There r ~10-14 non-ASOPRS spots/yr. So small field, & very competitive. Landing an ASOPRS spot is very difficult & largely depends on who u know / who ur plastics faculty know / pre-arranged deals prior to the match. Due to this many super candidates dont match into ASOPRS if they lack the above connections. The non-asoprs spots also rely on connections, but to a lesser extent & a super candidate will match w/o the above help. U can do private or academic after either of the fellowships as long as the non-asoprs training isnt going to someone's private office for a yr & learning a few things about lid/botox/lasers.

advice: try to go a residency w/ a well-known plastics faculty, that is eager to help its residents match; get involved w/ research papers/presentations early on & keep them cranking throughout; shine as a resident.

best of luck, it's a great field
 
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there 2 2 groups of fellowships: ASOPRS & non-ASOPRS. ASOPRS r all 2 yrs long, non-ASOPRS vary from 1-2 yrs. The only difference is that some people consider ASOPRS positions more prestigious & the instructors tend to be the more recognized folks in the field. There r ~28 ASOPRS fellowships, w/ ~14 spots per yr alternating even/odd yrs. There r ~10-14 non-ASOPRS spots/yr. So small field, & very competitive. Landing an ASOPRS spot is very difficult & largely depends on who u know / who ur plastics faculty know / pre-arranged deals prior to the match. Due to this many super candidates dont match into ASOPRS if they lack the above connections. The non-asoprs spots also rely on connections, but to a lesser extent & a super candidate will match w/o the above help. U can do private or academic after either of the fellowships as long as the non-asoprs training isnt going to someone's private office for a yr & learning a few things about lid/botox/lasers.

advice: try to go a residency w/ a well-known plastics faculty, that is eager to help its residents match; get involved w/ research papers/presentations early on & keep them cranking throughout; shine as a resident.

best of luck, it's a great field


I would recommend a university-affiliated program over anything else, regardless whether is was ASOPRS-approved or not. At the same time, I would not recommend any ASOPRS fellowship that didn't have an affiliation with a university medical center and an ophthalmology department. If you can, choose a program that has a good working relationship between ophthalmology and other related disciplines, general plastics, ENT and neurosurgery. The academic affiliation matters more than ASOPRS, which unfortunately has devolved into a members-only club of interest mostly to its own members.

For the most part, academic programs don't see ASOPRS as all that important, especially if you are already board-certified and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. In non-academic practice, ASOPRS membership is not important at all. Keep in mind, you can still become an ASOPRS member even if you don't do one of their approved fellowships after being in practice five years and writing a paper.
 
I agree 100% w/ the previous post. There r ASOPRS & non-ASOPRS positions entirely in private practice, try to stay away from them.
 
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