Sorry for my absence

[Andrew_Doan]

Thank you for all your comments, support, and encouragement. I have enjoyed meeting some of you at meetings face-to-face.

I have been busy, and now as I roll off the Young Ophthalmologist Committee for the AAO as Chair and give the command to my good friend Robert Melendez, MD, I would like to devote some time in mentoring and helping on SDN again. I enjoy helping young physicians find their way into the profession I love. For the sake of time and "bang for the buck", I will not answer private messages. Please post questions to me publicly so that our discussion will benefit others who follow behind you. I hate saying the same things over, and over again.

Let's revive this YO Forum!

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[Visionary]

Was surprised to log in and see a post from you the other day. It's been a long time. Welcome back! Have no doubt you've been busy. From what I can see, you've been doing lots of good stuff with the AAO. Rob's a good guy to be handing the reins to. Guys like you and Rob have provided a lot of wisdom and support to those of us who have followed. Thanks!

 

[Andrew_Doan]

Was surprised to log in and see a post from you the other day. It's been a long time. Welcome back! Have no doubt you've been busy. From what I can see, you've been doing lots of good stuff with the AAO. Rob's a good guy to be handing the reins to. Guys like you and Rob have provided a lot of wisdom and support to those of us who have followed. Thanks!

Thanks for your message. I can't believe it's been more than 10 years that I first posted in this forum. It was my activity on this forum that helped the AAO find me and seek me to join the YO Committee. Glad to see you still peruse the forums.

 

[golfman]

I had just a quick, general question for you. I'm just getting my rank list ready, and am having a much tougher time than I thought I would. I'm really having a tough time deciding between a few top programs in locations where my family (wife and 2 young kids) and I would not be as happy due to safety concerns and affordability of housing (Wills, Bascom, Hopkins), and some programs that are still good programs but are in locations where we would be very comfortable and could afford decent housing (like Casey, Oklahoma, etc...).

I'm planning on going into private practice, most likely. Does where you train really matter if you are doing private practice? I would assume it would help get referrals from other Ophthalmologists, but I don't know how much it would help. I assume it may help you get a private practice job as well, if you trained at one of the top places.

Any insight would be appreciated.

Sorry, maybe this young ophthalmologist forum isn't the best place for this question, but I'll just keep it here.

 

[Andrew_Doan]

I had just a quick, general question for you. I'm just getting my rank list ready, and am having a much tougher time than I thought I would. I'm really having a tough time deciding between a few top programs in locations where my family (wife and 2 young kids) and I would not be as happy due to safety concerns and affordability of housing (Wills, Bascom, Hopkins), and some programs that are still good programs but are in locations where we would be very comfortable and could afford decent housing (like Casey, Oklahoma, etc...).

I'm planning on going into private practice, most likely. Does where you train really matter if you are doing private practice? I would assume it would help get referrals from other Ophthalmologists, but I don't know how much it would help. I assume it may help you get a private practice job as well, if you trained at one of the top places.

Any insight would be appreciated.

Sorry, maybe this young ophthalmologist forum isn't the best place for this question, but I'll just keep it here.

I was placed in a similar situation with a young family and cost of living issues, as well as safety. For my family, having an environment that was family-friendly was extremely important as I was have marital issues stemming from my "video game addiction". We needed an environment to heal and grow as a family. I tell my story in www.hooked-on-games.com

There are many programs that are AWESOME and will prepare you for both an academic and private practice career. To name a few: Michigan, Casey, Utah, Iowa, Oklahoma, and many, many others.

Hope this helps!

 

[MR1]

I had just a quick, general question for you. I'm just getting my rank list ready, and am having a much tougher time than I thought I would. I'm really having a tough time deciding between a few top programs in locations where my family (wife and 2 young kids) and I would not be as happy due to safety concerns and affordability of housing (Wills, Bascom, Hopkins), and some programs that are still good programs but are in locations where we would be very comfortable and could afford decent housing (like Casey, Oklahoma, etc...).

I'm planning on going into private practice, most likely. Does where you train really matter if you are doing private practice? I would assume it would help get referrals from other Ophthalmologists, but I don't know how much it would help. I assume it may help you get a private practice job as well, if you trained at one of the top places.

Any insight would be appreciated.

Sorry, maybe this young ophthalmologist forum isn't the best place for this question, but I'll just keep it here.

If you are going to do comprehesive, where you train matters only in the fact that you get good training. Wills, Bascom, Casey, or Oklahoma all give you excellent overall training. Some "top" programs may not. I would err on your family side, if they aren't happy, you won't get good training because you are dealing the family problems. Also Casey and OK are amazing programs and if you decide to do a fellowship, both will give you amazing opportunities that rival the other 3 you named. It is not like you are comparing Wills to a small unknown state school and even then I might still consider the state school to keep the family happy, as long as the training was good. Top programs and small state schools can obviously go both ways as far as training and fellowship placement.

 

[golfman]

Thanks for both of your replies! They were quite helpful.

 

[Visionary]

I would echo the comments above. I was in a similar situation when looking at residency: married with two young kids. I based my applications and final rank list mainly on location. I preferred to be no more than a day's drive away from the grandparents. I also wanted decent, safe housing without having to struggle financially. The fact is that as long as you receive solid training, it doesn't really matter where you go. Very few patients even ask where I trained. If you are set on academics and/or a fellowship, particularly in a competitive subspecialty like retina/plastics, a more prestigious residency will definitely open doors, but even then, it's not a necessity. Another thing to keep in mind is that the overwhelming majority of ophthalmologists (and likely doctors in general), practice within 200 miles of where they trained for either medical school, residency, or fellowship. This is because many jobs are obtained through contacts you make during training.

 

[tm12]

For my family, having an environment that was family-friendly was extremely important as I was have marital issues stemming from my "video game addiction". We needed an environment to heal and grow as a family. I tell my story in www.hooked-on-games.com

I once did a presentation on internet and video game addiction. It's pervasive and it's probably only gotten worse with our mobile devices. Most people on SDN (including myself) probably have some degree of internet addiction.

 

[Andrew_Doan]

I once did a presentation on internet and video game addiction. It's pervasive and it's probably only gotten worse with our mobile devices. Most people on SDN (including myself) probably have some degree of internet addiction.

Sadly, I was consumed by 40-50 hours/week for over a decade of gaming during medical school. My book is transparent, raw, and opens the door on this ugly addiction. I know doctors who have lost their medical licenses because they neglected patient care!

 

[Andrew_Doan]

The fact is that as long as you receive solid training, it doesn't really matter where you go. Very few patients even ask where I trained.

So true! I met with the VP of www.vitals.com, and he said vitals.com attracts over 8 million patients monthly to the website. Two-thirds go directly to the comments about the doctors. Most people do not know that University A is superior to University B. Patients care more about reviews, comments, and star-ratings.

 

[Andrew_Doan]

Sadly, I was consumed by 40-50 hours/week for over a decade of gaming during medical school. My book is transparent, raw, and opens the door on this ugly addiction. I know doctors who have lost their medical licenses because they neglected patient care!

I am working on my second book, The Biggest 24: Harnessing Your Full Potential in the Digital Age

I hope I can transfer some of my knowledge and experiences to others to inspire them to create great things in this world. I am really excited about the second book as the first book is about the ugly details of video game addiction that almost consumed me during medical school and residency. For one, I developed really bad carpel tunnel syndrome that inhibited my surgical proficiency as a second year resident. I had to take maximum ibuprofen doses daily to even write in the medical chart! It turns out there are millions of Japanese who have become reclusive to indulge on media and video games: http://www.hooked-on-games.com/blog/37-hikikomori-our-lost-generation-in-the-digital-era.html

The Biggest 24 is a fun book and inspiring one for me to write as I don't really care if it sells a lot of books if only one person can benefit. I have already succeeded with The Biggest 24 as there are three kids who will benefit from my book, my kids.

 

[golfman]

Just in case people were wondering what I chose, I ended up ranking family friendly programs the highest. I actually ended up somewhere you mentioned, Dr. Doan (either MIchigan, Casey, Iowa, Utah, or Oklahoma).

It was a tough decision, and I wasn't sure if I had made the right decision, until match day. When we got the call, my wife and I were as happy as can be, and I knew we had made the right decision. We're going to be able to live in a good sized house with a yard, in a safe city with great schools, and I'll still be training at a top 10 (or top 15) program with tons of great fellowship options. The absolute best of both worlds for me and my little family.

My advice to those coming up with a wife and kids is to find a program with a good balance of things that are important to you. For me, it was a balance between prestige, quality of training, family friendliness of the city, and affordability. That balance will be different for everybody, hence why everyone's rank list is different.

All this being said, I didn't feel right ranking not well-respected programs in family friendly cities ahead of top 5 schools in not family friendly cities. Again, it comes back to balance. I was lucky to find a program with just the balance I was looking for. I wish the same luck to all future applicants.

 

[Visionary]

Just in case people were wondering what I chose, I ended up ranking family friendly programs the highest. I actually ended up somewhere you mentioned, Dr. Doan (either MIchigan, Casey, Iowa, Utah, or Oklahoma).

It was a tough decision, and I wasn't sure if I had made the right decision, until match day. When we got the call, my wife and I were as happy as can be, and I knew we had made the right decision. We're going to be able to live in a good sized house with a yard, in a safe city with great schools, and I'll still be training at a top 10 (or top 15) program with tons of great fellowship options. The absolute best of both worlds for me and my little family.

My advice to those coming up with a wife and kids is to find a program with a good balance of things that are important to you. For me, it was a balance between prestige, quality of training, family friendliness of the city, and affordability. That balance will be different for everybody, hence why everyone's rank list is different.

All this being said, I didn't feel right ranking not well-respected programs in family friendly cities ahead of top 5 schools in not family friendly cities. Again, it comes back to balance. I was lucky to find a program with just the balance I was looking for. I wish the same luck to all future applicants.

Congrats, golfman!

 

[Andrew_Doan]

I once did a presentation on internet and video game addiction. It's pervasive and it's probably only gotten worse with our mobile devices. Most people on SDN (including myself) probably have some degree of internet addiction.

God is using my "video game & Internet addiction" for good things, like protecting our profession we love. Check out this article:

Are top doctors ready to gamify? The gamification of online reviews.
http://www.credentialprotection.com/news/37-why-top-doctors-are-gamifying-online-reviews.html

 

[Andrew_Doan]

I once did a presentation on internet and video game addiction. It's pervasive and it's probably only gotten worse with our mobile devices. Most people on SDN (including myself) probably have some degree of internet addiction.

I was interviewed recently. Here are the articles:

Press Enterprise:
http://www.pe.com/local-news/rivers...-author-writes-about-video-game-addiction.ece

Outpatient Surgery Magazine:
http://www.outpatientsurgery.net/digital-edition/?i=issues&y=2012&m=03&pg=5

Boston Globe (the writer changed my training to "Neurosurgery" - LOL:
http://articles.boston.com/2012-01-...entertainment-software-association-video-game