Any updates on the oculofacial plastic surgery job market?

[Ophtho bro]

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I am an ophthalmology resident interested in oculoplastics and was wondering what the job market currently looks like as well as the future career growth pattern. Also, do most practices have you start out doing some comprehensive work such as cataracts or mainly start right into plastics?

 

[mjohnsonets]

I am an ophthalmology resident interested in oculoplastics and was wondering what the job market currently looks like as well as the future career growth pattern. Also, do most practices have you start out doing some comprehensive work such as cataracts or mainly start right into plastics?

Job market for them is strong if you're willing to work for it. I'll say plastics has not seen the run up in base salary the rest of ophthalmology has. The senior plastics doc are definitely making lots of money and always have because of low overhead but the base salaries being given out have not picked up.

I'd say an ASOPRS fellow is still likely to see around $250-$325K base in a physician-owned group. Plastics-only practices will be on the lower end but the overhead is lower so the bonus is higher.

Typically ASOPRS docs do not do cataracts or see comp patients but if you do a 1 year fellowship, that seems to be more common. If you're planning to practice in a major metro (saturated) and join a physician owned group with a partnership track, I'd encourage you to stay open minded about filling some of your time with comprehensive patients in clinic. This shows flexibility, something that's a good marker for a decent partner. Otherwise, if you really want to avoid comp patients, show the practice how you're going to market yourself and really do that with your free time.