choosing optho as a career?

[omgwtfbbq?]

Hi everybody, i'm in the position of trying to choose a specialty and I have some questions. I love medicine and I REALLY love procedures. I'd love to be a surgeon, but I'm not interested in general surgery, and I adore fine detail oriented work (steady handed is a plus). Thanks to a knee injury I have a lot of difficulty standing for medium to long periods of time. While I expect this to change in the future, I don't want to bank my residency on being able to stand up a lot. Someone suggested that I look into optho since I enjoy clinic and surgery and for all the reasons I suggested above. But honestly I don't know a lot about optho... our exposure to it is basically none unlesss we can get a 4th year elective and by then its late.

So could someone give me some suggestions? What do you love about it? What do you hate about it? Am I competitive enough with 220 on step 1?
And if its right, what can I do about it at this point to make myself competitive?

Thanks for your help. This whole choosing a specialty is so difficult with so little exposure to things.

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[4424]

Hi everybody, i'm in the position of trying to choose a specialty and I have some questions. I love medicine and I REALLY love procedures. I'd love to be a surgeon, but I'm not interested in general surgery, and I adore fine detail oriented work (steady handed is a plus). Thanks to a knee injury I have a lot of difficulty standing for medium to long periods of time. While I expect this to change in the future, I don't want to bank my residency on being able to stand up a lot. Someone suggested that I look into optho since I enjoy clinic and surgery and for all the reasons I suggested above. But honestly I don't know a lot about optho... our exposure to it is basically none unlesss we can get a 4th year elective and by then its late.

So could someone give me some suggestions? What do you love about it? What do you hate about it? Am I competitive enough with 220 on step 1?
And if its right, what can I do about it at this point to make myself competitive?

Thanks for your help. This whole choosing a specialty is so difficult with so little exposure to things.

start off by reading the sticky FAQ. that should help. i guess i would recommend contacting your ophtho dept and seeing if you could shadow and get a sense of clinic and OR before a formal elective if you have any free time in your schedule. i'd also read a little about ophtho and see if you find it interesting. 220 is on the low end and many people don't match with that step 1 but i wouldn't have that hold you back if you decide it's what you want. consider doing early aways, getting involved in research, etc. hopefully you have a home program to help you out! good luck, it's an awesome specialty

 

[speyeder]

The average Step 1 score this year for those who matched is 236.

 

[Stark]

Ophtho is a good procedural field. I like general surgery too but there was not enough "surgical precision" to it.

I recommend calling the local ophthalmologists and just shadowing them during your vacation or as a rotation. Most deans will allow it as your "community shadowing."

Stark

Ophthalmology Mnemonics

 

[dos palomas]

Deleted.

 

[drdolittle1]

Hi everybody, i'm in the position of trying to choose a specialty and I have some questions. I love medicine and I REALLY love procedures. I'd love to be a surgeon, but I'm not interested in general surgery, and I adore fine detail oriented work (steady handed is a plus). Thanks to a knee injury I have a lot of difficulty standing for medium to long periods of time. While I expect this to change in the future, I don't want to bank my residency on being able to stand up a lot. Someone suggested that I look into optho since I enjoy clinic and surgery and for all the reasons I suggested above. But honestly I don't know a lot about optho... our exposure to it is basically none unlesss we can get a 4th year elective and by then its late.

So could someone give me some suggestions? What do you love about it? What do you hate about it? Am I competitive enough with 220 on step 1?
And if its right, what can I do about it at this point to make myself competitive?

Thanks for your help. This whole choosing a specialty is so difficult with so little exposure to things.

Dentistry?

 

[JMK2005]

Dentistry?

Do you have something to say?

 

[s204367]

Guys,
Classmate of mine matched with a 206.......anything is possible.........

 

[Stark]

I've told this story before. . .

One of my class mates was in the bottom half of the class. Scored poorly on Step 1 and Step 2. He applied to every Radiology spot in the country (as competitive as Ophtho). He matched and he's a radiologist today.

It happens.

Stark

Mnemonics in Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology a Brief Review
USMLE Audio