How did you become interested in ophthalmology?

[GeddyLee]

Well, like many of you, I have similar reasons for wanting to become an ophthalmologists. However, on the interview trail last year, I was asked the question "what got you interested in OPH?" rather than "why are you interested in OPH?"

How do you answer that question? Are they looking for some key event that spurred your interest, or do they just want to know your reasons?

What brought about your epiphonies that ophthalmology was your calling?

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[mdkurt]

I was all set to go for general surgery. I had letters, my 4th year rotations were ready. Then, after retracting my 4th liver in one morning, the little voice in the back of my head told me I wasn't going to be happy. At about the same time, I walked past the eye room, and saw cataract surgery on the screen. I watched a case while our room was being turned over, and that was all she wrote.

 

[Andrew_Doan]

Completing a PhD in neuroscience inspired me to pursue a field related to neurosensory function. I didn't think neurosurgery would allow me to spend much time doing research and teaching. Neurology and psychiatry seemed depressing and didn't allow me to operate.

On the other hand, ophthalmology is a natural draw because I'm able to care for patients, perform surgeries, and do eye research. Genetic and biomedical research for the eye is going to explode in the next few decades. I want to be a part of this research effort.

 

[Visionary]

I'm a sort of strange case. I completed a PhD in Perception & Sensory Physiology, with a research focus on parallel visual processing. Along the way, I worked with some ophthalmologists, including a brief period as an ophtho tech. Not surprisingly, I went to medical school specifically to pursue ophthalmology.

Geddy, surely you can think of a moment (or collection of such) that inspired you to pursue ophtho. It doesn't really matter if it was long ago (like mine) or near the last minute (like mdkurt). It also doesn't have to be a movie-of-the-week story. It could be that ophtho was simply one of a number of specialties you were considering, and once you shadowed an ophthalmologist, you were hooked.

 

[rjp202]

my answer's pretty simple too--i did an elective and i liked it. after my third year, i learned that i wanted to pursue a specialty that incorporated aspects of both medicine and surgery. initially, i considered interventional cards, and even did cardiovascular research for a year. ultimately, i found i was more interested in and my personality more in tune with ophthalmology. hope that helps and good luck.