How much neuroscience in optho?

[Yoyomama88]

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Do Opthos use a lot of neuroscience/neuroanatomy ? Or is this pretty much relegated to the subspecialty of neuro-optho?

 

[JMK2005]

Generally no. But there is a sub specialty neuro-ophthalmology that goes into much more detail on the neuroscience of the visual system.

 

[90 diopter]

In residency, yes.

In private practice, no. Anything resembling neuro-ophthalmology, so long as it isn't something that may imminently cause blindness or death, gets referred to the neuro-ophthalmologist.

 

[KLPM]

Do Opthos use a lot of neuroscience/neuroanatomy ? Or is this pretty much relegated to the subspecialty of neuro-optho?

If you love neuroscience then neurology or psychiatry are probably better career options. In particular, they lend themselves easily to basic neuroscience research too. Neurosurgery if you love neuroanatomy although I have heard it doesn't lend itself to neuroscience research that easily.

But having said that, it's like anything else, if you are interested you can always learn more about it. I have seen ophthalmologists who knew a ton of neuroanatomy and those who knew just enough to get by. Then again I also know an intensivist who knows a ton of quantum physics.

 

[Dusn]

Now if you're thinking about research, retina research and neuroscience research have a lot in common.

 

[MPMD]

Now if you're thinking about research, retina research and neuroscience research have a lot in common.

Agreed. I also think it depends on what you mean by "use neuroscience." If you mean perform a neurologic exam, ophthos can do an abbreviated kind of neuro exam, sometimes more in the neuro-ophtho arena. If you mean use neuroanatomy, ophthos can look at CTs/MRIs for something causing visual/orbital symptoms. If you mean study signal transduction or something of that ilk, ophthos can do research on visual molecular mechanisms. If you mean operate on neurologic structures, ophthos can operate on the retina and optic nerve.

So yes, I think if you want, you can have a ton of neuroscience in ophtho. If you don't want any, you can get away with very little too. The beauty of the field is that you can get problems and workups similar to neurology/IM, with microsurgical correction of these problems similar to ENT/neurosurg. With great outcomes and a great lifestyle to boot.

That, at least, is how I see it.

 

[ophthope]

The beauty of the field is that you can get problems and workups similar to neurology/IM, with microsurgical correction of these problems similar to ENT/neurosurg. With great outcomes and a great lifestyle to boot.

That, at least, is how I see it.

EXCEPT unlike IM we get to say "you should follow up with your PCP about that" and unlike neurosurgery when we operate people almost never die from it.

It's the best field in medicine, unless you can actually make yourself like dermatology.

 

[KLPM]

EXCEPT unlike IM we get to say "you should follow up with your PCP about that" and unlike neurosurgery when we operate people almost never die from it.

It's the best field in medicine, unless you can actually make yourself like dermatology.

Reminds me of a neurosurgeon who always said "they didn't die from the surgery. The disease just killed them anyway". Pretty cool guy.