How to make the most of ophthalmology shadowing MS1

[slopes23]

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Approaching the end of MS1, I think I may be interested in doing ophthalmology. Have been doing some shadowing lately in clinic and the OR and really been enjoying it. However, I am concerned going forward that if I continue to shadow it will be more of a nuisance to the attending than anything.

My question is, how do I walk the line of engaged and showing continued interest while not being a bother since I am not really doing anything other than watching?
Related secondary question is, is there a way that I can be of more use for example during clinic that I could talk to the attending about? We precept in the ED and what not, and do initial patient interviews independently but ophthalmology clinic is a little different (obviously).

 

[Bluesclera]

Best would be to ask if you could shadow and learn from the ophthalmic technicians -learn how to refract with the phoropter, obtain an iop by various means, obtain a VA what does Counting fingers mean, etc. then you would be pretty useful to the attending. But also shadowing and seeing what the ophthalmologist does is fun as well


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[elementals]

Honestly I applaud you for being interested at all so far! My first week of ophtho was so dreadfully boring I very nearly ran screaming from the specialty. All I did was stand in dark rooms, and occasionally peer into training scopes (and get totally confused by what I was seeing... esp since half the time they were looking at the fundus through the other eye, so all I saw was blurry glare-y lights). My second week onward, when I started being able to do some stuff, was where it was at 🙂

Unfortunately, you're still pre-clinical, so don't be surprised if they just want you to stand there. In fact, unless your attending is really nice and thinks very highly of you, and unless your school has a culture of letting students do a lot, I might not even ask to do more -- you'd have to feel that relationship out for yourself; you don't want to give the impression of being That Guy/Girl who's pushy and overestimates him/herself. However, if you have a particularly nice attending, you can ask if they'll let you possibly help out on some of the easier things (incl the stuff Bluesclera mentions). If this is an academic attending, they'll probably have residents, and if you're competent the residents are usually happy to let you do the repetitive exam work for them (VA, color vision testing, VF by confrontation, etc etc) while they catch up on some notes.

 

[DrZeke]

Honestly I applaud you for being interested at all so far! My first week of ophtho was so dreadfully boring I very nearly ran screaming from the specialty. All I did was stand in dark rooms, and occasionally peer into training scopes (and get totally confused by what I was seeing... esp since half the time they were looking at the fundus through the other eye, so all I saw was blurry glare-y lights). My second week onward, when I started being able to do some stuff, was where it was at 🙂

Unfortunately, you're still pre-clinical, so don't be surprised if they just want you to stand there. In fact, unless your attending is really nice and thinks very highly of you, and unless your school has a culture of letting students do a lot, I might not even ask to do more -- you'd have to feel that relationship out for yourself; you don't want to give the impression of being That Guy/Girl who's pushy and overestimates him/herself. However, if you have a particularly nice attending, you can ask if they'll let you possibly help out on some of the easier things (incl the stuff Bluesclera mentions). If this is an academic attending, they'll probably have residents, and if you're competent the residents are usually happy to let you do the repetitive exam work for them (VA, color vision testing, VF by confrontation, etc etc) while they catch up on some notes.

Read Timothy root, Ophthobook to help follow along. My MS1 and MS2 shadowing was mostly to get a sense of day to day for a particular specialty and to see the spectrum of pathology and disease. I think watching in the OR is also a good idea. Don't be so focused on trying to do things as much as observing at this point... I got involved as an MS2 in glaucoma screenings and health fairs at my med school and in that setting I could check vision, pressure and run an FDT to do a cursory field test...

But watching and listening is also helpful when you really are just starting...


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