Is ophto researched a requirement for residency?

[dangit]

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I've been searching thru posts and couldn't come to a definite answer. My question is, do you need to have specifically ophto research experience or will any research experience be good enough if i'm trying to get an ophthalmology residency position?

I'm a first year and I talked to the research director at my school and there aren't too many opportunities (especially no ophto) since I go to an osteopathic school, but he's willing to take me on. However, he says that you don't need research experience specifically for ophto. He said any research is fine. I trust him, but I've heard so many other things from others that I'm confused. I'm hoping someone can shed some light on this issue. Thank you! 🙂

 

[DKofLV]

I've been searching thru posts and couldn't come to a definite answer. My question is, do you need to have specifically ophto research experience or will any research experience be good enough if i'm trying to get an ophthalmology residency position?

I'm a first year and I talked to the research director at my school and there aren't too many opportunities (especially no ophto) since I go to an osteopathic school, but he's willing to take me on. However, he says that you don't need research experience specifically for ophto. He said any research is fine. I trust him, but I've heard so many other things from others that I'm confused. I'm hoping someone can shed some light on this issue. Thank you! 🙂

Research is good...OphtHo research is better...and coming from a DO school you need to work harder because of the stigma associated with the DO degree (whether fair or not). I'd aim to do some meaningful Ophthalmology research if you're serious about trying to match. I am by no means saying it cannot be done, as I know for a fact that DOs do match in Ophthalmology every year, but they are fewer than their MD counterparts.

 

[dangit]

Research is good...OphtHo research is better...and coming from a DO school you need to work harder because of the stigma associated with the DO degree (whether fair or not). I'd aim to do some meaningful Ophthalmology research if you're serious about trying to match. I am by no means saying it cannot be done, as I know for a fact that DOs do match in Ophthalmology every year, but they are fewer than their MD counterparts.

the problem is there aren't ophtho research opportunities where I attend school...otherwise i'd definitely jump on the opportunities...

 

[DKofLV]

the problem is there aren't ophtho research opportunities where I attend school...otherwise i'd definitely jump on the opportunities...

Then go find some...or dont. It's up to you.

 

[MAYOphtho]

the problem is there aren't ophtho research opportunities where I attend school...otherwise i'd definitely jump on the opportunities...

If you are a first year med student, I'd start now by asking programs near you to set up a summer research job (paid or unpaid...most likely unpaid). That way you can start the early work right now and dive in for the summer and maybe get some meaningful research done. Does that make sense?

 

[cme2c]

Any research is good, but ophtho is better. People do understand that you may not have access to an academic ophtho department, but if there is a DO school there is likely to be Ophtho around. Even private practice docs may have a need for some research. I did a project with some docs to put a number on their LASIK outcomes. It wasn't published, but the docs gave me a great letter because I worked hard on the project. By the time I was done with the project, I had a good grasp on the terminology, etc that really helped me on my rotation.

When I look at applications, I want to see that they REALLY want to do Ophtho. I want to see that they know what Ophtho is all about. That means more than one month of rotations, ophtho research, etc. You would be surprised how many applicants don't really know what the field involves, etc. We want people that have a passion for it.

 

[Andrew_Doan]

Consider this article: http://www.medrounds.org/ophthalmology-pearls/2009/09/matching-in-ophthalmology-and-then.html

"I'm not necessarily worried if an applicant has shown promise in a different field (say, publications in cardiology or OB-GYN) but chooses to go into ophthalmology. To use a sports analogy, I look for the "best available athlete," rather than "drafting by need." When Ed Maumenee was chair here, he never gave a damn whether his residents got along; he selected residents he thought would become chairmen somewhere. I don't have that luxury in an era of duty hour rules; selfish residents make unhappy classes, and unhappy classes make more work for me AND generally make it harder to recruit the next batch of residents."

 

[dangit]

Thank you everyone for your posts thus far. They've been helpful and informative.

So, I found out a professor at my school is doing research related to the biochemical process of degeneration in the eyes (i forgot the name of the exact disease, but it is indeed a congenital ocular pathology). Would this be considered as ophthalmology research or does ophthalmology research have to do more with clinical research (ie patient contacts, rather than bench lab research)?

 

[CastroViejo]

no it does not have to be clinical, that sounds like a great project to me

 

[Visionary]

So, I found out a professor at my school is doing research related to the biochemical process of degeneration in the eyes (i forgot the name of the exact disease, but it is indeed a congenital ocular pathology). Would this be considered as ophthalmology research or does ophthalmology research have to do more with clinical research (ie patient contacts, rather than bench lab research)?

Definitely jump on that project! Sounds good. I agree with what has been said previously. Ophthalmology-related research will be more beneficial to you, if for no other reason than you demonstrate the motivation to seek it out, rather than take an easy-to-find project in another field simply to get research experience.

 

[dangit]

thank you all for your posts! 🙂