I think it's safe to just say that ophtho overall is competitive. I agree that you should apply to as many programs as you can, no matter what your numbers are. Numbers aren't everything...even people with great numbers sometimes don't match. Conversely a lot of people with so-so numbers match just fine. When I sit with attendings on interviews on the other side of the table now, I realize what a subjective process it all is. Such a crap shoot. And, your impression of a program based on ONE day of interviews will also be quite subjective.
About Georgetown...since its merger with Washington Hospital Center, I think it's become an even stronger program, because there's a nice mix of exposure to clinical independence (in the very busy resident clinic) and to a faculty practice-like setting (different pace, less independent, one could argue more "cush"). They have Saturday morning lectures though...I don't know if that's changed since I rotated there.
Ophtho is awesome...if you're interested, go for it. Do the ophtho rotations as soon as possible to get your feet wet. What gets you honors varies by school. At my school, I was required to give a grand rounds presentation in front of the whole department. I would speak with the rotation director and make it clear you're applying to ophtho, and find out what you need to do to honor. During my rotation, I just pretty much dived in and saw patients, applanated, wrote notes, presented to attendings, etc. I even attempted to refract and use the indirect (but, I really struggled, of course). The residents are too busy to hold your hand. And in residency, no one will hold your hand. In a specialty like ophtho, if you're not in front of the slit lamp looking at the actual pathology, you're going to miss out. Otherwise, just stand back and watch the patient put his/her chin in front of a microscope. And try to get into the OR...hopefully there will be a TV monitor for you to watch if you can't scrub in.
Good luck!
