Ophthalmology: does it require above-average surgical skills?

[Eddie T]

I am about to choose which specialty I will candidate for. I am thrilled by ophthalmology, but the only thing curbing my enthusiasm is a slight reservation regarding my surgical skills, which I have not been able to test on a scale as delicate as eye surgery.

I would love to hear from others whether or not ophthalmology requires exceptional surgical skills or dexterity. I think it is a doubt many current residents have been faced with. I suppose the magnyfing adds to the precision of movements, but to what extent?

Thanks!

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[7ontheline]

Exceptional skills? No. Adequate coordination and dexterity? Yes. Almost everyone can be trained to be a reasonably good surgeon IMO, at least hands-wise. Some pick it up faster, some slower, but almost always. In my experience those who don't get better at surgery are not because of their physical skills but more because of the way they mentally approach surgery. They are either very nervous, or not anticipating the next step/potential problem, or not thinking through things so that small problems constantly appear and then snowball into larger problems instead of being fixed.

 

[JMK2005]

Agree with the above. Attention to the details is very important. As a medical student and watching attendings/residents operate, it often seemed so easy. My first time in the driver's seat, it's alot harder than it appears.

You'll lean that there are a lot of little adjustments good surgeons make to make a surgery go smoothly (ie positioning of the chair, microsope, posture, draping of the patient, elbow/wrist position...)

 

[MR1]

Without doing a pubmed search at the moment, I remember some study looking at how many residents don't cut it surgically and basically every year out of 450 or so of them only a handful get "recommended" by there PD to do medical ophtho. So agree thirdly with above, I wouldn't worry about it, some come to it easier than others but almost all get it in the end.