Ophthalmology - research year or nah?

[somedayeyedoc]

I am a current M3 who is not sure whether to do a research year or apply to straight to ophthalmology. I am from a low-tier MD program without a home program, but am expecting a to receive a research letter plus 2 ophthalmology letters from ophthalmologists that I have worked with over the past year. My biggest concern is limited research in ophthalmology. Appreciate any advice, stats are below:

-Step 1: 244, Step 2: not yet taken
-MPH epidemiology
-Leadership positions in volunteer groups
-Research: 7 publications. 2-ophthalmology related case reports in small journals. 1 first author ophthalmology publication in small journal. 4 first author non-ophthalmology pubs.

Thank you for your time! Any advice is appreciated.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Banco]

It might help to ask yourself what you consider to be the weak part of your application and what the research year will add to your application. You already have a lot of quality publications, including a 1st author ophthalmology publication, an MPH, a research letter, and seem to have connections made within the field.

Your step 1 is good but slightly below average for Ophtho. I think crushing Step 2 + doing a bunch of away rotations may be bigger bang for your buck. You could of course do that on top of a research year. Either way it may be better to speak with your mentors on this.

 

[somedayeyedoc]

Thank you. I'm not at all banking on crushing Step 2, so I am going the more conservative route at the moment and planning the research year to have more to demonstrate and speak about for residency apps.

 

[Baller2016]

I’m an ophtho resident. I think you’ll have no problem matching. Good score, good pubs (and ophtho related), and 2 LORs from ophthalmologists is a solid app. Are they influential ophthalmologists by any chance?

Of course there’s always the risk of not matching in this super competitive field. But I honestly think you’ll match. Probably not at top programs like Iowa, Bascom, Wills but I think you could match at mid tier programs! Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[somedayeyedoc]

I’m an ophtho resident. I think you’ll have no problem matching. Good score, good pubs (and ophtho related), and 2 LORs from ophthalmologists is a solid app. Are they influential ophthalmologists by any chance?

Of course there’s always the risk of not matching in this super competitive field. But I honestly think you’ll match. Probably not at top programs like Iowa, Bascom, Wills but I think you could match at mid tier programs! Let me know if you have any questions.

@Baller2016 thanks for the advice.

No major ophthalmologists for LORs, they are two community docs that are surgery faculty at the university.

Current ophtho publications have been a challenge, of those mention previously only one (small case report) is published, the other (also small) two are in review. No projects on the horizon, no current poster/presentation opportunities.