Peds/Glaucoma

[TicToc22]

Hey everyone,

PGY-1 intern here going into ophtho and very interested in peds ophtho. I was considering doing a fellowship in glaucoma as well and doing stabismus as well as congenital/pediatric glaucoma. Just out of curiosity, what might the job market be like for someone trained in both? Might the extra surgical volume from glaucoma increase the peds salary a bit? How much active research is currently underway in congenital/pediatric glaucoma? Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[7ontheline]

Truthfully, peds/strabismus and glaucoma don't really overlap that much. Pediatric glaucoma, particularly infantile glaucoma, is pretty rare. Personally, I don't think having both really will affect greatly what sort of position you may end up in, rare academic positions excepted of course. It certainly would not be a disadvantage, but I bet most practices would either need a peds person or a glaucoma person, not necessarily both. If you're really interested in peds, there are probably peds fellowships out there that do some peds glaucoma also. I can't think of any glaucoma fellowships that do any muscles though. Blah blah blah, standard disclaimer of "Do whatever makes you happy" applies of course.

 

[orbitsurgMD]

Hey everyone,

PGY-1 intern here going into ophtho and very interested in peds ophtho. I was considering doing a fellowship in glaucoma as well and doing stabismus as well as congenital/pediatric glaucoma. Just out of curiosity, what might the job market be like for someone trained in both? Might the extra surgical volume from glaucoma increase the peds salary a bit? How much active research is currently underway in congenital/pediatric glaucoma? Thanks!

There is no practical overlap in practice. Peds practices do lots of strabismus and if you are interested, neonatal evaluations. Of course they do lots of consultations on children including some with glaucoma. You don't necessarily need a glaucoma fellowship separately to deal with pediatric glaucoma, but it might be worthwhile looking for a preceptor that does have a pediatric glaucoma practice.

Most glaucoma subspecialists have adult practices exclusively. The nature of pediatric practice does not lend itself well to mixing with the generally (very) senior-aged glaucoma practices.

Peds glaucoma is relatively rare. I doubt you could have a viable practice in that alone.

 

[TicToc22]

Honestly i was thinking more along the lines of an academic practice. I knew pediatric glaucoma was rare, that's why i figured i could fill in the gaps with strabismus, but take as many glaucoma cases as i can....as well as teach and do research. But if peds and glaucoma really are that unrelated, and doing both doesn't make sense even for academics, that's a different story...

 

[smiegal]

This is not a practical combo (I'm trying to think of an equally impractical combo....maybe Neuro and Refractive?).

You might consider doing peds and trying to arrange to work with the glaucoma person at that program on whatever peds glaucoma cases present while you're there.

 

[DrEyeBall]

Who treats pediatric glaucoma is a function of where you are and where you train. In some places, the glaucoma people do it and in others, the peds people do it.

If you are still interested in it during your residency, you will need to find a fellowship in one or the other where that sub-specialty treats the children with glaucoma.

However, make sure you enjoy peds or glaucoma if you pick one or the other. As everyone has mentioned, it is a rare disease. Even the busiest people in the country could never do it fulltime. If you do a peds fellowship because you like ped glaucoma, you better like strabismus also. Likewise, if you do a glaucoma fellowship, it should be because you like general glaucoma. You will never do enough ped glaucoma alone.