Realistic chance at switching into ophtho?

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[Bronze Medal]

Hey everyone,

I came into med school wanting to do another surgical subspecialty; however, a bad test day crushed me. As an MS3, I was now deciding between gen surg and IM/cards/GI. However, I realize I have absolutely no interest in internal medicine whatsoever and am much more excited by procedures. I surprisingly came across ophtho on my surgery rotation and saw a cataracts case, and I was immediately captivated.

My stats are:
Top 25 USMD with strong in-house ophtho program
Step 1 235
Clinical grades: Probably somewhere top 1/3
Research: 17 abstracts/posters and 4 manuscripts in print. However, none are in ophtho and are mostly in another surgical subspecialty or basic science
Extracurriculars: manager of a student-run clinic, president of another specialty interest group

I underperformed quite a bit on step 1 (predicted in 250s), but hopefully I improve on step 2. I have absolutely no issue with taking a research year and start racking up ophtho publications if it gives me a solid chance. Is it worth putting my life on hold for a year? If the odds are still slim after a research year, I would rather go straight into residency than delay the inevitable and be crushed again.

I would start by making connections at your home program where the program director may be able to advise you best. I do not think you will need a research year to match.

 

[singkwon]

Hey everyone,

I came into med school wanting to do another surgical subspecialty; however, a bad test day crushed me. As an MS3, I was now deciding between gen surg and IM/cards/GI. However, I realize I have absolutely no interest in internal medicine whatsoever and am much more excited by procedures. I surprisingly came across ophtho on my surgery rotation and saw a cataracts case, and I was immediately captivated.

My stats are:
Top 25 USMD with strong in-house ophtho program
Step 1 235
Clinical grades: Probably somewhere top 1/3
Research: 17 abstracts/posters and 4 manuscripts in print. However, none are in ophtho and are mostly in another surgical subspecialty or basic science
Extracurriculars: manager of a student-run clinic, president of another specialty interest group

I underperformed quite a bit on step 1 (predicted in 250s), but hopefully I improve on step 2. I have absolutely no issue with taking a research year and start racking up ophtho publications if it gives me a solid chance. Is it worth putting my life on hold for a year? If the odds are still slim after a research year, I would rather go straight into residency than delay the inevitable and be crushed again.

I would say take a year off for research to build the connections - and obviously do well on Step 2. When you enter a specialty you like and when you look back, this one year will mean nothing (there is all this hype that it’s one year of “lost salary”. Trust me: you will be happier both personally and professionally when you choose something you want to do in life). I posted the following in another thread almost a year ago. I know that the Ophthalmology match was recent. So congratulations to all those who matched and hope my story inspires those who went unmatched:

I went unmatched for a competitive specialty (Ophthalmology) which is an early match. (So I got my unmatched results through SFMatch around January and had to decide what to with my Prelim intern year through NRMP). I met with my dean who said my application was fine and I somehow fell through the cracks. She suggested that I go through with the match for internship and then reapply for my specialty. Thus the three options were to: (1) Go through NRMP and obtain an intern preliminary medicine position, (2) take a year off and delay graduation then reapply the following year as an “MS5”, or (3) graduate from medical school without immediate postgraduate training. After serious consideration, I opted for Option #3. As a result, I had no internship lined up. My plan was to do research with some big wig ophthalmologists and then reapply. This option as opposed to a straight internship would allow me opportunities to make more connections and also allow me time off to interview again for both preliminary intern positions and Ophthalmology positions.

I ended up matching my second time around. It was a scary path as it was deemed very non traditional as most medical students want to have something aligned right away after graduation. Bear in mind this research position was unofficial and unpaid. (I simply shared my situation with these ophthalmologists and asked if I could do some clinical work and research and publish with them. In a small field like ours, a strong letter / phone call from someone well known can go a long way). Now given it was unpaid, I took out an extra 20K in Stafford loans right before graduation to help with living and interview costs. It was an investment and today I am finished paying off my medical school student loans. Currently, I am a board certified ophthalmologist in private practice. Looking back it was a tough decision, but I have no regrets. Hope my story inspires others that the challenges and decisions you face help make you a stronger person. If you are committed and passionate about something, don’t be afraid to go for it even if you don’t get it in your first try!

 

[DrZeke]

Yeah, I matched first time around, but assessing my odds with my stats, I opted for a year off (it became 2) for research between 3rd and 4th year. It was a non-traditional path and it was scary for many, but I had lined up projects and mentors and felt confident. Ultimately, you have to pick good mentors and understand what must be done. Staying in your home program if they have no well known mentors can be a nail in the coffin. Don't do what is safe, do what is best. Figure out how you will finance this time, consider spending time away from a significant other for a year or two, consider being uncomfortable. In the end it will pay off as long as you have good advice and are honest and true about your application, and your self assessment.

Remember that your medical schools administration's goal is to have matched seniors. Doesn't matter what they match into. So, be careful about the advice you get from all the internists and family med people that tend to dominate med school admin. I loved my advisors in med school, but when I was doing something very non-trad, I turned to mentors within ophthalmology. Not all advice is the same.