Seeing double in a microscope. Can I still become a pathologist?

[schrizto]

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I think pathology is a good fit for my personality and I'm very interested in it. However, I also have this weird defect where I always see double whenever I look through something divided between the two eyes, like binoculars, and yes, microscopes. This was discovered in high school. I consulted an ophthalmologist who said this cannot be corrected, and the only thing to do is to use one eye on the microscope.

Does this rule me out for pathology? I understand this may also impact being able to do certain kinds of surgery, but I'm not as interested in that. I want people who know the specialty to be honest with me, so I can change my mind while it's early and before I become too set on anything.

 

[yaah]

Ultimately it is up to you. Some pathologists function fine with one eye. If I were you I would get as much microscope experience as I could, to see if it was something I could tolerate. I might also get a second opinion about whether it will ever correct on its own or something can be done.

 

[xanthines]

yaah, is right. You should definitely get a second opinion. It sounds like your problem might, MIGHT be correctable with some prisms installed into eyeglasses. Essentially, you'd be wearing bifocals like an old fogey and would be bumping them into the eyepiece all the time, but it might correct your double vision.

They might help your overall quality of life. I hadn't realized that I was getting tired after reading because of this. For better or worse, I can sit in front of a book or computer a lot longer now...

-X

 

[APCPPathologist]

I think pathology is a good fit for my personality and I'm very interested in it. However, I also have this weird defect where I always see double whenever I look through something divided between the two eyes, like binoculars, and yes, microscopes. QUOTE]

A good friend of mine in medical school had the same problem. She tried to get a single ocular from the local microscope shop and they spent some time teaching her some exercises to get binocular. She had problems the first week- but after that she said it was fine. May not be the same problem, but either an optho or maybe someone who really knows scopes (old school microscope sales shop) may be helpful. As an aside, my friend is now practicing rads---so she's doing really fine.

 

[Mikes Placebo]

I know of a handful of people who have experienced "double vision" while using a microscope.

However, in all cases, this is corrected by adjusting the interpupilary distance on the head of the microscope as well as using TWO adjustable eyepieces with diopters instead of standard 10x eyepieces.

The adjustable eyepieces can be purchased from a <style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } -</style> Microscope company.

I don't want to say that your optimologist is wrong, but if you can see out of your right eye, and you can see out of your left eye, the combination of the eyepieces and the siedentopf head (adjustable head on the microscope) will correct your issue.

The other option you have is digital pathology, which uses a microscopy camera to display what appears in the field of view of the microscope onto a screen.

Here's a link: <style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style>
Microscope Camera for Pathology