Specialties like ophtho?

[Future DO]

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Hi,

I'm finally about to get some sleep after another long day of studying for Step I of USMLE and Comlex. One thing has been bothering me. As my medical school career has advanced, I have become increasingly aware that matching into an ophtho program is, well, extremely difficult, if not next to impossible. The problem is, I have wanted to become an ophthalmologist since I was 15. It was the only reason I came to medical school. I've worked hard, but a friend asked me tonight... "What if you don't match?". Of course I've thought of this before, but never got passed thinking, "Well, I'll just have to pick a different specialty". Now that one of the biggest factors in matching (Step I score) is afoot, I have begun to wonder if there is another specialty that I would like as much as eye surgery. I worked as an ophthalmic technician and co-authored a paper on glaucoma shunts, so I'm very aware of all the good and the bad. After all that, I know this is what I want to do. However, can anyone tell me of any specialties to investigate that have the things I love about ophtho? I know I enjoy that technical aspects of the micro surgery, the fact that you can have time for a wife and children, the lack of end of life issues, the gratification of resolving all of a patients symptoms in a matter of minutes, and (to mention death again) getting to not see people die every week. If anyone can help me out here, I would appreciate this. And please don't suggest anything that is as competitive or moreso than ophtho like ENT or Urology, because if I can't match ophtho those specialties would be irrelevant. Thanks in advance. Best wishes...

 

[Shnurek]

<--- 🙂
I say if you really want something in life badly enough you will most likely get it. Just keep applying and go for it 100%.

 

[eyehope]

Matching is difficult, but not as difficult as some other specialties like dermatology or radiation oncology (where you need top grades + unknown factor/connections). A good USMLE, good grades, +/- AOA will get you the interview. If you have a reasonable normal personality, you should be able to match. Apply widely and interview at as many places as you can.

I would cultivate the relationship with the ophthalmology program at your school. If you don't have a home program, try to do research or work with another program. If you have a good work ethic and are pleasant, most home programs will rank their students to match (as a safety).

As for other specialties, consider GI (though I think fellowship match is competitive), Interventional Radiology (a long haul, but there are many more radiology spots than ophtho spots - but, I'm not sure how competitive the match is for fellowship).

 

[speyeder]

As you alluded to the other surgical subspecialties are equally difficult to match into. A non-surgical option to consider if you are really interested in vision is neurology followed by a neuro-ophthalmology fellowship.

 

[JMK2005]

Hi,

I'm finally about to get some sleep after another long day of studying for Step I of USMLE and Comlex. One thing has been bothering me. As my medical school career has advanced, I have become increasingly aware that matching into an ophtho program is, well, extremely difficult, if not next to impossible. The problem is, I have wanted to become an ophthalmologist since I was 15. It was the only reason I came to medical school. I've worked hard, but a friend asked me tonight... "What if you don't match?". Of course I've thought of this before, but never got passed thinking, "Well, I'll just have to pick a different specialty". Now that one of the biggest factors in matching (Step I score) is afoot, I have begun to wonder if there is another specialty that I would like as much as eye surgery. I worked as an ophthalmic technician and co-authored a paper on glaucoma shunts, so I'm very aware of all the good and the bad. After all that, I know this is what I want to do. However, can anyone tell me of any specialties to investigate that have the things I love about ophtho? I know I enjoy that technical aspects of the micro surgery, the fact that you can have time for a wife and children, the lack of end of life issues, the gratification of resolving all of a patients symptoms in a matter of minutes, and (to mention death again) getting to not see people die every week. If anyone can help me out here, I would appreciate this. And please don't suggest anything that is as competitive or moreso than ophtho like ENT or Urology, because if I can't match ophtho those specialties would be irrelevant. Thanks in advance. Best wishes...

Being a DO will put you at a disadvantage as well. It's still early, so there are lots of things you can do. Try to get advice from upper classmen to see what you'll need to do in addition to assure a match from a DO's perspective.

 

[Future DO]

I appreciate the advice and the support. My biggest concern with ophtho is that it feels like you can do everything right to try and get in and sometimes it still doesn't happen. I guess I've heard one too many tales of (what I thought were) competitive applicants not making it... It's just kind of hard to imagine something I've wanted to do for a decade not happening after I've come all this way. Hopefully, I can repost in a year and a half and this will all be moot. Thanks again, guys!

 

[ping1050]

As a DO ophtho resident at an osteopathic program, I can tell you that it's really competitive for the DO spots, and even worse for the allopathic residencies (if you're a DO).

My backup was MD anesthesia, which combines some of the lifestyle advantages you mentioned along with doing a decent number of procedures. Try your best to get >600 on COMLEX, schedule audition rotations early, and be an easy going and interested student while on those rotations.

 

[echinoderm]

radiholiday and dermaholiday...

 

[KHE]

I appreciate the advice and the support. My biggest concern with ophtho is that it feels like you can do everything right to try and get in and sometimes it still doesn't happen. I guess I've heard one too many tales of (what I thought were) competitive applicants not making it... It's just kind of hard to imagine something I've wanted to do for a decade not happening after I've come all this way. Hopefully, I can repost in a year and a half and this will all be moot. Thanks again, guys!

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