Urology vs. Opthalmology

[beans11067]

Hi everyone,
I'm new to the forum and was just looking for some advice. I am currently an MSIII trying to decide what to do for residency. I am currently in between urology and ophthalmology. I know that there is a big difference, but I was drawn to these two fields, not because of lifestyle but because of subject matter. I had been decided on ophthalmology before, until I did urology during my surgery rotation. Urology really caught my eye, it was interesting pathology, had a good bit of medicine and surgery, and was really laid back. (and to say Bladder cancers with TURBTs really caught my eye) I had wanted something that would allow me to do both little bits of medicine and surgery, with good diagnostic medicine, and some but not all clinical work. I need some help Any input would be appreciated. Thanks

As to quote my previous urology resident: "I guess balls are balls "

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[urheald]

Hi everyone,
Urology really caught my eye,

How appropriate!

Sorry... I couldn't resist.

 

[Yosh]

Beans,
I was actually thinking along those same lines...but thought it better to refrain.

I think urologists in general have an "off-beat" sense of humor...

Applause!

 

[keye]

Do Ophtho all the way!!! Urology and Ophtho are facing reimbursement cuts... that might not be such an issue. But what is not debatable is that Ophthalmologists have access to many non HMO/medicare payer sources such as an optical shop that mints money and Lasix that people pay out of pocket for. Plus, come 10 years EVERY on will have cataracts as a baby boomer, but of those only half are men, and of those men, how many will have prostate CA,etc.????

 

[Mariah246]

Do Ophtho all the way!!! Urology and Ophtho are facing reimbursement cuts... that might not be such an issue. But what is not debatable is that Ophthalmologists have access to many non HMO/medicare payer sources such as an optical shop that mints money and Lasix that people pay out of pocket for. Plus, come 10 years EVERY on will have cataracts as a baby boomer, but of those only half are men, and of those men, how many will have prostate CA,etc.????

I'm pretty certain prostate CA will continue to be a fairly prominent disease especially with baby boomers coming of age.

As for optical shops/Lasix, there's a ton of competition in those environments both from fellow ophthos and optometrists.

I would caution against selecting a field based purely on "what I might be able to make cash-wise in the future"

Heck, we'd end up with just plastic surgeons with that mindset

 

[urheald]

I actually do see the resemblance between the two fields although many people will look at the funny when you mention, those are 2 you have narrowed it down to. In both you can directly visualize the internal tissue in question, good mix of OR and outpatient and both rely heavily and subsequently evolve in a exciting way with new technological developments. Not to mention, both are extremely competitive and lucrative.


I agree with Keye....OPH is an incredibly exciting field. While there are many similarities between OPH and Uro, one difference you will find is, better lifestyles among OPH MD's in general, (That is my opionion, please try to refrain from bashing me here) one difference you will find is a not only are the average salaries higher in OPH but the earning potential if you go into retina or oculoplastics is INSANE!

At the end, of the day, you have to ask yourself, which field will keep you the happiest. Try to look past residency and think about what you will be doing day in and day out as an attending. Residency is just a drop in the bucket, in terms of percentage of time spent.

Rectals, stool and sticky feet vs. slit lamps/fundoscope and bad breath? No brainer.

 

[speyeder]

I actually do see the resemblance between the two fields although many people will look at the funny when you mention, those are 2 you have narrowed it down to. In both you can directly visualize the internal tissue in question, good mix of OR and outpatient and both rely heavily and subsequently evolve in a exciting way with new technological developments. Not to mention, both are extremely competitive and lucrative.


I agree with Keye....OPH is an incredibly exciting field. While there are many similarities between OPH and Uro, one difference you will find is, better lifestyles among OPH MD's in general, (That is my opionion, please try to refrain from bashing me here) one difference you will find is a not only are the average salaries higher in OPH but the earning potential if you go into retina or oculoplastics is INSANE!

At the end, of the day, you have to ask yourself, which field will keep you the happiest. Try to look past residency and think about what you will be doing day in and day out as an attending. Residency is just a drop in the bucket, in terms of percentage of time spent.

Rectals, stool and sticky feet vs. slit lamps/fundoscope and bad breath? No brainer.

I'm an ophtho resident and I agree with most of the above.

Both are technologically-driven fields, probably more so in ophtho. Lots of toys, gadgets & tools for diagnosis and treatment.

Both have a nice mix of surgery & clinic.

Both are competitive surgical subspecialty fields that are conducive to having a life outside of work.

In general, urologists probably work more during residency and in practice.

According to the AMA-FREIDA website, the average ophtho resident works 51 hrs/week vs. 66 hrs/week for urology residents.

Most ophthalmologists in private practice work 45-50 hrs/week, and it's not unusual to have 4.5 day work-weeks.

The average salary and starting salaries are a tad higher in urology (? due to longer hours worked?)

Ophthalmology starting salaries are notoriously low but rise quickly after 2-3 years once you're a partner.

I also agree that certain subspecialties in ophthalmology such as retina, oculoplastics and high-volume refractive surgery may have a higher earning potential.

In the end both are great fields with a high demand in the future. The urology residents I've met in my program are a funny, smart, laid-back group.

 

[beans11067]

Thanks everyone for the advice .

 

[GalenAgas]

Funny that there are other people with this question. I'm making plans for a research year soon and I've narrowed the fields to these two.

From a quick search, it looks like the OP picked Ophtho. I think I might do the same but I can't shake the feeling that in general I like what urologists do more and the surgeries seem more interesting.

Any new thoughts? Is the OP still around?

 

[KinasePro]

Funny that there are other people with this question. I'm making plans for a research year soon and I've narrowed the fields to these two.

From a quick search, it looks like the OP picked Ophtho. I think I might do the same but I can't shake the feeling that in general I like what urologists do more and the surgeries seem more interesting.

Any new thoughts? Is the OP still around?

I believe this is what the choice will come down to for me, as well. These two specialties are head and shoulders above the rest, IMO. Though I'm probably leaning toward urology at the moment.

What I like about urology is that it seems to incorporate more medicine & general surgery (gotta know your way around the abdomen), and the ROS is generally more relevant to clinical decisions than in Ophtho. Ophtho is quite possibly the most niche specialty in medicine, but that definitely has its perks as well.

I personally think lifestyle is kind of a wash. Urologists tend to work more, but that is probably more by choice than due to demands of the job. There are plenty of urologists that dial it back to mostly-clinical practices with cushier hours. Anyway, this is a tough choice, I'll def be wrestling with it for the next yr or so.

 

[GalenAgas]

I believe this is what the choice will come down to for me, as well. These two specialties are head and shoulders above the rest, IMO. Though I'm probably leaning toward urology at the moment.

What I like about urology is that it seems to incorporate more medicine & general surgery (gotta know your way around the abdomen), and the ROS is generally more relevant to clinical decisions than in Ophtho. Ophtho is quite possibly the most niche specialty in medicine, but that definitely has its perks as well.

I personally think lifestyle is kind of a wash. Urologists tend to work more, but that is probably more by choice than due to demands of the job. There are plenty of urologists that dial it back to mostly-clinical practices with cushier hours. Anyway, this is a tough choice, I'll def be wrestling with it for the next yr or so.

I have exactly the same thoughts. Through shadowing, I have concluded that the selling point for me is that both offer the chance to make a dramatic impact on your patients quality of life. I think this over everything else would make me feel excited about going to "work"