Ophthalmology

Sophie Baldwin, 10/1/23

Ophthalmologists are specialists who treat and diagnose diseases concerning the eye and visual field. They can work in both an office and a procedural setting, as they are trained medically and surgically. They are able to prescribe medication, repair eye trauma, and diagnose various eye diseases. Ophthalmologists often see patients over an extended period of time, and they work with other eye and vision specialists, such as optometrists. Additionally, they can choose to work either in a hospital-based setting or in private practice. Ophthalmology is a very rewarding field as fixing someone's vision can have a great impact on their quality of life.

Fast Facts

• Salary: $370,000

• DO friendly? No

• IMG friendly? No

• Competitiveness: High

• Match rate (2023): 68%

• Average step-one: 244

• Surgical? Yes

Becoming an Ophthalmologist

• 4 years of undergraduate

• 4 years of medical school

• 1 transitional/preliminary year

• 3 years ophthalmology residency

• 1-2 years of fellowship (optional)

Work-life Balance

Ophthalmology is one of the ROAD specialties, meaning it is compensated well with a favorable work-life balance. Ophthalmologists typically work 40-50 hours per week on a set schedule, and they are able to take weekends off. While ophthalmologists who work in an in-patient setting are more likely to be called in, those who work in an out-patient setting have fewer critical emergencies. Ophthalmologists are compensated well with a good work-life balance, making this field a very desirable choice.

Fellowships

• Anterior segemt surgery (1 year)

• Corneal/External disease (1 year)

• Glaucoma (1 year)

• Neuro-ophthalmology (1 year)

• Oculoplastics (2 years)

• Ophthalmic pathology (1 year)

• Pediatric ophthalmology (1 year)

• Retina/Vitreous (2 years)

• Uveitis/Immunology (1 year)

Job Satisfaction and Outlook

• 93% would re-choose their specialty (AAO)

• 37.8% report burnout (NIH PubMed)

• 7% projected job growth (2018-2028) (Zippia)

Sources

https://bemoacademicconsulting.com/blog/ophthalmology-residency-interview-questions-and-answers#:~:text=2.-,How%20competitive%20is%20ophthalmology%20residency%3F,a%20match%20rate%20of%2068%25.

https://residency.wustl.edu/choosing-a-specialty/specialty-descriptions/ophthalmology/

https://www.zippia.com/ophthalmologist-jobs/trends/#:~:text=Ophthalmologist%20job%20growth%20summary.&text=The%20projected%20ophthalmologist%20job%20growth,in%20the%20last%205%20years.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34596630/#:~:text=Results%3A%20Of%20the%20592%20ophthalmologists,%2F66)%20for%20uveitis%20specialists.

https://www.aao.org/headline/high-career-satisfaction-rates-among-ophthalmologi