Ophthalmology is one of the most rewarding of the medical professions. I chose to be an ophthalmologist, and a cornea subspecialist in particular, because I loved the combination of surgery and medicine. In medical school, there were aspects of my medical and surgical rotations that I enjoyed, but I couldn’t imagine being a general practitioner who never operated or a surgeon who didn’t follow a patient beyond the postoperative period. In ophthalmology, you don’t have to choose; you can have the best of both worlds.
During ophthalmology residency, you must decide on a career focus. Although many doctors decide to practice general ophthalmology, there are also many subspecialties from which to choose. A survey conducted by the American Academy of Ophthalmology reported that two-thirds of ophthalmology residents planned on applying to a fellowship for more specialized training, with retina and cornea being the most popular choices.
Many factors will influence your decision to become a comprehensive ophthalmologist or a subspecialist. You should enter residency with an open mind and spend ample time during these 3 formative years to explore each subspecialty in detail. Each subspecialty has something unique to offer, and as you explore each field, you will find where your interests lie.
I asked our current and rising senior residents at the Weill Cornell Ophthalmology residency program in New York City how they decided on a career focus. Below are the responses from some of our top residents:
Charles Kim, MD (matched at Wills Eye Oculoplastics fellowship)
I chose to pursue a career in oculoplastics because it focuses on the aspects of ophthalmology that I enjoy the most: surgery mixed with a wide range of pathology and patients, as well as the opportunity to work closely with other disciplines such as ear/nose/throat and dermatology. In addition, I was fortunate to have an amazing faculty mentor who got me really excited about the field early on during residency.
Ryan Vasan, MD (matched at Wake Forest Cornea fellowship)
I chose cornea and external disease because I love dry eye! Really, I chose cornea because I enjoy being in the clinic, educating patients about their eyes and vision, and being in the OR where the surgeries can be complex yet made to seem simple and elegant. Since medical school, I’ve been lucky to have mentors who are at the top of their field and have inspired me to follow in their footsteps.
Kristine Yin, MD (matched at University of Southern California Cornea fellowship)
I decided to pursue a career in cornea because as a subspecialty, because it combines a wide variety of clinical problems with diverse, elegant surgical techniques, many of which have very tangible and immediate outcomes. Working with several great faculty mentors throughout residency showed me that the corneal surgeon performs some of the most satisfying surgeries in all of ophthalmology, and even in the setting of severe corneal injury, may dramatically improve a patient’s quality of life.
Resources for Residents
AAO's One Network: The Resident HUB
International Council of Ophthalmology: Resources in Ophthalmology Residency Education
