Medical Ophthalmology

Ophthalmology, the field of medicine that focuses particularly on issues of the eye, such as glaucoma and cataracts. In order to work in this area, there are a number of factors to consider. From school and working with people, to performing surgery and running an office, this field requires a lot of focus and commitment. If you’re not sure whether or not it’s something you want to pursue, check out a few details below.

Getting an education
When deciding to go into the medical field, expect to spend a long time in school. If you’re in the ophthalmology field, you’ll need to complete four years of undergraduate school, four years of medical school, a year of internship and at least three years in a residency training program. Also, if you want to work in a particularly state, you’ll need to pass a board exam. This exam will enable you to practice in that state and it is a very in-depth, two-part test given by the American Board of Ophthalmology. If you think you’re ready and willing to do all this, then you have a good chance of succeeding in the field.

Working with people
As with any job that helps people, you’ll want to be willing to work closely with a variety of patients. In the ophthalmology arena, you will be responsible for diagnosis of certain eye diseases, problems and more. You will constantly interact with your patients and talk with them to get a feel for their symptoms as well as other issues. In addition, you can give eye examinations for glasses and contacts. Some people are really fearful of the thought of wearing contact lenses and as a doctor, it will be your job to help them feel at ease with the process. Bottom line, be prepared to deal with people every single day.

Performing surgery
If you just want to prescribe glasses and contacts, then you may want to consider optometry. However, if the thought of operating on someone’s eyes is exciting to you, then ophthalmology could be the ideal choice. In addition to problems like glaucoma and cataracts, you may also be asked to perform Lasik surgery. This surgery allows people to see without needing glasses or contacts. Your job would be to surgically correct the patient’s vision using lasers. In the end, patients can usually see from the moment the procedure is over.

Handling an office
All doctors’ offices have to run professionally. In the ophthalmology field, you will need to have a good staff to handle scheduling appointments, patients’ records, billing and more. Some doctors choose to work in a practice that consists of a number of doctors. Others run small offices on their own. Regardless, you’ll need workers you can count on. And at the end of the day, patients will want to speak with the doctor is something goes wrong or if there’s a payment or insurance discrepancy, so you’ll need to be prepared for such issues.

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