Pearls of Wisdom for Surviving the First Two Years in Ophthalmology Residency

By Parisa Farhi, MD

Ophthalmology Resident, University of Pittsburgh

The first year of ophthalmology training can be both difficult and exhilarating. Unlike your intern year, you start your ophthalmology residency with little relevant technical knowledge or skills. However, the learning curve is steep and you will quickly be considered the "eye expert," especially on-call. Although not apparent at first, your clinical acuity and the knowledge you gained through the last five years of training will keep you out of trouble while you acquire your specialized skills in ophthalmology.

The ophthalmology residency is different from prior training because of the small size of the average training program and the large amount of time spent with few people. Because of these factors, an individual's actions and interactions have more impact on others. Reputations are made early and they are lasting. Hence it is important to be on your best behavior at all times and to work well with everyone, including those who are not particularly nice to work with. Your efforts will pay off by creating a more pleasant and productive work environment.

Supporting your co-residents is also very important. Make sure that you help each other out and back each other up. Having a group of friends as co-residents makes the residency a whole lot easier and more fun. Of course, the opposite is true as well.

The purpose of residency is to learn how to take good care of patients with eye problems; therefore, reading is very important. Reading through the American Academy of Ophthalmology Basic Science Series (BCSC) and retaining it takes months. With the busy residency schedule, it is easy to ignore the series. A reading schedule is helpful. A good schedule will allow you to read through the BCSC by the winter of your first year, leaving the following few months for review, which is a necessary step to retain what has been read.

Following the above reading schedule will have several benefits. First, the knowledge you gain will help you to make correct diagnoses and to manage patients appropriately. Unlike much of what we have had to study up to this point for exams, what is in BCSC is practical and necessary. Second, this approach to the BCSC will help you to advance beyond what is in the basic books sooner. You will be able to ask in depth questions from the experts and attending physicians in your program. Third, being knowledgeable will help foster respect for you as a physician amongst patients, staff, attending physicians, and your co-residents. Lastly and least importantly, it will help you do very well on the OKAP.

Ophthalmology is a wonderful field. I hope that you enjoy your training.