Students

Why Should You Be Interested in Pediatric Ophthalmology?

1. You can take care of patients of all ages

  • Premature babies, neonates, infants, toddlers and children to 18+ and adults with strabismus

2. You can be a comprehensive provider for the pediatric population

  • Many comprehensive providers do not feel comfortable managing pediatric patients, so you have a “monopoly” on the market.
  • You can manage all ocular issues from the lids and anterior segment to the optic nerve.
  • You can manage patients with rare and complex disorders and work as a team with other pediatric subspecialists

3. Pediatric ophthalmologists are a hot commodity!

  • Low numbers of pediatric ophthalmologists allow for ability to find work in otherwise saturated job markets with increased power of negotiation.

4. Pediatric ophthalmologists are happy - you should be, too!

  • Ophthalmologists in general report a good quality of life and work-life balance
  • Pediatric ophthalmologists have good job satisfaction in a field that tends to recruit and foster happy people, which is important for you and your colleagues

5. It is a good field to go into if you like public health and international work.

  • Pediatric ophthalmologists usually can find funding opportunities for community outreach both locally and abroad, where there is a significant need for pediatric ophthalmology care providers

6. If you are someone who likes to build relationships with your patients and watch them grow and improve, this field is for you.

  • Many pediatric ophthalmology issues, such as amblyopia, strabismus, glaucoma, ptosis, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) have long-lasting impact on the eyes and the visual system, requiring continued follow-up, thereby allowing for a strong relationship between you, your patients, and their families.

7. Taking care of children is fun!

  • You get to play games and use toys and stay young at heart.
  • Kids say and do the funniest things – you will always have great stories to share with friends and colleagues.

8. You will never get bored.

  • There is a huge potential to have a comprehensive practice, your clinic can have patients with a wide variety of disorders and your operating room can involve a wide variety of procedures.
  • There is potential for inpatient and outpatient work, academic or private practice, NICU ROP, with different disorders and exam skills.

9. There are relatively low after-hours and on-call responsibilities.

  • Compared to emergent retinal detachments and entrapped orbital floor fractures, there are relatively few amblyopia and strabismus emergencies.
  • Hence pediatric ophthalmologists enjoy a good work-life balance!

10. The vision that you save in childhood will serve your patients their whole lives!

  • If amblyopia is treated appropriately, you will have patients coming back with dramatically better vision at each visit, knowing that they will get to keep this for their adult lives!