Trying To Decide Between Cardiology And Ophthalmology

[FutureDoc6666]

Fellow Colleagues, 

 

After some sincere consideration, I've come to realize that cardiology and ophthalmology seem to be most suitable for me.  Does anybody have any specific information about these specialties that can help inform my finalized decision before I gun for either specialty?  Anything about lifestyle, job satisfaction, job prospects, etc.  I'd really appreciate your input. 

 

PS, if this post is more suitable elsewhere, please let me know!

 

Futuredoc

[JohnGrisham]

I'm curious, how'd you arrive at that decision?

I'd talk to residents in the respective programs.

The two seem very different in many ways (but similiar in a handful of ways )

[ralk]

For answers to most of your questions, start here: https://www.afmc.ca/faq/228/234/272#main-content - the CMA profiles in particular has a lot of useful information.

 

Job market for both is fairly tight right now, though that could change.

[Bambi]

Yes, check the job market.

[A-Stark]

I have no idea how to answer this question. 

 

Ophthalmology is a highly focused surgical specialty which has a largely outpatient practice. Rarely will you be managing systemically unwell/unstable patients. Cardiology is a subspecialty of internal medicine (of which you'll do three core years) which encompasses everything from multi-hour EP studies/ablations to 3am PCI to managing an LVAD to doing an outpatient stress test. 

 

I don't think they're remotely similar and don't really understand how a medical student (?) could make the kind of decision. From a practical perspective, you don't need to "gun" for cardiology until you get into an IM program. If it's really what you want to do, get involved in some tractable research projects and make connections. It's arguably a more easier route than matching to ophtho, for which I can offer no advice of consequence. 

[武田信玄]

For answers to most of your questions, start here: https://www.afmc.ca/faq/228/234/272#main-content - the CMA profiles in particular has a lot of useful information.

 

Job market for both is fairly tight right now, though that could change.

Wow, even ophthalmology too?

[ralk]

Wow, even ophthalmology too?

 

Ophtho probably more than Cards - it was identified as a specialty with a high level of unemployment or underemployment in this Royal College report. It's like any other surgical specialty, they need OR time and that's in short supply right now. The few places with available OR time are in places where newly minted surgeons, including Ophthos, don't seem to want to move. Cardiology doesn't have a great job market, but their job isn't quite as resource-intensive (while still requiring a fair bit infrastructure), so they have a bit more flexibility.

[rmorelan]

Ophtho probably more than Cards - it was identified as a specialty with a high level of unemployment or underemployment in this Royal College report. It's like any other surgical specialty, they need OR time and that's in short supply right now. The few places with available OR time are in places where newly minted surgeons, including Ophthos, don't seem to want to move. Cardiology doesn't have a great job market, but their job isn't quite as resource-intensive (while still requiring a fair bit infrastructure), so they have a bit more flexibility.

 

absolutely - access to OR is a big problem for ophthos - there is a lot of market saturation. Side node - when you notice that lasik is posting various large discounts, and pay later plans to the point where it sounds like a car salesman you have to at least wonder if there is reductions in that aspect as well.

[JohnGrisham]

$ $ $

[3change]

...

[mononoke]

Why do you need OR for ophtho? You can just open a clinic and do lasiks.

Wouldn't that be a waste of your surgical training? Not everyone goes into ophtho so that they can end up doing lasiks

 

Also equipment prices are extremely expensive, you'd have to find the capital to open up that clinic

[LittleDaisy]

Yeah you can open a clinic and do lasiks, but the machines are super expensive! Try to convince the bankers to lend money to a freshly-graduated ophtho with no prior surgical credentials.

You could also join the lasik MD, but looking at their biographies online, they are already experienced ophtho when they started working for lasik MD. I don't think that they employ any new optho without a few year of surgical experience. 

Also, if you are a medical student, you get 50% off for lasik surgery and they give you the most experienced surgeon (so if you are debating or are hesitating, now might be a good time)

Why do you need OR for ophtho? You can just open a clinic and do lasiks.

[rmorelan]

Why do you need OR for ophtho? You can just open a clinic and do lasiks.

 

and the lasiks market is pretty saturated. That is the primary problem with a lot of these fields - the product their markets which means not letting others use the ORs, or get into the business easily.

[ArchEnemy]

Yeah you can open a clinic and do lasiks, but the machines are super expensive! Try to convince the bankers to lend money to a freshly-graduated ophtho with no prior surgical credentials.

You could also join the lasik MD, but looking at their biographies online, they are already experienced ophtho when they started working for lasik MD. I don't think that they employ any new optho without a few year of surgical experience. 

Also, if you are a medical student, you get 50% off for lasik surgery and they give you the most experienced surgeon (so if you are debating or are hesitating, now might be a good time)

 

Is that sarcasm I sense?    A few of my colleagues have gone through the procedure and have nothing short of great things to say.

[rmorelan]

Is that sarcasm I sense?    A few of my colleagues have gone through the procedure and have nothing short of great things to say.

 

didn't sound like it to me they really do use this as a marketing tactic - they WANT the medical community to have nothing but praise for the procedure. After all if it is good enough for your doctor.......

[LittleDaisy]

It wasn't sarcasm. I knew a few med colleagues who did the procedure and got 50% of discount. They got the most experienced ophtha surgeon (if you tell them that you are a medical student, the Lasik M.D will make sure that you will have the surgeon who has performed the highest number of lasiks). They don`t want any risks with medical students, it is bad for their reputation (IMO). 

Their strategy kind of works in the medical community, now I hear nothing but praises for the eye laser surgery from my med colleagues. 

All the surgeries have risks and side effects though. 

didn't sound like it to me they really do use this as a marketing tactic - they WANT the medical community to have nothing but praise for the procedure. After all if it is good enough for your doctor.......

[NLengr]

As one of the general surgeons I worked with told me: Surgeries are only routine once they are over and the patient has fully recovered.

[katakari]

Perhaps divergent, but isn't there a large risk of starbursting with night vision after lasik? Reading about this has been the thing primarily stopping me.

[amichel]

Perhaps divergent, but isn't there a large risk of starbursting with night vision after lasik? Reading about this has been the thing primarily stopping me.

My understanding is that such side effects are largely a thing of the past. But maybe that's just marketing. I'm going for a consultation soon and if I decide to do it I'll look into the literature a bit more.