“The eyes are the window to the soul”- Leonardo Di Vinci. It is true; the eyes are the window to the soul. Eye contact is a very powerful thing. A wrong lock on with a stray dog can put one in the infirmary, and an admiring stare with a stranger can be the spark to a new relationship. In addition to the social aspect of the eye, it is also necessary to open one’s brain to the world around it. The mirahcle that is eyesight is a phenomenon so perfect that even the slightest altercation can throw it off course. When this predicament occurs, Ophthalmologists are on the job, ready to put one back into good vision and good spirits. First thing foremost, ophthalmology is not a job for slackers. To become an ophthalmologist, one must endure several years of grueling schooling. After being an above average student in high school, future ophthalmology prospects will endure a four year college education. During their college years, an ophthalmologist will likely take a biology or chemistry major to achieve his bachelor’s degree. One can also take an alternative route, however, and enroll in a university that has a medical department. If so, the student can earn his undergraduate degree in three years and immediately go into the medical school at that university. For most, this is not the case, which means they must go through the fierce competition of medical school. On average, only one third of potential medical students make the final cut (“Exploring Health Care Careers: Second Edition” 182 ). The admission process takes your entire schooling career into consideration, including: GPA’s, extra-curricular activities, and your Medical College Admission Test, or MCAT for short. If a student doesn’t make the cut the first year, he/she may apply again, but with each application chances become narrower and narrower. Once in med school, a student will undergo roughly two years of lectures and lab training. The labs completed in med school include all spectrums of the medical field. You also learn the business ways around a standard medical office, including patient histories, paperwork, and computer sciences. In a student’s later years of med school, one might travel around from various hospitals and clinics, observing all fields of medicine and how a daily routine goes. A student may take part in internships and make good relations for later jobs in this phase of the process (“Ferguson’s Careers in Focus: Physicians” 266).
Of course, after a student graduates and is feeling great about his/her chances of being successful, they must take another exam administered by the National Board of Medical Examiners. After this test, M.Ds may specialize their internships more and discover what they truly want to do with the rest of their lives. Ophthalmologists will study under another ophthalmologist or an optometrist, a doctor mostly dealing with corrective lenses. Once the internship is completed, ophthalmologists will complete a residency. A residency includes working with another doctor of your field in a training program. (“Ferguson’s Careers in Focus: Physicians” 265). Once all of these processes are complete, an M.D. will complete his certification process. To certify by the American Board of Ophthalmology, an aspiring ophthalmologist must complete an education specializing in ophthalmology and pass written and oral examinations administered by the ABO. Certification for ophthalmologists lasts 10 years (“Fergusons Career Guidance Center: Physicians” 265). Many ophthalmologists say the long and grueling process is worth it, like Thomas Weingeist. Weingest says, “I enjoyed everything… Every day we see something intellectually challenging, and then we learn how to take care of those problems.” (“Fergusons Career Guidance Center: Physicians” 264) In addition to doing what you love, the job also has the benefit of having a high starting salary. On average, an ophthalmologist starts his wages at $120,000 - $190,000. (“Ferguson’s Careers in
