Ophthalmology Medicine in Which the Eyes Have It

Ophthalmology is the branch of medicine that deals with the eye and the problems or diseases that can occur in its anatomy and physiology.  An ophthalmologist, an eye doctor, is typically is the one that you would see if you need to be fitted for glasses, but they can also be the one who may perform vision surgery and even help with diagnosing medical problems that may or may not be associated with the eye.  This doctor is one to see early and to continue throughout life so that your vision can remain in tact and your eyes healthy.

An ophthalmology practice may offer surgical services as well as the traditional eye exams.  Some also might specialize in specific aspects of eye health.  An ophthalmology practice might treat only children, or just seniors or those who have cataracts.  Others only perform laser vision services.  Choosing a practice based on specialty may be a wise idea depending on your family history or health.  If there is a chronic issue, such as glaucoma or diabetes, then making certain that good and consistent care can be accessed can be even more important.

An ophthalmologist may have some variation in their educational and training background.  Training is lengthy for this doctor.  A four year undergraduate degree is required, then medical school then three to eight years spent in residencies and internships.  An ophthalmology residency can last for three years and can provide good training with faculty and colleagues in the area.  When an ophthalmology residency is finished, the doctor should be prepared for most aspects of the career.  The internships occur before a residency and some residencies require portions of the licensing exams to be completed either during of before the residency.

Ophthalmology is a medical specialty that requires a keen medical knowledge and a fair amount of physics to do well.  An ophthalmology salary range may differ due to what type of practice the person works in and if (s)he is the owner or an associate that works for someone else. Working at a hospital may change the salary, but an ophthalmology salary compared to other specialty is one of the highest, in fact it is in the top ten highest paid medical specialties. 

A mean salary per year for an ophthalmologist in 2011 came in at two hundred seventy thousand dollars. This doesn't take into account other income potential such as speaking engagements or product sales.  There is a salary difference among men and women ophthalmologists, however.  While some men reported as much as two hundred ninety-five thousand dollars salary, women reported two hundred sixteen thousand for performing the same services.

Ophthalmology is a branch of medicine that pays a higher salary than other specialties, but it requires quite a bit of training and education to remain at the top of the profession.  Medicine changes rapidly and this branch is no different.  After the twelve years of education, continuing to keep up with the current trends and research is important.  While most people think of this person as simply the eye doctor, there is more to the profession than performing routine eye exams with fun eye charts. From surgery to contact lenses and research an ophthalmologist can take care of it all.  Choosing an ophthalmologist may be a matter or doing some homework.  If you have diabetes or glaucoma or perhaps are interested in eye surgery at some point, then finding a doctor that can help with any or all of those is probably your best bet. Sometimes they might even give good prizes if you are good during your eye exam.