If you’re interested in the medical field and want to become an eye doctor, consider ophthalmology. At this point, you might be wondering “What kind of schooling does an ophthalmologist need?” The levels of training required to become an ophthalmologist can be broken into three levels: college studies, medical school, and further specialized training. Keep reading to understand the specifics and lengths of each level of training.
College-Level Studies
An aspiring ophthalmologist needs four years of college to earn a bachelor’s degree in a related field. If you want to succeed in medical school, you’ll need to focus on a science-based major with an emphasis on pre-med and prerequisites for medical school. As long as you have four years of college and enough experience to study for and pass the MCAT exam, you’ll qualify for ophthalmology and medical school.
Medical School
You must take and secure a high enough score on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) exam to apply for medical school. Once you’re satisfied with your MCAT result, begin applying for medical school. Just like college, you’ll spend four years in medical school learning, training, and testing. You will eventually take multiple steps of the US Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE), which will determine if you’re ready for further internships and training.
Specialized Training
Specialized training includes internships, residency, and other certification training. Internships typically last for one year, while medical residency training can last anywhere for three or more years. Ophthalmology has many specifications, so you can choose to pursue one certification even further. For instance, you could continue studying glaucoma treatment, neuro-ophthalmology, pediatric ophthalmology, and more. Doing so could include completing additional certifications and fellowships.
We hope this brief guide on ophthalmology education helps answer the question of “What kind of schooling does an ophthalmologist need?” Take note of these different tiers of education that you’ll need as an aspiring ophthalmologist. If you’re interested in starting your own ophthalmology center, rely on Automated Ophthalmics Inc. for all your ophthalmology accessories such as tonopen covers.