Expand mobile version menu
  Skip to main content

Ophthalmologist

salary graphic

AVG. SALARY

$124,580

education graphic

EDUCATION

First professional degree

job outlook graphic

JOB OUTLOOK

Stable

What To Learn

High School

What high school courses should you take if you're interested in this career? Get your answers from the Health Science cluster Therapeutic Services pathway.

Beyond High School

Here's a list of programs that you should consider if you're interested in this career:

Education Level

Education training and experience are required at different levels for success in different occupations.

First professional degree

In addition to requiring a bachelor's degree, physicians and surgeons typically need either a Medical Doctor (M.D.) or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree, which takes an additional 4 years to complete. Depending on their specialty, they also need 3 to 9 years in internship and residency programs. Subspecialization includes additional training in a fellowship of 1 to 3 years.

Insider Info

Additional Information

It takes a lot of education to become any kind of doctor, and this is no less true for ophthalmologists. In the U.S., an ophthalmologist must complete four years of college for their pre-med education followed by four or more years of medical school. They then have at least four years of residency training.

"You must enjoy physics," says pediatric ophthalmologist Dr. James Reynolds. "Most of medicine is chemistry, but most of ophthalmology is physics."

"Ophthalmology is a very popular specialty, and there is a perception that it's one of the more difficult specialties to get into," says Dr. Kevin Gregory-Evans. He's an ophthalmologist.

"That's true in Canada, it's true in the U.S., and it's true in the U.K.," says Dr. Gregory-Evans. "But one thing that people often forget is that the specialty of ophthalmology is huge.... It is a very big specialty [and] getting into the training programs can be tricky."

"Ophthalmology is a competitive field to get into within medicine," says ophthalmologist Denise Gallagher. "You have to have top grades, tests scores and board scores in medical school to be able to get into an ophthalmology residency training program."

Extra Requirements

All states require physicians and surgeons to be licensed; requirements vary by state. To qualify for a license, candidates must graduate from an accredited medical school and complete residency training in their specialty. All physicians and surgeons also must pass a standardized national licensure exam. M.D.s take the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). D.O.s take the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX-USA). For specific state information about licensing, contact your state's medical board. Certification is not required for physicians and surgeons; however, it may increase their employment opportunities. M.D.s and D.O.s seeking board certification in a specialty may spend up to 9 years in residency training; the length of time varies with the specialty. To become board certified, candidates must complete a residency program and pass a specialty certification exam from a certifying board including the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), or the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS).

For additional information, visit these websites:

Contact

  • Email Support

  • 1-800-GO-TO-XAP (1-800-468-6927)
    From outside the U.S., please call +1 (424) 750-3900

Support


Powered by XAP

OCAP believes that financial literacy and understanding the financial aid process are critical aspects of college planning and student success. OCAP staff who work with students, parents, educators and community partners in the areas of personal finance education, state and federal financial aid, and student loan management do not provide financial, investment, legal, and/or tax advice. This website and all information provided is for general educational purposes only, and is not intended to be construed as financial, investment, legal, and/or tax advice.