Planning an Ophthalmology Elective and What to Consider

Electives allow medical students to immerse themselves in a chosen field of interest for approximately 4-8 weeks. Students are usually responsible for selecting, arranging, and covering the financial cost of the elective.

Ophthalmology electives are an excellent way for students interested in the specialty to understand what the day-to-day life of an ophthalmologist entails, gain insights into the skills and procedures involved, learn about the impact of the specialty and experience a different ophthalmic healthcare system than what they are familiar with in medical school placements.

As the time spent on ophthalmology training is limited in medical school, it is all the more important to achieve a more successful and meaningful elective.

RELATED: Ophthalmology Resources for Medical Students

Choosing Clinical Placement and Elective Module

Let's talk about the six key factors to consider when planning your ophthalmology elective to make things a little easier:

1. Location

Electives can be an excellent way to experience and explore ophthalmology in a different healthcare system.

There may be similarities and differences in healthcare provision, resources, and clinical practice between countries (e.g. developing vs developed countries), but also within countries (e.g. private vs free healthcare systems within a country).

If you want to experience more than one, this will require good planning for how to split your time between two different organisations. For example, one in the U.K. and one in a developing country.

Involvement in an elective in an underfunded system can be rewarding and lead to very meaningful reflections. If you have an interest in global eye health and/or humanitarian work, this is a really good opportunity.

2. Subspecialties

Likely, many medical students will not yet have a single subspecialty interest (which is normal). In this case, it may be worth considering choosing an ophthalmology elective where you will have exposure across most of the subspecialties.

If you are interested in seeing more niche presentations, tertiary ophthalmology hospitals (such as Great Ormond Street Hospital or Moorfields) may offer exposure to certain genetic, rare, or complex eye conditions, as well as the opportunity to see promising new and innovative treatments.

On the other hand, remote or less developed healthcare systems abroad can reveal how socioeconomic factors can lead to a high prevalence of common, easily treatable eye conditions. The varying level of access to ophthalmology services and treatments in certain areas usually affects the help they can get. If you have an interest in global health and humanitarian work, this may be the elective for you.

RELATED: Ophthalmology Subspecialties and Finding Your Focus in Eye Care

3. Cost & Funding

Costs will include the elective fee to the organising host itself, as well as the accommodation and travel expenses (flight tickets, other forms of commuting whilst on the elective).

This, of course, varies depending on the specific elective and location, but it is worth considering that if you want a longer elective, the costs will be higher.

Medical students can often overlook or miss the opportunity to apply for funding for (all or part of) the elective costs. Your university may offer bursaries that you can apply for.

There are also ophthalmology-specific awards (such as the Patrick Trevor-Roper Travel Award), as well as grants from organisations and charities that aim to support medical student education - some even specifically support access to international electives in a certain speciality. An early search to find out what is available to you and whether you are eligible is a good idea – they usually have application deadlines to keep in mind.

4. Involvement & Learning

It goes without saying that some electives will have more opportunities for learning and active involvement. You might want to consider reaching out to potential elective supervisors who have an interest in teaching and training, or consider choosing a busy teaching hospital that routinely organizes medical student placements.

The elective is by no means intended to make you an ophthalmologist by the end of it. But rather for you to gauge if you have a genuine interest in learning more about what you come across and getting involved.

Though keep in mind that being proactive is usually the best way to ensure you get the most out of each clinical experience, whether that be a clinic, theatre, or otherwise. Introduce yourself to the team and ask questions. Ask what you may be able to do with appropriate supervision. Remember, no one is expecting you to know all the answers already - showing enthusiasm to improve and learn is key to getting the most out of your time.

RELATED: How to Make the Most of a Medical School Ophthalmology Placement

5. Portfolio Opportunities

To get even more out of your elective, think about useful portfolio-developing skills and activities you could take part in.

If you want hands-on microsurgical experience, ask if there is a simulator or if you would be able to have some exposure to the wet-lab.

Is there a research project opportunity, an opportunity to present an interesting case, or a way to get involved with teaching? Are there local or departmental meetings that you could attend?

Check if there is an example timetable you can see. If the variation and/or number of allocated theatre and clinic sessions is important to you, make sure you check for this.

6. Organisation & Planning

Start early! It’s worth making a list of all the different electives you can and want to apply for. Check the application requirements and deadlines - they often need references. Ask for these early on if so. Ophthalmology electives can be quite competitive, so keep an open mind and apply for more than one elective.

If you plan to split your elective, you will need to organise well and make sure you leave time for travel in between both electives. Have contact details for each elective provider in case you run into any issues or delays that you need to inform them about.

If you are unsure about any aspect of the ophthalmology elective, contact the elective providers and ask them any questions you may have. Some may even be able to provide a sample timetable of an elective, so you know what to expect. Do not hesitate to reach out to them, as it is better to get the answers to your questions before you decide to commit to an elective.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shanees Nazeer is resident doctor currently working in Oxford. She graduated with a medical degree from the University of Manchester, and has done several student selected placements and an elective in Ophthalmology at medical school.