The requirements for becoming an ophthalmologic surgeon may vary depending on where you live. In most cases, however, you will have to prepare for this career by graduating from high school or its equivalent and earning a college degree. Then, you will usually have to attend medical school and participate in residency training that includes a surgery component. Finally, you may participate in a fellowship and seek board certification as part of your preparation to become an ophthalmologic surgeon.
The preparation to become an ophthalmologic surgeon usually starts with high school. Taking an academic selection of coursework can help you prepare for college. Science and health courses, however, may be particularly helpful as you take your first steps toward preparing for a career in health care. Math courses may also prove helpful since many advanced science courses will require you to have mathematics ability as well. If you do not complete high school, you can still gain admittance to college in most cases. You will usually have to earn a general educational development (GED) diploma instead.
To become an ophthalmologic surgeon, you will have to attend college and earn a four-year college degree. This will usually be your last stop before medical school, so you may decide to pursue a science major to prepare you well for this advanced education. Often, people who are interested in attending medical school choose to major in biology or chemistry, but you are not limited to these majors. Most medical schools will accept students who have pursued a wide range of majors. Earning excellent grades in college, securing letters of recommendation, and pursuing extracurricular activities may give you the best chance of gaining admission to the medical school of your choice.
Medical school usually lasts for four years. Your time in medical school typically includes both classroom work and hands-on training. Following this education and training, you normally have to participate in an ophthalmology internship as part of your preparation to become an ophthalmologic surgeon. Additionally, you will have to pass licensing examinations to gain the right to practice medicine in your jurisdiction.
Your training to become an ophthalmologic surgeon isn’t likely to end once you’ve graduated from medical school and completed an internship. You will usually have to spend about three years in surgical residency training, which is essentially on-the-job training for those in the medical field. You may also go on to complete a fellowship, which is advanced training in a specialty. Additionally, you may have to take examinations to gain certification in this field.
